Rochdale Observer

Show of pride will be a Riot for Coliseum audience

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APOWERFUL verbatim theatre piece exploring the history of the LGBTQ rights movement visits Oldham Coliseum as part of a Pride Season UK tour this July.

Written and performed by Alexis Gregory, Riot Act is a hard-hitting, hilarious and heart-warming solo verbatim piece, taking audiences on a breathtaki­ng journey through six decades of queer history.

It is created from the playwright’s interviews with Michael-Anthony Nozzi, one of the only remaining Stonewall survivors; Lavinia Co-op, a 1970s London radicaldra­g artist and Paul Burston, a prominent 1990s AIDS activist.

Provocativ­e, tender, truthful, funny, political

and personal, these are stories of queerness, sexuality, activism, addiction, family, childhood, love, sex, drag, community, togetherne­ss, conflict, identity, youth, ageing, loss, fierce queens and a Hollywood diva.

This new tour follows a sold-out West End performanc­e and a summer 2018 run in the Kings Head Queer Season.

The tour will also visit Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham; Arcola Theatre, London; Crewe Lyceum; Norwich Theatre Royal; Wardrobe Theatre in Bristol and The Marlboroug­h in Brighton.

The performanc­e at Arcola Theatre on June 30 will mark the 50th anniversar­y weekend of the Stonewall riots.

Riot Act is created and performed by Alexis Gregory; directed by Rikki Beadle-Blair MBE and produced by Alexis Gregory, Team Angelica, Arcola Theatre (Arcola dates) and Emmerson & Ward Production­s.

Producer Rob Ward said: “With recent developmen­ts in Brunei as well as protests outside primary schools in Birmingham, Riot Act provides a timely reminder just how precious these rights are and how passionate­ly they must be defended.

“We are incredibly proud to present, Riot Act to audiences across the UK this Pride season.”

Riot Act is recommende­d for audiences of 16+ and contains themes and language of an adult nature.

It will be showing on July 27 at 2.30pm. Tickets are £8/£7 concession­s.

Tickets can be bought in person at Oldham Coliseum Theatre, by phone on 0161 624 2829 or online at www.coliseum.org.uk

If you have never been to the Coliseum, I strongly recommend that you do. The Coliseum has a rich history in Greater Manchester dating back to 1885.

It provides a wide variety of distinctiv­e theatre performanc­es and participat­ory activities for people from all communitie­s in Oldham, Greater Manchester and beyond.

It creates original production­s which are presented at the Coliseum and on tour.

Intrinsic to the town’s on-going regenerati­on, the theatre works with its local communitie­s and young people to develop creative programmes to facilitate learning, engagement and community cohesion.

 ??  ?? ●●A scene from Riot Act
●●A scene from Riot Act
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