What's Wrong With Angry?

'What's Wrong With Angry?' is a stage play written in 1992 by Patrick Wilde about a gay love story between two British schoolboys. The play was the basis for the 1998 Paramount Classics feature film "Get Real".

History

"What's Wrong With Angry?" was Wilde's first play. It was written in an era of British history when the Age of Consent for homosexuals was 5 years older than heterosexuals, and legislation called Section 28 prohibited schools and local authorities from depicting homosexual relationships as an acceptable view of family life. The central characters - Steven Carter and John Westhead - were both still at school, and Wilde has pointed out that it is "quite crucial" that Carter is 16 Scarlet Street [http://www.bensilverstone.net/bstomlynch.asp issue 34] , "Tom Lynch". URL last accessed on 2007-04-09.] , as he wanted to draw attention to the fact Carter was breaking the law, whereas his heterosexual peers at school were not.

Productions

"What's Wrong With Angry?" first opened at the LOST Theatre in 1993 in Fulham, London, with an unpaid cast and crew of nearly 20, and an audience of only six [http://www.bensilverstone.net/bshistory.asp Ben Silverstone] , "Patrick Wilde's History of Get Real". URL last accessed on 2007-04-09.] . It wasn't until the gay press gave the show favourable reviews that audiences came in numbers, and the show sold out in the final week.

The show was then staged the following year at the Oval House in London, where it sold out and was extended for an extra week at the BAC Studio. After the final performance, film director Simon Shore and producer Steven Taylor approached Wilde about a film version [http://www.bensilverstone.net/bshistory.asp Ben Silverstone] , "Patrick Wilde's History of Get Real". URL last accessed on 2007-04-09.] , which Wilde went on to write the screenplay for.

for eight weeks. "What's Wrong With Angry?" has played professionally in Copenhagen, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Chicago.

A new production to be directed by Patrick Wilde himself, opens at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe on July 30th, 2008 until 25th August [http://www.edfringe.com/shows/detail.php?action=shows&id=803] , "Edinburgh Festival Fringe". URL last accessed on 2008-06-26.] . This will be the first UK production of the play in 13 years, and is produced by Taggart creator, Glenn Chandler.

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In 2002 Wilde wrote a follow up stage play, "You Couldn't Make It Up". While strictly not a sequel to the original, "You Couldn't Make It Up" included two characters from "What's Wrong With Angry?", John and Kevin, plus a small cameo appearance from Steven Carter. "You Couldn't Make It Up" premiered at the Gilded Balloon, Edinburgh during the Edinburgh Fringe 2002, and transferred to the New End Theatre, Hampstead in 2003. Both productions were produced by Pete Shaw.

References