What It Means

Based on the essay On Being Different by Merle Miller

Writer: James Corley

Director: Harry Mackrill

Producer: Nisha Oza for The Lot Productions

Wilton’s Music Hall, 4th - 28th October 2023

The true story behind one of the most impactful pieces of writing ever published in the fight for LGBTQ+ equality.  

September 1970.  A year after the Stonewall Riots, Harper's Magazine publish the now notorious article 'Homo/hetero: the struggle for sexual identity'.  Acclaimed journalist and former editor of Harper’s Magazine, Merle Miller reads the article from his home in upstate New York and decides to take a stand.   

​September 1971. Merle sits at his desk and begins to write. Part man, part memory he invites the audience to join him on an incredible journey of his life from provincial Iowa to the pages of the New York Times.  

​What It Means is an emotional voyage through history - some personal, some not, highlighting the importance of standing up for what you believe in, accepting the validity of  one's own voice and taking a courageous step onto the platform that is offered to you  however long it may take.  

‘There it was, out at last, and if it seems like nothing very much, I can only say that it took a  long time to say it, to be able to say it, and none of the journey was easy.’   - Merle Miller  

As Merle crashes into our world, audiences are witnesses to his protest and companions in  his reflection, as he writes the article he has been avoiding for a lifetime. The article in  question, What It Means to Be a Homosexual, is a public declaration of identity, a rallying  cry for equality and – ultimately – part of the fabric of protest that formed the modern  LGBTQ+ movement.  

What It Means is published by Methuen

REVIEWS

James Corley cleverly unpicks Miller’s landmark essay, remaking an argument into a collage of anecdote and emotion… a groundbreaking op-ed becomes vital theatre
★★★★ ᐧ The Guardian

Richard Cant gives a mesmeric turn and an electric performance
★★★★ · Time Out London

A momentous testament to queer literary heritage
★★★★ · Theatre Weekly

Corley writes with a wit which consistently entertains… Audiences would be wise to grab tickets for this impressive production before word-of-mouth rewards it with a deserved sell-out run
★★★★ · Reviews Hub

A riveting tale of identity, defiance and LGBTQ+ legacy
★★★★★ · A Youngish Perspective