Riot Act digital version.
An online adaption of my solo-show on queer activism across the decades, with the show previously playing in the West End, across London, and across the UK, the digital ‘reimagining’ sits somewhere between theatre and film.
The companion piece, created for LGBT History Month 2022, was available globally on stream.theatre for the month. In June 2022 it returned to stream.theatre for an extended Pride Season run, and was also picked up by American sister-site Broadway on Demand for the same period.
The digital reimagining was commissioned by, in partnership with, and filmed at Hackney Empire, their first-ever digital commission in their 120th birthday year, and was funded by Arts Council England.
Press included BBC radio, The Times Radio, London Live and a lead arts feature in Metro newspaper.
The digital version is available for IRL screenings, online screenings, festivals, and can be accompanied by an IRL or online post-screening Q&A session or talk from myself.
It runs seventy-five minutes.
IRL screenings, and talks, include The Glory (London), and Ducie Street Warehouse (Superbia for Manchester Pride), and online event for PR company Exertis. The Riot Act digital piece is also part of the shows 2022 ‘hybrid’ tour with Sherman Theatre and The Lowry hosting it.
A screener is also available to industry personnel. Please email here to place a request.
The digital adaption was flagged up by Arts Council England as one of their top LGBT History Month picks.
Credits:
Created and performed by Alexis Gregory.
Directed by Rikki Beadle Blair.
Cinematography & Post Production - Mann Bros.
Lighting design - Mike Robertson
Sound recordist - Charlie Hurst
Make-up design - Allison Edwards
PR - Chloe Nelkin Consulting
Poster photography and design - Darius Shu
Production photography - Holly Revell
Production / Digital Associate - Reuben Cook
Executive Producer - Alexis Gregory
Associate Producer - Emmerson and Ward
Associate Producer - Team Angelica
In partnership with, commissioned by, and filmed at Hackney Empire.
Funded by Arts Council England.
Reviews for the digital adaption include:
‘Beautifully told through Gregory’s performance…powerful and heartbreaking…brilliantly executed’
Love London Love Culture
‘A spellbinding solo performance that delivers messages from the past to inspire hope for the future…intimate…personal…there is something for everyone in Gregory’s performance’.
Diva
‘Passionate and engrossing…an excellent piece of digital theatre… essential, vibrant, and compassionate’
Lou Reviews Blog
‘There are many more magic moments in this whirlwind 75-minute solo show…a brilliant roller-coaster of a show….Beadle-Blair’s skill is to bring the camera up close and personal…a tour-de-force performance that is relentlessly honest and inspiring’.
GScene
‘A mesmerising hour of storytelling…when done well, verbatim theatre has a power like no other and Alexis Gregory’s Riot Act sure as hell fits that bill…there’s something deeply emotional here’
Ought To Be Clowns
★★★★★ ‘Gregory has curated an absolute treasure trove of queer history…the level of detail is mesmerising..the intimacy of the storytelling grips you constantly…under the direction of the returning Rikki Beadle-Blair, the production transitions well to screen; this experience feels heightened with a greater degree of intimacy…moving, powerful and essential’.
The Reviews Hub.
★★★★★ ‘A superlative performance…powerful and excellent…a remarkable
commentary…a warm and exuberant show that I challenge anyone not to admire and love…truly inspirational on so many levels’
North West End
★★★★★ ‘Gregory’s characterisation is excellent…you feel like you’re hearing these people’s tales first-hand, such is Gregory’s storytelling skill…an important piece of verbatim theatre…fascinating, entertaining & moving’
Please Mind The Blog
★★★★ ‘Gregory’s ability for storytelling is so ensnaring that the minutes pass unnoticed …be sure not to miss this spectacular, enlightening performance’.
London Theatre Reviews
★★★★ ‘Gregory’s script is descriptive and raw…so vivid…despite the material offering such powerful words on their own, nothing sells it better than Gregory’s performance…his delivery is totally on the mark’
The Upcoming
★★★★ ‘Gregory’s acting is exquisite…the show translates brilliantly into the digital medium…a vital piece of verbatim theatre’.
The Indiependant
★★★★ ‘The incredibly talented Alexis Gregory embodies these three characters with such honesty and authenticity….emotive and truly haunting story of the struggles faced by the LGBTQ+ community …also a celebration of queer activism and liberation across the decades’.
West End Best Friend
★★★★ ‘Compelling and heart-breaking.Gregory’s portrayal of three very different people is extraordinary…Beadle-Blair directs with intuition, compassion and an underlying sense of urgency, making you wish for more….a battle cry for the future and an inspirational memorial for those that came before’.
Fairy Powdered Productions.
