Rob Madge on Buyer & Cellar, Barbra Streisand’s basement, and queer representation

Award-winning actor Rob Madge is set to take the stage at London’s King’s Head Theatre in Jonathan Tolins’ critically acclaimed play Buyer & Cellar this Autumn.

Known for their autobiographical hit My Son’s a Queer (But What Can You Do?), Madge is now stepping into a different kind of role – one that promises to be just as camp, queer, and funny as audiences have come to expect from the talented performer.

From imagining life in Barbra Streisand’s basement mall to reflecting on their recent success as winner of the Theatre Award at the Virgin Atlantic Attitude Awards, powered by Jaguar, Madge offers a glimpse into their fabulous world in this exclusive interview.

Tell us about the play.

Buyer & Cellar is a play written by Jonathan Tolins that documents the tale of Alex More an underemployed actor in Los Angeles who used to be a cast member at Disney Land and is given the job of working in Barbra Streisand’s basement mall – because Barbra Streisand really does have a shopping mall in her basement!

How’s it different from other plays you’ve been involved in?

For a start, I’m playing a role that isn’t myself, so I am very excited for that. It’s still very much my type of casting – it’s very camp, it’s very queer, it’s very funny. But it really delves into more of the undertones of show business and the not so glamourous parts of being a cast member in Disney Land. I think Alex More gets threatened by a child eating a churro at one point and then he loses his job… I mean, that’s not the Disney Land I’m promoting – mine is full of joy – but poor Alex… he draws the short straw!

You’ll be playing to quite a small audience. How’s that different from bigger crowds?

I think it doesn’t matter how many people are in the audience – 50, 500, everyone has paid the same price for a ticket and you want to deliver a good story. It’s going to be intimate, lovely, and extremely special for audience members to experience.

If you could take one thing from Barbra’s real basement mall, what would it be?

I would take Fifi, the French automaton doll with the pipe that blows bubbles. She seems lovely and she’s got a real back story… but you will have to come and watch the show to find out [what it is].

If you had your own basement mall, what would you fill it with?

For my basement mall I would fill it with a box set of every Desperate Housewives season, memorabilia from Chicken Run (the most iconic film of all time) and a lifetime supply of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream.

Why is Buyer & Cellar important to the queer community?

Because we need shows that are funny and light-hearted and for once we are getting the story of the fan rather than just the icon. The play really interested me because, yes it is about Barbra Streisand’s life but its more about Alex’s relationship with her and what he has to deal with when he’s faced with a gay icon. It’s a great story and we’ve all got those gay icons that we look up to and it’s an imagined situation of what if we were placed in a day to day scenario with them and that’s very relatable and very fun.

What’s it been like working at the Edinburgh Fringe?

As I do this interview, I am being flyer’ed left right and centre. It’s always fun, overwhelming, joyful, as well as exhausting and tiring. I am very ready for it to finish and I also don’t want to leave. I love it here – and I’m also tired. It’s wonderful!

Have you seen Dylan Mulvaney’s show? How is it?

I saw it last week and she’s a superstar. Dylan Mulvaney has this real knack of making you feel like you have known her all your life and you warm to her immediately and you’re rooting for her and you want to fight anyone that comes for her.

You won the Theatre Award at last year’s Attitude Awards. How did that feel?

It was very humbling and very overwhelming to win an award like that for my show, which is for the queer community. And to be awarded by the queer community it’s very, very special and I was chuffed.

And where’s the award now? Being used as a toilet doorstop perhaps?

I would never…She’s pride of place in my toilet! No she’s not – she’s in the kitchen and every now and then my mum makes sure I am keeping her polished so that the grease does not get to her.

Buyer & Cellar is running between 18 September – 19 October at London’s King’s Head Theatre. The production will then transfer to The Drum at Theatre Royal Plymouth from 29 October to 3 November. Tickets are available from just £10 and are available from the King’s Head Theatre and Theatre Royal Plymouth websites.

The post Rob Madge on Buyer & Cellar, Barbra Streisand’s basement, and queer representation appeared first on Attitude.