Prince Faggot’s Lover
MIHIR KUMAR BANGS THE PRINCE OF ENGLAND ON STAGE
As far as English traditions go, buggery is right up there with tea and scones. With a long history of homosexuality among the upper class, it wouldn’t be too farfetched to imagine it taking place in the near future within the uppermost family. Well, that’s exactly the departure point of “Prince Faggot”, the new play written by BUTT contributor Jordan Tannahill: What would happen if twelve-year-old Prince George grew up to be a full raging homo? Of course, the rest is fiction.
Starring alongside John McCrea – who plays the titular twink – is Mihir Kumar as Dev, his hunky yet pensive boyfriend. Here we asked Mihir a few questions about swapping royal pomp and ceremony with poppers and pup play...
How would you describe your character, Dev, in ‘Prince Faggot’?
I’d describe Dev as… ‘a brown faggot’. Or at least that’s how he describes himself in the play.
Are there any similarities between real-life you and Dev?
Oh god. Yes! (laughs). Moving past the basics – being Indian and gay – Dev grew up caught between cultures, across different social spheres, and became skilled at adapting and manipulating parts of himself to navigate it all. Also, the way he overthinks everything – very me. He intellectualises and dissects things to within an inch of their life. We also have very similar social lives. And our sex lives? They mirror one another more often than not. (laughs)
What’s it like to have sex on stage?
When I first read the script, the sex scene and the sub/dom elements had me so gagged – figuratively. Not because of the nature of the scene, but because I felt so seen. I was literally thinking, ‘I’ve said these exact words before, verbatim.’ It was so hot and playful. – sexy, but not pornographic. I was like ‘THAT is exactly what I like’. Also, you would not believe the number of people who have asked me after the show, ‘Are you two really having sex up there?’ I’m like… ‘I’m sorry, this is the theater… of course it’s fake!’ But this reaction is a credit to us two I suppose, for the illusion of it.
We are told you have “simulated poppers-fuelled butt sex, tie the Prince up and engage in pup play”. Are you into any of this IRL?
I’ve certainly tried my fair share of the things we do in the play. Perhaps not the full-on Shibari bondage or pup masks, but I’ve tied people up, and had boys on a leash. My kinkiest sexual proclivity is actually the one discussed in the play, but never explicitly performed on stage. I’ll leave it at that. (laughs)
The play has caused a bit of controversy – why is that?
Personally, I don’t think there’s anything particularly controversial in the play – I’ve seen far more shocking things in a club bathroom or the dark corners of a rave on a typical Saturday night. I suppose, objectively though, any speculation at all about this real-life royal tween’s sexuality would ruffle some feathers, but that’s really not what the play is about. After the first 10-15 minutes of the play, the story lives as a ‘fabulation’ that we’re creating in real time. It’s about us.
The title is pretty hard for mainstream audiences. What’s your take on the f-slur?
Every member of the alphabet mafia has their own relationship to that word. I openly and frequently self-identify as a fag. Maybe it’s a reclamation or maybe I just feel more of an affinity to that word than to others, certainly more so than to the word “queer”. Even “gay” now feels so formal and polite, like something you’d put on a government form.
Who’s the hottest Royal?
There was a time I thought Harry was sexy, but only because I’ve always had a thing for gingers.
What are your thoughts on the British monarchy?
So much to unpack here… I think any South Asian person who outright supports the British monarchy has a degree of Stockholm Syndrome, certainly in this century. All four of my grandparents were born in India – not as citizens, but as subjects to a British king, a self-titled ‘Emperor of India’ living a million miles away. It’s laughable when I say it out loud, but the suffering and repercussions caused by the legacy of subjugation and exploitation will last for generations – there’s just such a fraught history between the subcontinent and that family.
Do you and Dev share the same views here?
In Prince Faggot, there’s a dinner scene questioning whether the Royals actually serve a function in society, or if it is all just for the spectacle. For the sake of my own peace, I like to think of them as little more than paid actors who play a role for the benefit of those willing to subscribe and watch. Not wholly different from what I do – though they’re certainly paid more!
Prince Faggot is currently on stage at Playwrights Horizons as a coproduction with Soho Rep Theater. While the current run is sold out, “Prince Faggot” is sure to flame again on Broadway this fall. Sadly, Buckingham Palace is yet to comment on the play.
