AVEC Createur's Being Together was an over-ambitious play which dealt with homosexuality, bisexuality, child abuse and marriage all in one go. It fluttered recklessly from one major theme to another, shedding a prejudice here, a stereotype there and doing no service whatsoever to the gay community in Hong Kong.
It was a play crying out for more research, thought and authenticity.
It involves four characters in a complicated plot: a lesbian wife refuses to make love with her newly-wed bisexual husband whose lover is his brother-in-law. Sounds like a farce? Maybe, but unfortunately the play was anything but funny.
Every actor explained directly to the audience why they 'chose' to be gay, and here we have the fundamental flaw in the play - you either are or you aren't gay, it's as simple as that.
In Being Together sexual orientation is represented as a commodity - something you might pick up in Seibu if you could afford it.
The dialogue was dull, any plot twists easily anticipated. Chris Wai was most at ease with his role, although he was hampered by the stock characterisation. Amy Fong couldn't face the audience, Anson Lam went over the top and Wandy Fok was shallow.
If the play had been as tight as the set, this might have been a much better evening.