DETENTION – GARY CLARKE COMPANY. NOTTINGHAM PLAYHOUSE
This isn’t just dance – it’s a visceral blend of movement and physical theatre that punches you in the gut and leaves you breathless. From the moment the giant red and black banner above the stage drops – stark, striking, and reminiscent of AIDS quilts – you know you’re in for something powerful.
Gary Clarke continues his fierce commitment to telling stories rooted in working-class communities and social history. As with his acclaimed productions Coal and Wasteland, DETENTION is grounded in rigorous research and real voices, particularly from the LGBTQ+ communities, giving it authenticity, weight, and deep emotional impact. Clarke’s aim? To help audiences leave not just moved but changed. With a clearer understanding of our recent past and its enduring ripples.
He shines a stark spotlight on Section 28 – that shadowy 1988 legislation from Thatcher’s government which banned the “promotion of homosexuality.” It forced people into secrecy, fear, and shame, all against a backdrop of industrial unrest and the devastating impact of the AIDS crisis.
The language of that era – spouted by politicians, media, and so-called moral guardians – was laced with hate. Clarke doesn’t shy away from that. The dancers embody that cruelty with razor-sharp, clenched precision. Words of hatred are projected across the stage. A filmed interpretation of Thatcher’s speech is projected, its tone cold and calculated, reinforcing the atmosphere of hostility. It’s a full-frontal assault on the senses – echoing the loud, public, and deliberate homophobia that infiltrated classrooms, headlines, and homes.
But this isn’t just a story of oppression. It’s a story of resistance. Of rage laced with defiant humour. Clarke captures the spirit of protest – from mock weddings to the pivotal “Stop the Clause” Manchester march, where 20,000 people stood up, shouted and danced in rebellion. The choreography is electric, furious, funny, and full of fight.
DETENTION unfolds through a series of vignettes: a death from AIDS, bullying in schools, the haunting voices of those who rang Lesbian and Gay Switchboards in desperation. Emotions – fear, shame, resilience – are expressed through movement, while their words are voiced by a narrator, making the impact all the more powerful.
One especially striking section explores the unexpected alliance between lesbians and gays supporting the miners. Two marginalised groups finding solidarity in each other’s struggle – a reminder of the power in unlikely connections.
What makes the show extraordinary is its combination of public history and intimate testimony. Clarke weaves in real stories that are performed by a sensational cast of dancers alongside a compelling narrator and a local community cast. Add in bold set and costume design along with evocative lighting, pounding industrial music from TEST DEPT and you have a show that’s as visually striking as it is emotionally raw.
DETENTION is a searing exploration of loneliness, activism, love, shame, solidarity and the fire of those who refuse to stay silent.
This is history not trapped in textbooks, but danced, shouted, and lived. I remember that Manchester march. I remember the anger. I remember how it all spilt out onto the dancefloor – rebellion, joy, hedonism and heartbreak, all in one. Lesbians and gay men working together, supporting each other.
Following this world premiere, DETENTION is on for one more night at Nottingham Playhouse before heading out on a UK tour. Co-commissioned by the Playhouse and others, it’s unflinching, political, and beautifully raw – physical dance at its most powerful, telling stories we mustn’t forget. Find out more http://www.detentiontour.co.uk/
