Dancebase
Boys Don’t Dance is a captivating show that encompasses joy, self exploration, tragedy, adversity, resilience and ultimately, overcoming potentially life-destroying events to find and fulfil a sense of self worth. Centred around a young boy growing up in the Australian outback in the 1980s, it tells the story of a kid who loves to dance despite being told dancing isn’t something he should do as a boy. His exploration of this part of himself is therefore kept secret while outwardly he presents as the happy young man everyone expects him to be, with a love of BMX. But when tragedy strikes, he must find a way to rediscover his joy and reconnect with his authentic self.
I saw this show with my 8 year old son, who particularly loved the BMX riding but was also interested and engaged enough in the themes of self exploration to want to ask questions during the show. It inspired some really important conversations afterwards, which felt like a real strength of the production. The show is packed with 80s nostalgia which, as a child of that decade myself put a smile on my face.
The production made clever use of a fairly minimal stage set while screens create an effective multimedia experience. These also allow for a BSL interpreter and audio descriptions of events to be incorporated, helping to make the show genuinely inclusive. The dance was beautiful, as was the lighting, and together they created some really striking moments.
A thoughtful, moving and beautifully presented show with plenty to engage both children and adults. A fantastic production, a definite recommendation.
(Written by Rob May)
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