Written and performed by Mark Farrelly

Directed by Linda Marlowe

Mark Farrelly’s hugely-praised solo play comes to the Kenton as it approaches its 200th performance.

From a conventional upbringing to global notoriety via The Naked Civil Servant, Quentin Crisp was one of the most memorable figures of the twentieth century. Openly gay as early as the 1930s, Quentin spent decades being beaten up on London’s streets for his refusal to be anything less than himself. His courage, and the philosophy that evolved from those experiences, inspire to the present day.

Naked Hope depicts Quentin at two phases of his extraordinary life: alone in his Chelsea flat in the 1960s, certain that life has passed him by, and thirty years later, giving a performance of his one man show An Evening with Quentin Crisp in New York. Packed with witty gems on everything from cleaning (“Don’t bother – after the first four years the dust won’t get any worse”) to marriage (“Is there life after marriage? The answer is no”), Naked Hope is a glorious, uplifting celebration of the urgent necessity to be your true self.

★★★★ Time Out “An uncanny feat of resurrection. Farrelly’s mastery of his audience is total”
★★★★ British Theatre Guide
★★★★ Metro
★★★★ The Stage
★★★★ Edinburgh Guide
★★★★ Scotsgay
★★★★ Theatrescene.net “A sensational performance” (Review of Off-Broadway debut, 2019)

“Wonderful. Mark Farrelly channels Quentin Crisp brilliantly. It’s important to keep his voice alive!” (Boy George)

“A great show and a terrific performance” (Peter Tatchell)

To book visit:

QUENTIN CRISP: NAKED HOPE – Kenton Theatre