Words: Caitlin Finnerty

5 Stars

Part of the Made in Scotland showcase, Small Town Boys transforms the stage into Paradise. A glittering 80s nightclub is brought vividly to life by eight exceptional dancers, a community cast, and a giant disco ball spinning above it all. The audience is swept into the action from the first moments, invited to dance with the performers on stage, immediately blurring the line between spectator and participant.

Through memories and movement, we follow the Small Town Boy’s journey from wide-eyed innocence to finding his place in a community, only to confront the devastating reality of the AIDS crisis. The choreography, a creative blend of contemporary and 80s styles, channels the joy, eroticism, and solidarity of the club scene, with moments that feel like cinematic dream sequences. Clever staging, such as toilet doors in a sensual bathroom hook-up scene, and blown up condoms as props keep the storytelling fresh and inventive. By the end, emotion is channelled into moving dance sequences proving that dance is a medicine to grief. The cast’s bodies seem to carry both loss and defiance, turning movement into an act of remembrance and resistance. It’s clear that Small Town Boys is not just a tribute to queer history, but a reminder that the fight for LGBTQ+ rights, and the communities they protect, must continue.

Small Town Boys 
Main House at ZOO Southside
19:15
Aug 12-17