Playing in Waterloos Union Theatre, Tim McArthur’s new comedy drama Deeper & Deeper delves into the lives of a group of young gay men living in a Camden house share, number 34.

A black set with white props brings plots of friendship, love and longing to life over the years as Deeper & Deeper explores the intricacies of gay life in the late 90s to early 2000s 

The characters are a little stereotypical, but that kind of feels like the point. There’s the sassy successful suit, the drunk, the wide eyed country bumpkin, an exotic French guy and finally there’s the promiscuous one that everyone seems a bit obsessed with. 

If you’ve seen Queer As Folk then you’ll kind of get the drift – it’s the usual suspects that you would expect to see in a gaggle of gays. 

Running for two hours with a twenty minute intermission, the first half of the play is set between 1997-2003, usually after a night out on the town, and is a closet full of innuendos, jibes and quips that gets the audience invested in the dysfunctional family. 

Before long though scandal ensues all thanks to Joe’s randy antics and hints of the ever ominous presence of HIV arise behind the door of number 34.

The second half of the play takes a sombre turn as the characters reconnect after many years and look back to the time they spent together. You feel like you’ve been part of the journey, like one of the group as the remember the past.

The cast do a great job of portraying a range of gay men. Dickon Farmar’s drunken Scotsman Andrew is certainly the loudest and arguably the most human of the characters and you can see the actor’s passion as his eyes water with his character’s despair. Stewart Briggs’ Paul brings comedic chimes so it really is a roller coaster of emotion throughout. At the centre though is Joe (Robert Hook) whose presence is felt even when he is off stage as the repercussions of knowing him takes its toll on the rest of the house. 

Deeper & Deeper offers quite an in depth look at issues and consequences of consent, alcoholism and the Aids epidemic. Thought provoking and relatable, it’s definitely worth a watch, but with an already sold out run you’ll have to cross your fingers and pray to Dorothy that it gets extended.