The Pappy Show: Boys

After centuries of male dominance the plight of womanhood is frequently represented in the arts, in film and in theatre in particular – and rightly so. But conversely we seldom see a clear expression of manhood. Yes we see masculine traits over and over again, but we never ask what it feels like to be a man,

Boys does exactly that through dance, movement and words. This company of BAME guys take you on an exciting journey that starts with violence but gradually explores so much more. There is love, friendship, tenderness, passion, shame, competition, joy, sorrow, gender, embarrassment… in little more than sixty minutes they cover so much ground that it’s hard to absorb it all. But I did, I loved the raw physicality perfectly countered by gentle and tender expressions of love. I cried at the expression of father and son relationships and bristled at the moments of threat.

But above all, this incredible piece of work does all this without anger or blame. What they show is what we have all sensed at times, distilled into an hour of thrilling modern theatre where words and dance are finely crafted.

The Old Market

25 May

Andrew Kay

Rating: