Review: GRILLS, Camden People's Theatre - a fun play with a powerful roar
08/06/2024
GRILLS at the Camden People's Theatre is set in two time periods and two places connected by the queer experience and history.
Four modern self-professed queer nerds - Vall, Bee, Jaz and Mo - are visiting the Glasgow Women's Library, which is where the archive from the Camden Lesbian Centre and Black Lesbian Group is now kept.
The CLC and BLG joined forces in the 1980s, and we are transported back to life in their centre through their discoveries while rifling through the archive.
There are revealing snippets from documented phone calls the centre received, which paint a picture of the work the centre did to support queer people. It is a place which created community, support and camaraderie in the face of prejudice and abuse.
The documents also expose the challenges the centre faced from the politics of the day. Conservative Party rhetoric stoked homophobia, and Section 28 decimated funding for the centre, which was eventually forced to close. Attitudes towards transwomen are also revealed through the internal politics.
It is a fascinating and pertinent slice of queer history that highlights where we are now in terms of LBGTQ+ rights and attitudes. The debate around transwomen feels particularly pertinent given the tone of some current headlines.
Simply staged with just a series of filing cabinets and notice board, GRILLS has a lot to say but also has equal doses of fun, laughter and some toe-tapping dance scenes.
It is headlining Camden ROAR, and it certainly has plenty of roar (and not just the 'fuuuuuuuuck' moment), I'm giving it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
GRILLS, Camden People's Theatre
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