Direct from the West End in London, BACON makes its West Coast premiere at the Rogue Machine in Los Angeles. Penned by multi-award winning English playwright and screenwriter Sophie Swithinbank, the story was inspired by real-life events which left an indelible impression on the author. To quote Swithinbank, “Bacon is about what happens when teenagers learn to bully and humiliate each other before they learn to love and accept themselves…the two central characters, Mark and Darren, were born from an act of bullying I witnessed, which led me to explore the idea of learned negative behaviors. I began to connect the bullying incident to an intense and semi-toxic relationship I had experienced growing up. It was a confusing, dangerously exciting time. The play also explores the binaries of class in relation to sexuality, and how confidence and acceptance can be closely related to social standing, from family to family. Bacon is a relationship drama for the modern age (Personal communication to Judith Borne, 2025).”
Jack Lancaster and Wesley Guimaraes – Photo by Jeff Lorch
A shy introvert, Mark (Wesley Guimaraes) is new at school and too scared to make friends. Classmate Darren (Jack Lancaster) is so out of control that he’s too scary to make friends. These two outsiders are fated to meet despite their obvious stunning differences. Slowly but surely, they begin to form a complex and manipulative relationship as they learn to bully and humiliate each other. But will their experiment ultimately lead to acceptance? That’s the question Swithinbank attempts to answer as she follows Mark and Darren on their journey to adulthood.
Jack Lancaster and Wesley Guimaraes – Photo by Jeff Lorch
Skillfully directed by Michael Matthews, BACON is a gripping and controversial tale which will intrigue and envelop the audience. Guimaraes and especially Lancaster prove to be surprisingly physical as they enter the bodies of troubled adolescents trying to figure out the world and their place in it. There are some striking fight and flight scenes which will draw the audience in as the pair work on self-understanding and self-acceptance. BACON is an intense and powerful character study of two kids on the brink of growing up. As such, the play will definitely appeal to audiences interested in the evolution of people through stressful life events. Parents may also find the play involving as it examines the chaotic minds of youth and the unexpected steps they may take to develop the order of maturity. BACON is a perfect play for the intimate Henry Murray Stage (upstairs) in the Matrix Theatre. It is entertaining but also powerful and thought-provoking.
Wesley Guimaraes and Jack Lancaster – Photo by Jeff Lorch
BACON runs through March 30, 2025, with performances at 8 p.m. on Fridays and Mondays and at 5 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays (no performance Monday 2/10). The Rogue Machine performs at the Matrix Theatre, 7657 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90046. Tickets are $45 (seniors $35, students $25). Discount tickets also available at Shows4Less on 2/14/25 ($15+), 2/21 and 2/28 ($20+), and 3/7/25 ($25+). For information and reservations, call 855-585-5185 or go online.
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