←Recommendations of Nonsense and Beauty

THIS PLAY IS INCREDIBLE! The characters are so well written that you leave with a strong opinion on each of them, whether you like them or not. The romance keeps you invested throughout the entire play. The structure flows beautifully and fits the concept of a story being retold on the stage. And the dialogue is a masterclass in the difficult art of giving each character their own unique voice. Nonsense and Beauty is a gorgeous look back at LGBTQ+ history to show how far we've come and can go.

I cannot recommend this play enough. I saw it when it was done in Seattle with Theatre22. Found it here and did a deep read. Sobbed during the performance and then again while I read. Truly a remarkable piece. The relationships built during the show feel so real and by the end they leave you wanting more. I recommend this play to everyone I know.

Scott Sickles is so brilliant that it I sometimes have to avert my gaze from his work. Here we have a prime example of a play that digs deeper and expresses more than the words could ever contain. It is a life. Full of tumult and pain, joy and love, and an unyielding beauty that is far from nonsense. I have a long standing grudge against genius writers, and Scott is right at the top of my list. It’s mostly pettiness on my part, but still…

This play is a model for the writing of history or biography plays. The characters are so well drawn, their hopes and fears so clearly understood, the movement from one episode to the next so deft, the language so elevated--Scott Sickles' prodigious talent is on full display in this masterful work.

I had the pleasure of seeing “Nonsense and Beauty” performed at Theatre22 in Seattle. It’s a gorgeous and bittersweet play with a lot of depth and passion that inspired me to want to learn more about the real stories behind the script. The dialogue and text are meticulously considered, with equal parts humor and heart. This is a story that should be heard around the world. Wholeheartedly recommended; playwright Scott Sickles has truly given us something stellar with this gem of a show.

Nonsense and Beauty is a love story and as such it is brimming with passion, longing, jealousy, and understanding. But what sets this love story apart, other than the decades long relationship between E.M. Forster and Bob Buckingham and Bob’s wife, Mary, is Scott Sickles’ elegant writing. The dialogue is as crisp and clever as one would expect for the characters and era. I would love to hear skilled actors perform these five wonderful roles. I can’t recommend this enough!

I listened to Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 32 before reading this play--the piece Lucy Honeychurch plays in A Room With a View. Sickles carries the same themes throughout this play: hidden passion, tenderness, pain, beauty and loss (lightened by moments of wonderful wit). The scenes and years just forge ahead. I adore the humanity of this play. I adore the works by EM Forster and thoroughly enjoyed spending time with him. "You've got to think about what you're passionate about, and feel passionately about what you think about."

At times tender, at times astringent, at all times gripping. Five clearly drawn and compelling characters take us on a journey of fulfillment and loss, of yearning and betrayal, of love and forgiveness. This is a rich, full-blooded, and vigorous narrative, None of the fustiness of history or biography here. Nonsense and Beauty is truly a thing of beauty.

The experience of reading "Nonsense and Beauty" is uplifting, perceptive, heartbreaking - all the very best sort of things a mere 'read' can provide, so I can only say how much I would love to enjoy/endure it on stage. Tender and beautifully drawn characters explore the bitter complications of life and love amid overwhelming challenges. And, as it's based on real lives, it's all the more gripping and poignant, as we can mourn and celebrate the brave hearts that actually experienced this journey. A terrific play.

SCOTT SICKLES is truly a brilliant playwright. “Nonsense and Beauty” is a magnificent play, one which will touch your heart, fill you with joy and sadness, and take your breath away. The beauty of a rose, the touch of your lover, the emotions of sharing but yet not having it all to yourself, are in this work of art. Thank you, Scott, for all of your great plays, but at the moment, I LOVE this play. BRAVO!