GARY CLARKE COMPANY RETURNS WITH POWERFUL NEW WORK DETENTION AT NORTHERN STAGE
Detention
Newcastle Northern Stage
Tuesday 16 - Wednesday 17 September 2025
Acclaimed choreographer Gary Clarke returns to the stage this autumn with his boldest, most personal work yet — Detention , a powerful new dance-theatre production currently touring the UK. The production arrives at Northern Stage, Newcastle on Tuesday 16 & Wednesday 17 September 2025, promising a visceral experience for audiences in the North East.
Following the multi award-winning Coal and the critically acclaimed Wasteland, Clarke’s latest work dives deep into the devastating impact of Section 28, the controversial 1988 legislation that forbade the "promotion of homosexuality" in schools and local authorities. Detention brings to life the fear, shame, and resilience of a community forced into silence during one of the most turbulent chapters in recent British history.
Clarke, who grew up gay in a Northern pit village during the Thatcher era, draws from personal experience and the real-life testimonies of those affected — including rare insights from the LGBT+ Switchboard Logbooks — to craft a searing, emotional performance.
Featuring Clarke’s signature blend of theatrical physical dance, a compelling on-stage narrator, and a cast of local LGBT+ community members aged 40+, Detention is both a tribute to resistance and a reckoning with the past. Each venue on the nine-date tour will include five new local participants, bringing fresh authenticity and community engagement to every performance.
The show reunites Clarke’s award-winning creative team with exciting new collaborators, and features music from industrial icons Test Dept, along with a haunting voiceover by Steven Nallon (Spitting Image) as Margaret Thatcher.
With a running time of 85 minutes (no interval) and a recommended age guidance of 14+, Detention is a must-see for anyone interested in LGBT+ history, powerful dance-theatre, or the fight for human rights.
Photos: Joe Armitage
🎟 Tickets and info: https://northernstage.co.uk/whats-on/detention/
Tour website: www.detentiontour.co.uk
📍 Northern Stage, Newcastle — 16 & 17 September 2025
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