Dynamic, compelling and exceptionally moving, Small Town Boys is an award-winning piece of dance-theatre that uses a different lens to examine the experience of queer people during the height of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the UK.
The audience enter and are immediately transported to an 80s nightclub, full of joy and acceptance. The soundtrack is right on the money, and the company soon have a large section of the crowd on their feet and hitting the dancefloor. This is the Paradise Club, and all are welcome. As the music comes up, so do the characters, and the professional cast begin to weave their tale: a mix of ensemble numbers, daring duets and searing solos.
Written, directed and choreographed by Thomas Small, and based on his own experiences of the time, Small Town Boys initially follows young Georgie (Benji Knapper), who finds their tribe in the vibrant queer night spot. Given the subject matter, there is a surprising amount of humour in the early part of the piece, with high energy sequences expertly performed. Guided by MC Cardinal Disco (Alex McCrossan), the group experience the highs, but cannot escape the coming lows. Toilet doors are adeptly utilised for comic effect before falling like dominos, foreshadowing what is to come. The ever-present TV screens and the images shown on them are evocative of the period, from Thatcher’s hateful rhetoric to the terrifying tombstone AIDS campaign. If you lived in the UK during that time, you cannot help but shudder at the memory.
What makes this piece different from others about the AIDS crisis is the choreography, coupled with the sterling performances. With few words used, and a deep affection for the characters quickly won, it is truly devestating to see the performers cut down in their prime, one by one. Mark Franks’ sound design is outstanding, underscoring the dances with pulsing beats that seem to actually breathe, then utilising muffled effects before allowing the track to soar again.
Jake Evans, Miles Kearley, David Pallant, Louis Partridge, JJ Williams and Knapper show the direct effects of the outbreak, twisting and turning their bodies as many reveal the physical symptoms of the virus: literally wearing their shame is a powerful and affecting image. McCrossan is fully committed, and even when in the background is always engaged in the narrative. Along with Ellis Saul’s Ronnie, they provide a poignant reminder of those who survived, with all the guilt and grief that accompanies it, as the club becomes emptier and their friends fade away.
What Small Town Boys makes clear is the vital part community played during this most difficult period, from the homophobia and bigotry that accompanied Section 28 to the goverment’s failure to protect the queer community as the crisis deepened. In that spirit, Shaper/Caper have paired the professional dancers with a community cast, who add energy and depth to the piece, and support some of the most touching moments. The final sequence is beautifully rendered by Partridge, encapsulating the loneliness of AIDS sufferers and the nightmarish circumstances. Thoughtfully staged and powerfully performed, the last moments leave the audience with a sense of hope, and of overcoming the odds. Supported by the Terrence Higgins Trust and Waverley Care, we are reminded of how far we have come since those darkest of days.
By Deborah Klayman
Small Town Boys plays at Zoo Southside, Edinburgh until 17th August 2025.
