“They decided to go out with a bang, dance to their death” – Jack Holden on ’80s-inspired gay play Cruise
We can’t wait for the return of Olivier-nominated gay play Cruise to the West End – we caught the original production last year at the Duchess Theatre, and now it’s returning later this summer for a short run at the Apollo Theatre.
Set in Soho in the 1980s, the play introduces its audience to Michael, a gay man who is diagnosed with HIV in 1984 and is told he has four years to live.
With the clock ticking, he decides to make the most of the time he has left. Cruise was one of the first plays we saw post-lockdown, and we described it at the time as “a potent reminder of the power of live theatre” before awarding it a perfect score.
Cruise will play at the Apollo Theatre from 13 August to 4 September this summer. Ahead of this run, we caught up with playwright Jack Holden to find out a bit more about the show and what inspired it.
