Detention - Gary Clarke Company - Review

★★★☆☆ 

Gary Clarke’s Detention, the final instalment in his 1980s trilogy following COAL and WASTELAND, arrives at Nottingham Playhouse with a bold ambition: to confront the legacy of Section 28 and its effect on the LGBT+ community. Through a fusion of contemporary dance, verbatim testimony, and evocative design, the production seeks to illuminate a dark chapter in British history. However, while the piece is rich in intent, does it deliver everything it promises? 

Photo credit: Joe Armitage

Set against the backdrop of Thatcher’s Britain, Detention delves into the secrecy, fear, and shame imposed by legislation that prohibited the "promotion of homosexuality." The narrative unfolds through a series of vignettes, each aiming to shed light on the personal and collective struggles of the time. The cast of exceptional dancers explores the history of gay culture, the AIDs crisis, homophobic attacks, and gender politics, before tying the production to the ongoing battles in the LGBT+ community. 

Lewey Hellewell serves as the narrator, delivering a dry yet compelling commentary that bridges the gap between movement and meaning. His presence ensures that the audience remains anchored, even when the choreography ventures into more abstract territory. Not only is Hellewell a captivating storyteller, but he also never steals the spotlight from the dancers, ensuring their emotional expressions are at the heart of this piece. 

Photo credit: Joe Armitage

The ensemble of dancers — Gavin Coward, Alexandra Bierlaire, Alex Gosmore, Mayowa Ogunnaike, and Imogen Wright — demonstrates commendable skill and commitment. Their movements, grounded in Laban's efforts, range from aggressive strikes to fluid glides, capturing the full emotional spectrum. Yet, there are moments when the choreography feels unwarranted, with sequences of running in circles or collapsing to the floor that were difficult to contextualise, and while visually arresting, it offered limited narrative progression. 

The production's most poignant segments involve the depiction of helpline calls. Here, community cast members — Danabha Paul Johnson, Vicky Johnson, River Parker, Sarah Squires, and Paul Wishart — embody telephone operators in conversation with Hellewell, while dancers interpret the emotional weight of the conversations through movement. These scenes were based on verbatim phone calls and resonate deeply with the audience, highlighting the isolation and desperation experienced by many during the Section 28 era. The use of long pauses in the dialogue allowed the dancer to explore the internal struggles through movement — it is worth seeing this performance just for these moments! 

The best dance piece about council legislation you’ll see!

Visually, Detention employs a minimalist aesthetic. Joshie Harriette's lighting design oscillates between vibrant hues, stark white washes, and sudden blackouts, effectively mirroring the shifting emotional tones of the piece. Torben Sylvest's compositions also amplify the contrasting emotions, from tension-building rhythmic percussion to melancholic ambient drones, complementing the choreography without overshadowing it. The decision to cast off complex melodies in favour of simpler compositions ensures that the dancers remain the focal point.

Photo credit: Joe Armitage

However, the production's ambition to encapsulate a multitude of experiences within a single performance occasionally leads to a sense of repetition and dilution. The nail has been thoroughly hammered. Similarly, by attempting to represent a broad spectrum of stories from a sizable community, the narrative sometimes lacks a central thread. The lack of a central character or narrative arc made it challenging to form a cohesive emotional connection. Whilst the Section 28 legislation is the backbone of this piece, it felt more like an inspiration for creation than a compelling throughline.

Detention stands as a testament to Gary Clarke's commitment to exploring the socio-political landscapes of 1980s Britain through dance. While the production has moments of genuine poignancy, community interest and features a talented ensemble, its expansive scope occasionally undermines its narrative clarity. Nevertheless, it remains a significant and thought-provoking addition to contemporary dance theatre.