Riot Act
Riot Act is a three-part spoken word show at Liverpool’s Epstein Theatre, which sees Alexis Gregory pack a lot into the 70-minute running time to provide an emotional, heartfelt and thought-provoking commentary on the history of the LGBTQ+ movement.
Description
Gregory assumes the roles of three separate men, who are separated primarily by their varying shirts and their accents, with the first male representing an American and the latter two having clear (albeit different) British accents. In each case, Gregory speaks directly to the audience, telling the story of how the rights and the way of life for gay men and women across the world (in America and the UK in particular) have evolved, starting from a period when things were extremely tough for gay people who simply wanted to enjoy their lives as they wished.
A milestone moment was the Stonewall Riots of 1969. Occurring at the Stonewall Inn, a gay club within the Manhattan area of New York City, this was a night when members of the LGBTQ+ community on hand at the venue battled back against the local police forces, who were carrying out one of their typical raids to arrest and attack people (homosexuality was deemed illegal during the 1950s and 1960s in the United States). It was a shocking and brutal night, but it slowly proved to be a turning point as the perception of homosexuality would change, and by the end of the 1970s, the days of authority-led raids and related brutality were over. Further challenges were to come, though, not least the rise and subsequent widespread impact of AIDS which became a major worldwide issue during the 1980s and into the 1990s.
Gregory uses all three voices to detail the impact that these events had on themselves, their friends and family, and the gay community as a whole, noting how the role of lesbian women is often overlooked when it comes to the vital work carried out by LGBTQ+ people to keep battling for their cause and to ensure a change not only in legal systems, but also in awareness and acceptance. Amongst those are ACT UP with their Action = Life slogan working tirelessly on a grassroots level to help eradicate AIDS once and for all. Gregory also notes how, whilst medical science and societal evolution has made life better than ever for gay men and women, things still must change as evidenced by the continuing homophobia presented by far too many people in the world today, with social media only enhancing the power or such people’s vile words and actions.
Analysis
Alexis Gregory does a very impressive job in carrying this show solo from start to finish, pausing only for breathe and to change his tops as he moved between personas. He was informative and enlightening, at times sympathetic and at other moment self-deprecating, often highlighting aspects of homosexuality in an amusing manner while more frequently emphasising the deep impact that the violence of the 1960s and the tragedies of the 1980s had on a personal level for those who lived to tell the tales, and which are still felt today by those who were around at the time and still struggle to comprehend what they witnessed first-hand.
Summary
Riot Act is beginning its current UK tour in Liverpool, and I would urge anybody regardless of sexual orientation to check this show out. I personally found this to be highly educational, and solely from a standpoint of learning a lot about a series of topics which are not always given full depth in the mainstream media, I would strongly encourage anyone who wants to know what really contributed to the evolution of the LGBTQ+ community over the past 50 years or so to watch Riot Act.
Notes
Target Audience: 18+
Content: 3/5 – Occasional Strong Language, Strong Sexual Themes
Recommendation?: Yes
Overall Rating: 8.5/10 – Excellent
