Anna Burnside reviews a production that ‘has huge charm and energy.’
In the basement of Glasgow’s Polo Lounge, with Divine throbbing through the sound system and uninhibited shape-throwing on the dance floor, it’s hard to tell if this is the show venue or just another night in one of the city’s gay spots.
Then the audience return to their seats and a bank of televisions set the scene of Thatcher’s 1980s. The real dancing starts, contrasting the hedonistic self-expression of that decade’s gay scene with the unfolding horrors of Aids and Section 28.
The narrative is based on the Bronski Beat hit: a young gay man is thrown out by his homophobic father and finds a new family among the sweat and neon of clubland.
Shaper/Caper’s eight-strong cast (plus a revolving community cast) tell the story primarily with their bodies. They combine contemporary dance sensibilities with an unlikely and occasionally honking soundtrack that includes ‘Male Stripper’ by Man 2 Man. Plus some truly inventive props - the toilet sequence, with moving doors complete with graffiti - is a standout.
While this is an important story, it’s one that feels familiar, and not just to those of us who lived through it the first time. Damian Barr’s Maggie & Me covered similar territory, including a guest appearance from the cursed PM herself.
And while no one can keep up the intensity of ‘Relax’ throughout a whole performance, here the pacing noticeably dropped in the final third of the show. But Small Town Boys has huge charm and energy as well as Frankie Goes To Hollywood and Hazell Dean.
Homophobia is not the only thing that should be left in the last century.
Small Town Boy is on tour and performs in Glasgow at The Polo Lounge until October 13, 2024. For further information, go to Shaper/Caper’s website.
Photo by Maria Falconer.
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