Every Mardi Gras a show comes along that really stands out above the pack. This year there are two shows that have achieved this and amazingly enough they are a double bill showing at the same theatre. Both of these shows confront gay sex head on and deliver something that will knock your socks off.

Focus Theatre, the team that bought the 2008 Australia wide hit Blowing Whistles have done it again. The team at Focus really know how to put together compelling shows that peel away the layers of our community and hold up the mirror.

Bison is written by Sydney playwright Lachlan Philpott. He began writing plays whilst studying directing at The Victorian College of Arts. It was here that he wrote Bison, which was a hit when it featured in the 2000 Midsumma Festival. Ever since he has gone on to write a number of quality plays including Catapault and Running Under The Sprinkler.

Bison follows the stories of four gay men of varying age, as they find their place in the gay community. The casting couldn’t be better – Quinn Gibbes, Stephen Multari, Christopher Tomkinson and John Turnbull deliver strong and flawless performances and the script is brilliant.

The story unravels over a few years as these four very different men travel down four very different paths. No stone is left unturned as the men engage in sexual encounters at clubs, beats, saunas and cruises both here in Sydney and abroad. The sexual experiences are varied and cover the entire spectrum from internet porn to violent fisting encounters. The dialogue is quick, clever and full of terms that will strike a chord with Sydneysiders. There’s so much jammed into this work that will resonate, far too many to write here.

The humour in Bison comes thick and fast as the men deal with every gay stereotype in existence. There are moments of boundless humour that shift to scenes of sheer terror, darkness and depression. They left me absolutely breathless. Bison captures the essence of today’s gay community with sheer honesty and brutality.

The lighting and ambient sounds of clubs, parks and beats is beautiful in its simplicity and effectiveness. Anybody who has partaken in scenes like this will fully agree. The full house on opening night was visibly blown away, their applause was thunderous. I was thrilled at half time to know that there was more to come.

Natural Born Hooker is the first play written by US playwright Konrad Product in 2007. If this is anything to go by Konrad certainly has a very big future ahead.

Fresh from his success in Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Daniel Scott plays the role of Edward, a man trying to find his feet as a young gay male in the United States. As the audience took their seats they were confronted with a gorgeous man laying on a bench centre stage touching him self to the sounds of Madonna.

Edward then exploded into a monologue about everybody’s favorite singer and how she has manipulated everybody around her to get where she is. He goes on to compare her career to that of a hooker’s which has been done many times throughout Madonna’s career and for good reason.

Daniel is superb. The story follows the harrowing tales of a prostitute trying to understand himself whilst also looking for a companion. His love of money drives his very being as he bed-hops around the United States sleeping with daddies, trannies and socialites.

The development of Edward from a young man discovering his sexuality to a seemingly heartless soul moving from client to client is heartbreaking. He is so desperately seeking somebody with which to share his life, but instead becomes consumed with the pursuit of money. The tears began to flow as the character recounted his harrowing tales of sex and perversion.

The lighting design set the mood perfectly, the minimal score that underpinned the work brought Daniel’s portrayal of a seemingly hollow sex worker to life.

Natural Born Hooker left me breathless and amazed that Edward actually survived such a horror trip into the sleazy underground of sex work. Anybody who has actually been a sex worker will resonate with Edward’s tale as he crosses paths with some bizarre characters and even more bizarre sexual activities.

Underneath all of the depravity and perceived soullessness is a beautiful human being screaming for acceptance and love in a cold, unforgiving world. Brief moments of clarity reveal glimpses of vulnerability buried deep beneath his hardened shell.

Though a lot darker than Bison the two plays work brilliantly together. It’s a real credit to Focus, and a night of sheer emotional overload. I walked away feeling more informed not only about the gay community but also the human condition.

I’m going out on a limb and predicting Bison / Natural Born Hooker to be the shows of the festival. Not for a long while have I seen two shows back to back that exhausted my entire being. Do yourself a favour – get to the Belvoir Street Theatre and see these compelling shows. You won’t be sorry!

Bison / Natural Born Hooker runs from until March 15 at Belvoir Street Theatre as part of the 2009 Mardi Gras Festival. Click here for tickets.

Check out Same Same’s Mardi Gras section by clicking here.