Tim Luscombe
Snow Orchid
Location: Gate Theatre, Notting Hill
Date: 1993
Joe Pintauro’s masterpiece (in my opinion) was given its European premiere by the London Gay Theatre Company at the Gate Theatre in Notting Hill, after our success with Salvation the year before, and Snow Orchid was the third European premiere of a Pintauro piece that I had directed. It was an extraordinary success, with Jude law, Paola Dionisotti, Adam Magnani and Roger Lloyd Pack taking the lead roles.
The whole thing, including another amazing set by Rob Howell, exploded out of the little space of the Gate Theatre and consolidated the reputation of the London Gay Theatre Company. It was our last show, after four sell out productions in four years. The company had contributed to gay plays being seen as commercially viable and schedulable, and thus it had achieved and outrun its purpose.