Alan Cumming warns of unsafe times for queer people as he directs Liberace play
Alan Cumming directs a new play about Liberace's hidden sexuality and says the current era is unsafe for queer people.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Alan Cumming, the actor and new artistic director of Pitlochry Festival Theatre, is directing a play about Liberace that explores why the flamboyant pianist kept his sexuality hidden for so long. The play, currently in rehearsals and starring Simon Russell Beale, imagines Liberace returning to speak up for himself. Liberace, who died in 1987, was the highest paid performer in the world from the 1950s to the 70s, known for his camp glitz and showmanship, and he took legal action against any claims he was gay.
Cumming, who was speaking at the theatre in the Highlands of Perthshire, said the themes of the play are now all too familiar. He said: "I'm clearly aware that I am living in a time, both in this country and in America, that it is not a safe time to be queer." He added that society is "going back towards that now" and that some people are "starting to kind of go back into the closet, metaphorically speaking, because they are scared of living in the culture that we're living in."
The play examines how Liberace's public image was a "safe representation of queerness" that was flamboyant but sexless. Cumming said that was how popular culture used to handle queerness in the past. He also reflected on his decision to take on the role of artistic director at Pitlochry, calling it "very left-field" and admitting "I've never run a theatre." This week, Cumming won his third Emmy Award as presenter of the US version of The Traitors, but he was at the theatre for rehearsals.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | ITV |
|---|---|
| Alan Cumming won his third Emmy Award as presenter of the US version of The Traitors. | |
| Liberace took legal action against claims that he was gay. | |
| Liberace was the highest paid performer in the world from the 1950s to the 1970s. |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
ITV1 focused on the play's exploration of Liberace's hidden sexuality and Cumming's warning that the current period is unsafe for queer people. The report also highlighted Cumming's new role as artistic director at Pitlochry and his recent Emmy win, giving a personal angle to the story.
- “I'm clearly aware that I am living in a time, both in this country and in America, that it is not a safe time to be queer.”
- “we are going back towards that now”
- “I've never run a theatre.”
Broadcast Timeline
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