In 1988, a piece of legislation from Margaret Thatcher’s Conservative Government devastated lives.
Gary Clarke Company’s new dance theatre show following Coal and Wasteland explores Section 28, which ‘prohibited the promotion of homosexuality’, forcing the LGBT+ community into a place of secrecy, fear, and shame. Set to a backdrop of nationwide industrial turmoil and the onslaught of Aids.
Gary Clarke uses powerful storytelling, drawing on verbatim testimonies, with vivid choreography performed by a company of exceptional dancers, narrator, and a local cast of LGBT+ people. Featuring music tracks by the iconic Test Dept,Detentionis a bold and moving portrayal of the remarkable resilience of the individuals and organisations of the time.
Co-commissioned by Nottingham Playhouse, Grand Theatre Blackpool, Lawrence Batley Theatre, Cast, The Place.
Join the community cast!
Gary Clarke Company is looking for five members of the local LGBT+ community, aged 40+, to join their exceptional cast of performers live on stage. A fantastic opportunity to make a unique contribution to this story of Section 28 and the LGBT+ community’s fight for justice.
This session will be led by Gary Clarke and will be an opportunity to hear more about the role and to try out some ideas from the show. If this sounds like you then find out more and sign-up for the taster session on Monday 16 Juneat Oxford Playhouse, 7.00pm to 9.30pm.
If you’d like to register for the free taster session or have any questions, please get in touch with Laura Barber, Engagement Manager at the Gary Clarke Company.
A £2.75 booking fee per transaction applies to this event, except for members, schools, groups, access bookers, and tickets priced under £10.00
Dates & times:
Friday 26 to Saturday 27 September 2025 at 7.30pm
Running time:
1 hour 25 minutes
Age guidance:
14+
Warning:
This show contains some flashing lights, loud music, smoke effects, and references to violence and homophobia.
About Oxford Playhouse
Oxford Playhouse and its Burton Taylor Studio present and produce several live performances and feature a rich array of British and international dramas, family entertainment, contemporary dance and music, student and amateur shows, comedy, lectures and poetry.
The Playhouse not only produces and tours its own theatrical productions, but it also fosters creativity through its Artists in Residence program and the Playhouse Plays Out series, which brings unique events to various locations across the county.
The theatre’s Participation Team engages over 15,000 individuals annually, offering an extensive range of activities, including post-show discussions, workshops, work experience opportunities, holiday programs, a youth theatre, and a company for young performers.
Oxford Playhouse stands dedicated to its mission of being a Playhouse for all, striving to ignite inspiration and bring about transformative experiences through its commitment to creativity on its stages, within its community and online.
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behaviour or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
