"We go to clubs to get fucked up, kiss strangers and forget that sometimes the outside world hates us."
Produced by Outbox and Shoreditch Town Hall, Groove tells a story at the heart of every gay community: that of the dancefloor and those who gather on it.
Directed by Ben Burrata, the show holds clubs up to the glitterball and examines their value to the LGBT community. Even before disco metaphorically (and then literally) exploded, they have been seen as not just buildings of bricks and mortar but also as sanctuaries, hunting grounds and community spaces. They allow those inside to drop their mental barriers, assume whatever clothing they wish and experience the physical liberation of shaking their booty in the company of likeminded souls. These venues allow anyone to safely be themselves and is there no more basic human right that that?
Burrata has assembled a talented and diverse cast: Fraser Buchanan, Lavinia Co-op, A de Castro, Sky Frances, Jacob Seelochan and Kim Tatum. Interspersed with mute dramatic segments, all six contribute their own stories of what clubs mean to them. Professional dancer Buchanan compares them to churches - something also picked up by Tatum - while Brazilian clown A de Castro celebrates how he can express his butch non-binary self to its maximum extent.
Co-op (a veritable drag legend who has starred in shows in London and New York) transforms from everyday geezer to a luminous being in a ruffle dress. The speech of the night comes from Frances, a rip-roaring impassioned cry from the soul which climaxes in the above quote. Tatum's performance is the only weak link: her grandstanding as the hostess of Club Groove is thematically at odds with the egalitarian community vibe and her rollerskating seems awkward and a contrast to the more fluid dynamic of the rest of the show.
The staging is exquisite. Cecil Fenn's video and lighting design alongside Dominic Kennedy's music create the perfect club ambience - from raucous to relaxed and back again. Burrata and Aiden Crawford (movement) find novel ways to spotlight each performer while keeping the human connection between the group and to the audience.
Special praise has to go to the producers for how accessible they have made this show. All performances are in relaxed conditions so the audience can move around, come and go and make noise as they see fit. Ear defenders are handed out at the doors. Latecomers are welcomed at any time. A breakout area is provided. The audience can receive captions on their phones via an app or a browser.
The shows in London on 1 October and on 6 October in Manchester will be audio-described while a free pre-show tour will allow the audience to walk through the set, touch props, feel costumes and familiarise themselves with the production's visual and sensory materials.
Groove is a life-affirming gem which brings home the mental and social value of a physical space, the shared bond of dancing with others to loud music and the chance of a random snog on a Saturday night, something which many in society take for granted.
Groove continues at Oxford House until 1 October before appearing at Contact Theatre in Manchester from 5-7 October.
Photo Credit: Ali Wright
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