Melbourne Fringe: Pope Head – The Secret Life of Francis Bacon


Francis Bacon, British artist, lived a wild life through much of the twentieth century. Writer and Performer Garry Roost’s Pope Head is a one-man show that brings the eccentric, complicated and “fully homosexual” artist to life in front of us.

Covering the fascinating and fabulous life of Bacon an hour, Roost embodies not only the artist but people he met throughout his life. From a couple whose homes he decorated, through the many men looking for life-affirming quickies during wartime, to the artists he met as a regular at The Colony Room in Soho.

Through quick changes, voice work and the occasional twisting of his face, Roost evokes the startling and grotesque nature of Bacon's work.

Roost is an engaging performer, illuminating the life of an artist whose work I only know a little. With a basic triptych set, evocative sound and lighting design, Pope Head is a deft and insightful portrait of one of history's great painters.


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