David Hoyle Shines Bright Like A Diamond

David Hoyle: Diamond, Soho Theatre ★★★★☆

By David Lloyd-Davies Last edited 76 months ago

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David Hoyle Shines Bright Like A Diamond David Hoyle: Diamond, Soho Theatre 4

David Hoyle has decamped from his familiar haunts around the London ‘scene’, taking his new show, Diamond, on the road. The performance uses Hoyle’s own life as an allegory for LGBTQ+ history in Britain and aims, he says, to alchemise the pain LGBTQ+ people experience into something positive for the future.

Dominating the stage in charity-shop chiffon and his trademark well-worn stilettos, Hoyle commands the audience’s attention through the chapters of his life from the tills of British Home Stores to the AIDS epidemic. Despite the comic timing, sharp wit, and cat-and-mouse audience interactions, Hoyle conveys the depth of his feeling on the subject. Costume changes are facilitated by interludes from The LipSinkers who give several performances, each less polished and more baffling than the last.

Using his own life as an allegory is a clever device that gives Hoyle lots to talk about. The one-hour running time clips the story short as the show culminates in a bonanza performance by Hoyle, The LipSinkers and some audience members. Although there is some unfinished business, this doesn’t detract from an uplifting and empowering show.

David Hoyle: Diamond, Soho Theatre, 21 Dean Street, W1D 3NE. Until Saturday 18 November.

Last Updated 16 November 2017