Following on from its in-person debut at West End and online iteration in February, Alexis Gregory’s Riot Act is playing the Sherman Theatre in Cardiff later this month as part of a hybrid online tour. This is a great chance to see it if you missed it at the time, or if you just want to watch it again. What’s more, it’s available in the lead-up to Pride Cymru’s August bank holiday weekend in Cardiff, making it ideal at-home viewing before you attend to remind yourself why Pride is needed.
Riot Act contains three monologues by people who were present during three key points in LGBT+ history. Michael-Anthony Nozzi was 17 on his first day in New York, which also happened to be the day of the Stonewall Riot; Lavinia Co-op is still a drag queen to this day, there at the emergence of radical drag in the 1970s; and Paul Burston is a member of ACT UP, the AIDS campaign group in the early 90s.

Each monologue is heartbreaking – AIDS is the inevitable constant with any LGBT+ stories of the last 50 years – and though tinged with anger, there is humour and hope in there too. Michael’s passage about AIDS and lost gay elders, as well as younger gay men’s disrespect towards older gays, is a stark example why these voices and stories need to be listened to.
Gregory performs the monologues verbatim from his interviews with these real people and his acting is consummate. We even see Gregory warming up in his dressing room before he bursts onto the screen/stage as a gruff-voiced New Yorker.
Lavinia’s voice is so different from previous monologist Michael that it would be no surprise if Gregory was lip-synching, but he isn’t – rather, he’s a younger man who seems to embody older gay men just by emulating their voices and using their verbiage. Lavinia’s frustration and anger at still being mistreated at the age of 70 is palpable and visceral.
The remainder of the show mainly focuses on Gregory, the closeups really showing how much acting he does with his face. Subtly beautiful lighting is used throughout, the harsh red of the Stonewall’s light bulb indicating a raid while the harsh, cold blue represents the many who died from AIDS. The piece also features Gregory as Paul handing out ACT UP leaflets on the streets outside.

There are well-known LGBT+ voices, such as Peter Tatchell (mentioned in Paul’s monologue) but Riot Act’s main point is to spotlight three less known but equally important figures from the community. Riot Act isn’t just an important piece of theatre because it’s 50 years since the first Pride in the UK; it’s an important piece of theatre at any time.
Riot Act is available to stream online here from 10am, Mon 22-Sun 28 Aug. Tickets: £10.
words CHRIS WILLIAMS

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