Stream Theatre on demand – until 28th February 2022
4****
Reviewed by Claire Roderick
This polished production of Riot Act streaming to celebrate LGBT+ History Month is a compelling and heart-breaking show. Filmed at the Hackney Empire, celebrating their 120th anniversary, Rikki Beadle-Blair directs with intuition, compassion and an underlying sense of urgency, making you wish for more.
Written and performed by Alexis Gregory, his interviews with three people who lived through different eras of LGBTQ+ activism form the monologues in the show. Gregory’s portrayal of three very different people is extraordinary – the mannerisms and accents are spot on and are never caricatures. The pain in his eyes is palpable as deaths and violence are described, and the fighting spirit shines through in each performance.
Riot Act begins with Michael-Anthony Nozzi, a teenager fresh from Pennsylvania when he was caught up in the Stonewall riot. The state of the Stonewall Inn is described in dirty, dingy detail but the sense of safety and home that was found there shines through in his description. The series of events that led to violence would be laughable in other circumstances – Judy Garland looming large, as always. “There was something about gays and Judy Garland”. Nozzi’s description of the different types of gay men are hilariously bitchy and upbeat, making the stark description of the violence and his dawning realisation that nobody would help them even more devastating. Lavinia Co-op’s story is full of fire. From thinking they were sick as a young boy to becoming a drag artist living in a dump in Notting Hill, Lavinia’s story of the beginning of gay liberation in 70s London and the freedom drag gave them is an emotional roller coaster, laughs and gasps coming fast as the political undertones and the emergence of AIDS loom ever larger to create a rallying cry for recognition – “We need a museum to explain all of this shit!” The final interviewee, Paul Burston, was an activist in 90s London. A member of ACT UP, Paul describes his average day being a funeral, getting arrested and going to court, and the lack of interest and compassion from the public as AIDS ravaged the gay community. Paul is honest about the splits and prejudice amongst the gay community towards AIDS sufferers and warns of complacency in the modern generation that their rights cannot be taken away. The three recognise the chasm between those who lived through the darkest days of the AIDS crisis and the younger generation, and the bittersweet knowledge that they will never understand the pain so some do not appreciate the older generation as they should. Their stories are poignant, very funny and gut-wrenchingly sad, but each end with a note of pride and resilience – a battle cry for the future and an inspirational memorial for those that came before.
Riot Act is available on stream.theatre on demand until 28th February https://www.stream.theatre/season/224