Shaper/Caper presents our award-winning production ‘Small Town Boys’ - a brand new show exploring the escapism of queer nightlife during the 80s & early 90s AIDS crisis through dance and spoken word.
A young man leaves his small hometown to find refuge in the bright lights and warm embrace of the big city; he discovers solace and joy in the city's LGBTQ+ scene, but soon finds himself navigating a terrifying unfolding health crisis, almost completely ignored by the government. Small Town Boys won the Creative Arts Award at the 2024 Proud Scotland Awards!
Our cast of eight dancers take over the floor of nightclubs across Scotland, with a soundtrack of everyone’s favourite 80s & early 90s anthems, as well as original music. The dancers are joined by our Community Cast, a group of volunteer dancers bridging the gap between performers and spectators, bringing the joy and chaos of the nightlife scene to life.
Audience members are invited to relive their own memories of the dance floor as the boundaries between stage and club are blurred, giving them a chance to boogie alongside our cast (or take a backseat and watch, if they’d prefer!).
Select performances will be accompanied by a Q&A from either Terrence Higgins Trust or Waverley Care, our charity partners, giving vital context on queer history and sexual health — and where we go from here.
Small Town Boys won the Creative Arts Award at the Proud Scotland 2024 Awards!
Box Office Information
DUNDEE
Evening shows: 8:00 pm (doors open at 7:30 pm) on Thurs 18th, Fri 19th, Sat 20th & Sun 21st July 2024
Matinee shows: 4:00 pm (doors open at 3:30 pm) on Sat 20th & Sun 21st July 2024
Performances take place at CHURCH NIGHTCLUB
Book your tickets through Dundee Rep & Scottish Dance Theatre here
PERTH
Evening shows: 8:30 pm (doors open at 8:00 pm) on Tues 30th, Wed 31st July, Thurs 1st, Fri 2nd & Sat 3rd August 2024
Matinee show: 4:00 pm (doors open at 3:30 pm) on Sat 3rd August 2024
Performances take place at THE ICE FACTORY
Book your tickets through Perth Theatre & Concert Hall here
INVERNESS
Evening shows: 8:30 pm (doors open at 8:00 pm) on Thurs 19th, Fri 20th & Sat 21st September 2024
Matinee show: 4:00 pm (doors open at 3:30 pm) on Sat 21st September 2024
Performances take place at THE BOTANIC HOUSE
Book your tickets through Eden Court here
STIRLING
Evening shows: 8:30 pm (doors open at 8:00 pm) on Thurs 26th, Fri 27th, Sat 28th & Sun 29th September 2024
Matinee shows: 4:00 pm (doors open at 3:30 pm) on Sat 28th & Sun 29th September 2024
Performances take place at FUBAR
Book your tickets through Macrobert here
GLASGOW
Evening shows: 8:00 pm (doors open at 7:30 pm) on Tues 8th, Wed 9th, Thurs 10th, Fri 11th, Sat 12th & Sun 13th October 2024
Performances take place at POLO LOUNGE
Book your tickets through Tron Theatre here
ABERDEEN
Evening shows: 8:30 pm (doors open at 8:00 pm) on Thurs 17th, Fri 18th, Sat 19th & Sun 20th October 2024
Matinee shows: 4:00 pm (doors open at 3:30 pm) on Sat 19th October 2024
Performances take place at CHEERZ BAR
Book your tickets through Aberdeen Performing Arts here
Show FAQ’s
Q: What time does the show start and end?
A: Doors open at the times stated above and you can grab a drink from the bar and soak up the atmosphere of the 80’s & 90’s as the DJ spins some iconic songs from the era. Shows start at the times stated above. Duration is 1 hour 20 mins. Evening shows in Dundee & Glasgow end at 9:20 pm and Perth, Inverness, Stirling & Aberdeen performances end at 9:50 pm. Matinee shows end at 5:20 pm.
Q: Is there allocated seating?
A: The show is a site-specific, immersive performance. Seating will be situated around the dance floor and is not allocated so is offered on a first come, first served basis. If you require an accessible seat, please let box office know when you book your ticket.
Photos
Photos by Maria Falconer
About Terrence Higgins Trust
Terrence Higgins Trust is the UK’s leading HIV and sexual health charity, offering support, information and advice services for those living with HIV and affected by HIV or poor sexual health. Our vision is a world where people with HIV live healthy lives free from prejudice and discrimination, and good sexual health is a right and reality for all.
The first named man to die of AIDS related causes, Terry Higgins died in July 1982 and his close friends formed a support group to help men like Terry and their friends. Charity status followed soon after and now, celebrating our 40th Anniversary year, we’ve been remembering Terry and reflecting on the work we’ve accomplished together over the past 40 years. We’ve seen incredible advances in prevention, testing, treatment and care for those living with HIV. But we still have big challenges if we’re to make sure that everyone can access the tools to protect themselves and others, so we finally end HIV transmissions.
HIV has changed, but we see time and again that many people’s views of HIV remain stuck in the decade when Terry Higgins died. Stigma can have devastating consequences in the lives of people living with and affected by HIV. Stigma can prevent someone from taking a test and getting the care and treatment they need. It can prevent those newly diagnosed from getting the support they need from those around them.
Our work to educate and dispel myths through changing perceptions and knowledge in the general public is as vital as it’s ever been – it’s also key to our goal to stop HIV transmissions.
If we find and test everyone living with HIV and get them onto treatment so HIV can’t be passed on, we can stop an epidemic. Working together, we can end new transmissions of HIV in the UK by 2030.
Support & Resources
In Scotland, Terrence Higgins Trust provides the following services from its hub in Glasgow and regional office in Dundee:
Face-to-face & postal testing
Support for people living with HIV and/or hepatitis C
Condoms by post
Training
Awareness raising
Volunteering opportunities
CONTACT
For emotional support or information on HIV & sexual health from THT Scotland, get in touch:
Phone: 0141 332 3838
Email: info.scotland@tht.org.uk
You can also contact THT Direct for support, advice and information:
Helpline: 0808 802 1221(Available Mon – Fri | 10AM – 6PM)
Live Chat: Accessed here. (Available Mon - Fri |11AM - 1PM & 3PM - 5PM)
Find out more about their work at tht.org.uk.
About Waverley Care
‘Waverley Care is Scotland’s leading HIV and hepatitis C charity. Everything we do is guided by the experiences of the people we work with, from shaping the services we deliver to influencing national policy around sexual health and blood borne viruses. Our vision is for a Scotland where no one faces HIV alone. We will achieve this by fighting stigma and empowering people living with HIV to live full and healthy lives. Waverley Care was founded in 1989 at the height of the HIV/AIDS crisis. Nearly 35 years later, we are working to end new transmissions of HIV in Scotland by 2030.’
Find out more about their work at www.waverleycare.org
