“I grew up under section 28 and my experience as a gay man, as a teenager back then, was incredibly difficult. There was no representation. Living in coal mining village miles away from the nearest city, being gay was never talked about and always frowned upon.“
So speaks Gary Clarke whose new dance work DETENTION addresses Margaret Thatcher’s controversial legislation Section 28 which banned the promotion of homosexuality in schools.
“Without the story there is no show, so part of the reason for making DETENTION was to try and make sense of it all, and I think my direct experiences fuelled the idea. So for me, it’s a very important and timely piece of work, a visceral and emotional piece that’s accessible to audiences of all ages and generations,” Gary adds, “
‘for me, it’s a very important and timely piece of work, a visceral and emotional piece that’s accessible to audiences of all ages and generations’
Drawing on public and private stories and testimonies of the communities affected by Section 28, Gary spent six months researching the subject to enable him to bring those stories to life through dance.
“I’m a choreographer that works very heavily with subject matter, and it’s always rooted in the social and political history that has shaped our society. I see my work as a piece of activism, so subject matter and story is the key ingredient. But in all my work there’s always an autobiographical lens,” Gary adds.
DETENTION is also the third and final part of the Thatcher trilogy after COAL and WASTELAND. COAL was Gary’s parents and grandparents’ story, WASTELAND his older brother’s, so Gary sees DETENTION as his own story to conclude the trilogy.
‘I wanted to shine a light on this hidden and dangerous legislation that had such a huge impact on the generations of people left picking up the pieces’
“I was personally affected by growing up as a gay man in the 80s and 90s, but I hadn’t really heard of Section 28, so I did some research and uncovered what a big impact it had on me, and wanted to shine a light on this hidden and dangerous legislation that had such a huge impact on the generations of people left picking up the pieces,” he explains.
“I also knew I wanted the work to be strong in its delivery and that I wouldn’t pull any punches. I wanted it to be clear, strong and confrontational, to mirror the research in an unflinching way because the fight’s not over and our community has been, and always will be, under attack for various societal reasons.
‘I feel I have a duty to put this on the map’
“Homophobia isn’t just in the UK, it’s a worldwide issue prevalent around the world. (I think) being gay is still illegal in over 60 countries around the world, so it’s a global issue that needs to be talked about. So I feel I have a duty to put this on the map.”
Which is all well and good, but how do you convey that through dance? “I think the body is an incredible vessel for emotion and physicality. The challenge in telling these stories physically is for it to be communicated well, which takes time, trial and error. It can be a slow process but we want to get it right, for it to be accurate and really honour the legacy of the subject matter.
“And as dance is my art form, I really enjoy working with the body and choreographing the whole process from the initial questions and exploration to the finished product. That really excites me as an artist.”
And what was his aim when he set out? “I wanted to create a work that was accessible, because contemporary dance can be slightly abstract or difficult to understand, so having the narrator in the show is really important. I want the audience to feel the show rather than think about it, so it’s very clear in its delivery and leaves the audience resonating emotionally.”
‘I want the audience to feel the show rather than think about it, so it’s very clear in its delivery and leaves the audience resonating emotionally’
Clarke’s resulting vivid and theatrical physical dance is performed by a company of exceptional professional dancers, whom he worked with to craft DETENTION. “It’s a true collaboration,” he agrees. The piece also includes members of the Oxfordshire LGBT+ community, who were directly affected by Section 28, selected through an open casting call.
Already going down a storm, and with Oxford Playhouse next on its agenda, Gary says: “People who’ve never been to a dance show before have come to DETENTION and have had their attitudes changed about what dance can do, because it’s an exciting emotional rollercoaster of a show.”
“And yes, we’re making progress here in the UK, but elsewhere there’s not that amount of freedom, and I have a duty to put this on the map and allow it to ripple across the globe. Even though we celebrate Pride, people are still being targeted on the streets and there are still homophobic attacks. It will always be important and need to be talked about.
“It’s a unique way of telling this story and a great piece of dance theatre, with incredible music, humour and heartache in equal measure.”
Gary Clarke Company brings DETENTION to Oxford Playhouse on Friday 26 and Saturday 27 September. https://www.oxfordplayhouse.com/events/detention
