Robert Chesley’s play Jerker, or The Helping Hand is a pornographic elegy with redeeming social value and a hymn to the queer men of San Francisco in twenty telephone calls, many of them dirty. It has been described as one of the most important pieces of gay theatre ever created (Los Angeles Times). It also has the dubious reputation of triggering stricter broadcast indecency guidelines in the US, after excerpts of the play were aired on KPFK Pacific Radio in Los Angeles in 1986. This play is a rare find and the one and only previous staging of Jerker in London was directed by Stephen Daldry in 1987 at The Gate Theatre.

As the AIDS epidemic intensifies in the early 80s, Bert and J.R. begin having phone sex. They’ve never met, never seen each other and never touched, but together, they explore their wildest fantasies and the contours of their lonely souls. By turns erotic and tender, this intimate two-hander will leave you breathless before breaking your heart.

In addition to its erotic nature, Jerker embodies a deeper social importance. It reflects one of the worst periods in gay history, where the stigma of AIDS hung over the gay community, heightening public prejudice. The fear and silence around this subject was broken by a new wave of plays that began to emerge on the topic, acknowledging the crisis, humanising lives and encouraging the need for a personal response.

In Robert Chesley’s script notes, he says: ‘I can only hope that Jerker has done and will continue to do some good, with its message of pride in gay identity and honesty about sex.’

OFF WEST END AWARD NOMINATIONS

MALE PERFORMANCE IN A PLAY – Tom Joyner, MALE PERFORMANCE IN A PLAY – Tibu Fortes, SOUND DESIGN – Tingying Dong