Alan Cumming Revives Bent

Bent, gay playwright Martin Sherman's tale of queers and concentration camps, was the talk of Broadway when it opened in 1980, and not just because of Richard Gere's nude scene.

The play spawned a movie version (still airing with some frequency on Logo), and is now getting a full-scale revival in London's West End, with bisexual actor, author, director, and fragrance magnate Alan Cumming in the lead role.

Chris New, a recent graduate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, plays Cumming's lover, and the production features a song with lyrics by Sherman and music by Pet Shop Boy Chris Lowe.

The powerful drama - which, sadly, remains all too relevant in these politically repressive times - begins previews in London on Sept. 22, with an official opening Oct. 5.