Gindr, The Opera! The unauthorised parody, The Old Repertory Theatre, Birmingham, 01 August 2026 | until 02 August 2026, then on tour. ⭐⭐⭐ Review by Paul and David Gray

Photo credit: Brittain Photography

Gindr, The Opera! The unauthorised parody

The Old Repertory Theatre, Birmingham, 01 August 2026 | until 02 August 2026, then on tour.

⭐⭐⭐ Review by Paul and David Gray

“A strong show; witty, with a serious edge, and well performed.”

The operas of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries often took ancient Greek mythology as their subject matter and dealt with the dramas between gods and mortals. So it does not seem out of place that this fresh take on the idea of opera should introduce a new Deity in town. Move over Eros, Grindr is the modern God of Gay Sex!

Unlike the gods of antiquity, Grindr’s playthings are not heroes, or kings and queens, well not that type of queen anyway. This opera tells the stories of four ordinary, horny gay gays looking for a good time. At first glance, this quartet of  sexual questers seems disappointingly clichéd. We are in a world of tops and bottoms, a desperate old closet case, and a “twink”. But as the drama unfolds they become more human and sympathetic.

This is because writer and composer, Erik Ransom’s witty & clever libretto invests his characters with context; with some real psychological depth and very relatable emotional reactions. His music is always fit for purpose: characterful, and strong enough to do the dramatic heavy lifting; plus the actors deliver committed and convincing performances.

The overarching divine meta-narrative manages to persuade us that we are looking at something more significant than a mundane failed love affair, or a sordid financial sexual transaction. It takes the stereotypical and makes it archetypical.

The show is well sung on the whole. As the titular character, Christian Lunn - a dominating physical presence in death-defying stiletto heels - is vocally commanding. This is a voice with body, power, and a thrilling falsetto.

As the star-crossed lovers, Patrick Barrett and Kane Verrall have strong, attractive voices which blend beautifully. As Don, Dereck Walker is a highly skilled singing actor. Musically, the one weaker link is Will Joel as Jack. This is a very young voice which lacks some carrying edge. Otherwise, he is perfectly cast.

Director, William Spencer, deals with the action in the ensemble numbers very well. But some of the slower numbers feel a bit busy and fussy, with too much unfocused moving around the stage that doesn’t take its energy from the text or music. He should put more trust in the power of stillness.

David Shields’ production is well designed with a simple staging that allows the action to flow. But the paucity of the budget for this show is all too evident. It looks tired and a bit frayed. Also, the orchestration is a little threadbare at times; there is so much more that can be done with keyboards and electronic treatment.

However, this is a very good show with serious – and really rather dark & disturbing - things to say: well performed, well sung, and strongly acted.

Cast

Devon – Patrick Barrett

Trogorium – Oliver Cartwright

Jack – Will Joel

Versipellis – Will Loader

Grindr – Christian – Lunn

Tom – Kane Verrall

Don – Dereck Walker

Creatives

Book, music and lyrics – Erik Ransom

Director & Choreographer – William spencer

Associate Director – Lilly Butcher

Musical Director & Orchestrator – Aaron Clingham

Set & Costumes – David Shields

Lighting – Chuma Emembolu