Gary Clarke Dance Company
For two weeks this super surreal performance dance thingy which feels like John Walters has had a fourgey with Kiss the Rock band and sprinkled everything with glitter and then slipped it down a K hole is out in the feral reaches of a random location in Brighton. The Gary Clarke Dance Company are occupying an empty shop in Brighton for this Pink Fringe happening inspired by alternative living experiments of the 1970s, commune dwelling drag troupes such as Bloolips and the Cockettes, and the occupy movement.
Watch the trailer here:
But I can say I enjoyed it, it was fun and just the right side of creepy odd, full of glamour and the random joy of spontaneous creation. It’s manufactured nostalgia with an raised knowing eyebrow. I liked the references to the Cockettes and the opening reminded me of some parties I went to in Berlin as part of the Tunten-culture in the early 90’s. Its Divine meets Hedwig (the Angry Inch not the owl….), its glittery maw scratches as it glints and the decent into bacchanalian chaos is referenced well. It jerks into spasmodic motion and the performers gasp against their glazed over fourth walls, in this hothouse there are no stones to throw, just shade, looks and cool moves.
The place is full of transformed found objects and built by designer/maker Ryan Dawson-Laight it’s an honest and interesting representation of queer communal living.
See the rest of the Pink Fringe line up here:
Thursday 27th February 7.30pm/9pm
Friday 28th February 7.30pm/9pm
Saturday 1st March 7.30pm/9pm
30 mins
£6 / £5
Secret Location – meet at The Marlborough Theatre
Brighton
For Tickets and more information see the link here