Many parallels have been rightfully drawn between this current world pandemic and the beginning of HIV/AIDS in the late 1980s. Among the many important memories of this time was the moment Princess Diana visited Britain’s first AIDS unit in 1987 and shook hands, without gloves, with the patients there.

Diana’s visit has now formed the basis for Bren Gosling‘s new play, Moment of Grace. Originally set to run in The Actors’ Centre’s flagship venue, Covid arrived and so Bren, the cast, Director Nicky Allpress and Producer Paul Coleman created a unique film-theatre hybrid available for streaming now until 9th August.

This moving play reminds us of not only how isolated and rejected was the LGBT community in 1987 but also how far we have come since then. Being able to stream this version only heightens the emotion and brings you in closer to these people’s lives.

Loverboy speaks to Bren, Nicky and Paul to find out more about the play, why Diana made her historic visit and how nurse Shane Snape is an oft-overlooked hero and one who deserves more recognition…

Was this play already in the works pre-Covid? Or is that part of the reason you wrote it now?
Bren Gosling (Writer/Executive Producer): I wrote the play in 2018 in response to the theme of Bloomsbury Festival that year, which was ‘Women activists and agents of change.’ It immediately brought to mind Diana, and the moment she very publicly shook the hand of an AIDS patient at Britain’s first designated AIDS Unit in London in 1987.
Of course, the irony of our play about the AIDS pandemic being cancelled due to the Covid-19 one is not lost on us! I think there are themes in Moment of Grace that contemporary audiences will find extremely pertinent… fears around the unknown, many people forced into self-isolation and the loneliness that came with that and of course the wonderful work of the NHS. So, while it was written before Covid, it’s very timely in its thematic crossover.

When researching for the play, what was the most surprising thing you learned?
The personal stories of people who worked with AIDS patients and/or who had AIDS and are long-term survivors, who met Diana, were incredibly moving and informative. I had forgotten how vitriolic the tabloid press were towards people with AIDS and the LGBTQ + community in general back in the late 1980s. But, most powerful and moving for me was the rediscovery of the story of nurse Shane Snape, who used Diana’s visit to ‘come out’ about his own HIV positive status on TV. What an incredible, selfless act of bravery. The play took on a different direction for me at that point. Moment of Grace is inspired by his story, and the play is dedicated to his memory. Shane died of AIDS in 1992.

1987 was very early for someone of Diana’s stature to be showing support for people affected by AIDS, let alone the LGBT community. What do you think it was so important to her, so quickly?
I personally never met Diana. From talking to other people, patients, nurses and doctors within the context of the AIDS pandemic, my feeling is she related well to outsiders. I guess she may have considered herself to be an outsider in a way, as a new member of the Royal Family, and also as someone who was a sort of rebel against the establishment’s way of doing things. Everyone I talked with about Diana, without exception, said they were immediately struck by her humanity, her ability to empathise with the marginalised, and her genuine kindness.

I’m trying to think back to that time, but did Diana receive negative press from visiting the ward?
I can’t really say. Certainly it upped her standing and respect amongst members of the LGBTQ+ community enormously. From that point on, Diana became a gay icon.

Reimagining it as a piece for streaming online must have had its complications. What have been the unexpected advantages of streaming it online?  
Well, immediately, we now have access to a much bigger potential audience. Yes. Global. Streaming means we are not restricted by time zones or audience members’ personal schedules. I am very thrilled by this huge additional exposure because this story SHOULD be remembered. It is a key moment of our recent, collective and queer history and as such must be shared as widely as possible.
Streaming also means we have a film which will be there forever, and we can serially platform the streaming well into the future. With a play, that sinking, sad feeling you and the cast have on the last night of a run just isn’t there anymore. And, I have learned SO many new skills along the way! To be able to make something creative and positive during the UK lockdown, when all seemed impossibly gloomy, is also an incredible bonus. It has been a tremendous amount of work BUT definitely worth it. I hope audiences across the world will think that too!

Paul Coleman (Producer): Undoubtedly the reach is much greater than may have been achieved only in theatres. This can now be seen around the world potentially at any time of the day or week. So, the audience numbers will increase as it becomes accessible to an inclusive and diverse crowd.

Nicky Allpress (Director): I think for me one of the unexpected benefits is the accelerated learning curve we all went on, pooling our skills to make it happen. While I was directing the actors I also had to script, log and act as the 1st and 2nd ADs in a way, and Paul was working as DOP, camera supervisor all whilst wearing his editor hat. One of the most unexpectedly gratifying things to come out of the project is how quickly Paul and myself found a shared language and truly satisfying working relationship, in spite of still never having met.
I was astounded by the actors’ adaptability, lighting themselves, the microphone, checking their own hair and makeup for continuity. Moving the tripod, changing camera settings to realign shots, checking focus. Normally there would be whole crew of people so that the cast can focus on the roles they’d been rehearsing. They all handed this multi-tasking so brilliantly, going in and out of character and it was a testament to their concentration, resilience and dedication to getting this done.

Moment of Grace is available to stream now via The Actors Centre website until 9th August.