King Ludwig II of Bavaria, played by Elijah Ferreira (main image), was a decadent monarch in the 19th century. He funded the operas of Richard Wagner, built a series of fairy tale castles, and was eventually deposed by his conservative government on the grounds of homosexual insanity.
The play follows Ludwig’s dangerous obsessions as they are ignited by the arrival of Richard Hornig (David Buttle), a stable master with a secret. Hornig’s presence in the Bavarian court may forever change the course of Ludwig’s fateful legacy – placing the future of his kingdom, his legacy, and even his sanity at the edge of a dangerous precipice.
Integrating historical sources with elements of the contemporary queer underground
This thrilling new production is a celebration of the enduring power of fantasy and myth making as a means of LGBTQI+ survival.
Elijah Ferreira is an Award winning actor
Best Newcomer Broadway World Nomination and Runner Up: Best Newcomer. The Stage Debut Award Winner: Best Performer in a Musical for YITZHAK in Hedwig and The Angry Inch by John Cameron Mitchel and Stephen Trask. He played Romeo in Shakespeare’s R&J by Joe Calarco, Directed by Paul Stacey (Reading Rep Theatre) and played Alfie in Innocence by Kaia Sariyaho, Directed by Simon Stone (Royal Opera House, Covent Garden – Olivier Awards Winner 2024: Best New Opera).
David Buttle plays Richard Hornig
He graduated from The Guildhall School of Music and Drama in 2020. David has appeared in Apple TV’s Slow Horses starring Gary Oldman along with the BBC’s mini series Aids: The Unheard Tapesnarrated by Russell Tovey and Julius Caesar: The Making of a Dictator. Theatre credits include understudying in the West End debut of Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons with Aidan Turner and Jenna Coleman and Backstairs Billy with Luke Evans and Penelope Wilton.
Other members of the cast include Bernadine Pritchett as ‘Woman’ (Migrations, Porgy & Bess and Phantom of the Opera) and actor and comedian Thom Tuck as ‘Man’ (The Crown, Penny Dreadfuls and Horrible Histories).
The Mad Gay King is directed by West End director Scott Le Crass (‘Rose’, Ambassadors Theatre) & produced by LA producer Amanda Schulz (‘The Rehearsal’, HBO), the play will mark LA playwright Christopher Adams-Cohen’s UK theatrical debut.
Sound Design is J.Aria a multi-instrumentalist producer and selector – a resident at both Adonis and Dalston Superstore. Their acid-camp, fierce-groove dramatics have seen them make waves across the queer underground, with appearances at worldwide institutions Carry Nation, Block9 (Glastonbury Festival) and Body Movements. With acclaimed worldwide releases on Nervous Records, and their debut EP ‘Pussy Suite’ on Adonis.
Tickets: From £10 – £28
The Mad Gay King plays from 3 – 18 October 2024 at King’s Head Theatre, Islington Square, 116 Upper Street, The Angel, London N1 1AB, United Kingdom.
Content Warning: suicidal ideation, mental illness, incidents of antisemitism, PTSD, sex
Age Guidance: 18+
Running time: 70 min
Social Media: @themadgayking, @kingsheadtheatre
All images supplied.
