Story of laboured love lacks.the conviction of its creator

Billy Porter's directorial debut 'This Bitter Earth' has little of his flair and falters despite strong themes, writes Alice Saville

- Alice Saville

One of the nicest things about achieving a certain level of fame is (I'd imagine) that you can attempt pretty much any creative feat you set your mind to. Critics don't like it? Well, you've got nothing to prove. Billy Porter certainly knows his way around a stage, as a much-loved Broadway leading light, solo singer, and star of voguing series Pose (2018-2021). But his UK directorial debut lacks his usual confident flair: it's a deeply felt but clumsily staged two-hander about an interracial gay relationship on the rocks.

Its star, Omari Douglas, has followed up his breakout role in Channel 4's It's A Sin (2021) with some pretty meaty West End stage roles, including Cabaret, Constellations and A Little Life.