Riot Act
Created and Performed by Alexis Gregory
Directed by Rikki Beadle-Blair MBE.
Kings Head Theatre / Duchess Theatre, West End / Arcola Theatre / Touring.
My solo verbatim show, created entirely word for word out of interviews with three key-players in the history of the LGBTQ+ rights movement; Michael-Anthony Nozzi; a survivor of the Stonewall Riots, Lavina Co-op, an alternative ‘70s drag artist, and Paul Burston; a prominent ‘90s London AIDS activist.
‘Riot Act’ is a breathtaking, rip-roaring, white-knuckle ride through six decades of queer history, taking the audience right up to the present day; a celebration of queer activism across the decades, pulling no punches; hard-hitting, hilarious and inspiring…it’s a riot.
2022
Pride tour.
A hybrid tour with dates including live performances, IRL and online screenings of the digital, post show / screening Q&A’s, and workshops on the piece’s themes. Venues including:
Hull Truck Theatre.
Exeter Phoenix.
Birmingham Rep.
Yvonne Arnaud Theatre.
Octagon Theatre Bolton.
York Theatre Royal.
Reconnect Regal Theatre (Scotland).
Curve.
Blackpool Grand Theatre.
Crazy Coqs, London.
The Lowry (digital).
Sherman Theatre (digital).
Arts Council England funded.
2022
A digital reimagining of Riot Act was filmed and released for LGBT History Month 2022. Commissioned by, in partnership with, and filmed at Hackney Empire. Streamed via stream.theatre and US sister site Broadway on Demand.
For further details on the digital Riot Act please click here.
Arts Council England funded.
2021
A mini-tour as many venues re-opened up for the first time post-pandemic. Included theatre and pop-up dates:
Oldham Coliseum.
Curve Leicester (extract performed for relaunch event).
White City House.
Soho Farmhouse.
Polari at Heaven nightclub.
Soul Pride outdoor LGBTQ+ well-being fest.
2020
LGBT History Month Tour with venues including:
Turbine Theatre (London).
Cast (Doncaster).
Live Theatre (Newcastle).
Torch Theatre (Pembrokeshire).
Bradford Playhouse.
Everyman Cheltenham.
Harrogate Theatre.
Theatre By The Lake (Keswick, Lake District).
Epstein Theatre (Liverpool).
Arts Council England funded.
2019
A Pride & Stonewall 50th Anniversary Tour with venues including:
Arcola (main house, three nights).
Crewe Lyceum.
Norwich Theatre Royal.
Nuffield Southampton Theatres.
The Marlborough (Brighton).
Number 70 Oxford Street (pop-up venue for Manchester Pride / Superbia Fest).
The Wardrobe Theatre (Bristol).
Old Joint Stock (Birmingham).
Arts Council England funded.
Media partnered with Attitude magazine.
2018
Duchess Theatre, West End (Nimax Theatres).
World AIDS Day Charity Gala Performance in aid of Dean Street Wellbeing Programme. Sponsored by Fidelity Insurance.
2018
Created especially for the Kings Head Theatre Queer Season.
Arts Council England funded.
‘Riot Act’ has also received special ‘pop-up’ performances at Soho House, White City House, Soho Farmhouse and Covent Garden members club, The Hospital. Queer performance nights, as show launches and curated and hosted by myself, have been held at The Glory and Vogue Fabrics. Extracts have been performed at venues such as National Theatre’s Riverside Stage, the NT’s Understudy Bar, Polari (Southbank Centre / tour), 20th Century Fox HQ in Soho Square, Science Museum, Heaven nightclub, Leicester Square Theatre and legendary LGBTQ+ bookstore ‘Gays The Word’.
‘Riot Act’ is available for touring and can be presented with a post-show Q&A and book signing. The ‘Riot Act’ play text is published in two editions by Bloomsbury Publishing.
Flagged up as a top pick by the Evening Standard, Metro, i-D and Attitude magazine, I also re-interviewed Michael-Anthony Nozzi for Attitude magazine's commemorative Stonewall 50th anniversary issue.
Credits:
Created and performed by Alexis Gregory.
Directed by Rikki Beadle Blair.
Stage Manager (Kings Head / Arcola Theatre): Marie Costa.
PR:
Kevin Wilson.
Jack Cullen (additional Kings Head Theatre).
Bill Elms (additional Tours).
Amelia-Eve Warden at Be P&C PR (West-End).
SM Publicity (2021 mini-tour, Oldham Coliseum date)
Chloe Nelkin Consulting (digital and 2022 tour).
Photography:
Production photography / West End / Hospital Club: Dawson James
Digital / 2022 tour: Holly Revell.
Poster photography: Rikki Beadle-Bair, Dawson James, Steve Kraitt.
Vogue Fabrics launch: Holly Revell.
Portraits: Steve Kraitt.
Poster design (touring): Lee Baxter.
Trailer and video interviews: Mann Bros. Media.
Make-up: Allison Edwards.
Assistant producer (Kings Head Theatre ) and social media marketing: Reuben Cook.
Social media management: Lewis Green at Social Grant (2021 mini tour and 2022 tour).
Produced by Alexis Gregory and touring by Emmerson and Ward.
‘Riot Act’ reviews include:
‘Riot Act is at once frank, warm and uninhibited…a forceful reminder of the importance of knowing your history’.
Evening Standard
‘This stand out piece of theatre will become part of LGBT cultural heritage…a career defining performance’.
Attitude Magazine
‘Powerful…passionate…anchored by a compelling performance…sensitively directed by Rikki Beadle-Blair….Gregory utterly inhabits his characters’.
Exuent Magazine
‘Gregory has done something magical with Riot Act, and it was an honour to hear these remarkable stories. His careful collation of the words of Nozzi, Lavinia and Burston are performed with honesty, authenticity and respect…unforgettable’.
A Younger Theatre
‘An important lesson in the art of theatre…it has everything good art should have; it’s emotional, it’s honest, and it’s unignorably passionate’.
QX Magazine
★★★★★ ‘One of the most moving pieces of new queer writing in London…powerful, deeply moving and politically rousing…Gregory remains an incredibly watchable and powerful figure on stage…mesmerising’.
The Spy In The Stalls
★★★★★ ‘Three real-life stories brought to life by a master storyteller…a first-rate show that will make you laugh and cry…theatre rarely gets as impactful as this…one to see, and one to remember’.
LondonTheatre1
★★★★★ ‘The rage is palpable, as is the humour. And it’s a moving experience…a wonderful tribute to three strong people and their unique stories that is well worth seeing…brilliant’.
Queer Review
★★★★★ ‘Gregory’s delivery of each nuanced monologue is energised with subtlety and an intense and overwhelming passion’.
London Box Office
★★★★★ “Carefully considered and beautifully composed…keeps you on the edge of your seat.
London Theatre Reviews
★★★★★ ‘A stunning and deeply emotional performance…a deeply profound production deftly directed by Rikki Beadle-Blair’.
remotegoat.com
★★★★ ‘Verbatim theatre at its best...Gregory; a powerful presence, shows fierce awareness of his theatrical and political context’.
The Stage
★★★★ ‘A compelling account of gay rights activism... what makes 'Riot Act' really work is Alexis Gregory’s utterly captivating delivery’.
Gay Times
★★★★ ‘Alexis Gregory brings his own energy to all three voices, taking the audience through fifty years of gay history and giving them a gripping immediacy…funny as well as moving, honest and truthful ... theatre at its simplest and at its best’.
British Theatre Guide
★★★★ ‘Alexis Gregory has woven various themes together beautifully in his compelling performance in ‘Riot Act’.. a masterclass…absolutely riveting’.
Queer Guru
★★★★ ‘Gregory gives a masterful performance under director Rikki Beadle-Blair…a powerful and important piece of verbatim theatre…a fascinating piece’.
BritishTheatre.com
★★★★ ‘Achieves ambitious levels of storytelling…an eye opening punch to the gut’.
Broadway World
★★★★ ‘Powerful and deeply moving”.
Theatre Weekly
★★★★ ‘A powerful piece of verbatim theatre, Alexis Gregory delivers a performance that lets the spirit of his inspirations shine through as he challenges and informs. Bravo!’.
London Living Large
★★★★ ‘These are stories that need to be heard, delivered with power that demands we listen’.
The Reviews Hub
★★★★ ‘Excellent direction from Beadle-Blair…this production is powerful, heart-wrenching, thought-provoking, insightful, warm, and funny too’.
The Upcoming
