Tim Conigrave and John Caleo’s decade-spanning relationship was undoubtedly a gorgeous thing to behold. Meeting as school boys in 1970s Melbourne and staying together into the 1990s, their relationship was first documented in Conigrave’s memoirs and later adapted by Tommy Murphy for the stage.
The coming-of-age story, though one that follows a predictable path once Conigrave decides they should sleep with other people, is potentially quite moving. But Murphy’s script is clumsy, with erratic pacing and hackneyed dialogue that lacks nuance. The cast consequently struggle to connect with their characters, making for a stumbling two and a half hours that feels more like the 15 years that Tim and John were together.
The Play's The Thing UK 