Natural Behaviour
Thick & Tight
Information
Times: 7pm
Tickets: Pay What You Can (Recommended Price £14)*
*all orders subject to a transaction fee of £2
Running Time: 2 hours and 10 minutes (including 20 minute interval)
This event takes place in person in our Council Chamber
Photo by Rocio Chacon. Dancer: Luigi Nardone.
Dance theatre company Thick & Tight present Natural Behaviour, a collection of performed portraits of human and non-human life forms.
Somewhere between a variety show and a biology essay come alive, Natural Behaviour is a queer look at what it means to be natural or unnatural, highlighting the essential role of diversity in all life.
Thick & Tight’s distinctive mixture of dance, satire, impersonation and poetry aims for the outrageous, the beautiful, the hilarious and the profound. The line-up includes two moths, some post-apocalyptic cockroaches, a blade of grass, the dust in Quentin Crisp’s room, a lamenting songbird, a human tyrant and a lesbian seagull.
Thick & Tight’s co-directors Daniel Hay-Gordon and El Perry are joined by some remarkable dance artists and collaborators.
‘A true masterclass in dance and satire’ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ The Stage
‘The duo at their absolute sophisticated best… beautifully performed and life-enhancing.’ ★ ★ ★ ★ The Guardian
‘Riotously funny, subtly thoughtful, well-researched and always meticulously crafted… simply divine.’ ★ ★ ★ ★ The Stage
Reviews for previous shows
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Biographies
Thick & Tight are a dance theatre company based in the UK, co-directed by Daniel Hay-Gordon and El Perry. The company creates a mix of dance, mime, theatre, satire and drag, taking influence from a wide range of historical, political, literary and artistic subjects.
Steered by a queer identity and perspective, Thick & Tight aim to open up restrictive and elitist ideas of ‘artistic excellence’ and explore dance as a political art form with the power to entertain while challenging social stigma.
Thick & Tight have been seen at Sadler’s Wells, Tate, Barbican, Southbank Centre, V&A, The Lowry and Royal Opera House, as well as at many festivals internationally. Of equal importance is the company’s focus working in socially engaged contexts such as LGBTQ+ venues, social clubs, community groups and charity fundraisers.
Cast and Creatives
Choreography & Direction Daniel Hay-Gordon & El Perry
Performers Jahmarley Bachelor, Annie Edwards, Azara Meghie, Luigi Nardone, Housni (DJ) Hassan, Sherifat King, Jackie Ryan, Alice Haddock, Paul Davidson, Daniel Hay-Gordon & El Perry
Appearing on film Members of the Camberwell Incredibles – Danny Lucas, Daniel Reid, Blue Tierney, Karen Murphy, Charlene Francis, Ed Thompson, Stef Brown, Andrew Cove, Jo Conteh
Costume Design Tim Spooner (with The Leopard by Pam Tait)
Lighting Design Nao Nagai
Hair & Make-up Design Darren Evans
Sound Design Daniel Hay-Gordon & El Perry
Producers Michael Kitchin & Eve Veglio-Hüner
Associate – Touring & International Eckhard Thiemann
Production Manager Meg Hodgson
Access Coordinator Tink Flaherty
Marketing Andrea Edwards
Environmental Consultant Jen Taillefer
Credits
Co-commissioned by Battersea Arts Centre, The Lowry, Royal Ballet & Opera, Norfolk & Norwich Festival, Corali Dance Company and Duckie.
Supported by Britten Pears Arts, BalletBoyz, Rambert School of Ballet & Contemporary Dance and One Legged Dog. Supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.
Access
PRE EVENT INFORMATION
This event takes place in person in our Council Chamber. This space is on the first floor, with step-free access via a lift.
If you have booked a ticket you will receive an email from us before your performance detailing important information about your visit.
PERSONAL ASSISTANT/COMPANION TICKETS
If you require the assistance of a friend or helper to attend, we can make a free ticket available for your companion. You can book access companion tickets online or contact the Box Office to book by emailing access@bac.org.uk.
To book a free access companion online:
- log in to your account here
- go to ‘Other preferences’ and tick ‘I require a personal assistant/companion’.
- Choose the performance, date and seats you would like and if you add at least 2 tickets to your basket, then one of these will automatically become free.
PERFORMANCE INFORMATION
All performances of Natural Behaviour will be captioned
All performances will feature Audio Introductions – The performance consists of several short works. Though the evening is not yet fully audio described, Thick & Tight and company will briefly voice an audio introduction before each piece to tell you a bit about the ideas and research behind it. There will be some visual description of the movement, costume and lighting, for anyone in the audience who is visually impaired.
There will be Access Sessions on the following dates and times
- Thursday 5 Jun at 6pm
- Friday 6 Jun at 6pm
These pre-show Access Sessions will be led by Audio Describer Shivaangee Agrawal. They will incorporate a touch tour and sensory introductions to the themes, performers and costumes in the show. These will be accessible for blind and visually impaired patrons, as well as any other audience members that may benefit from easing into the evening.
Content
- Sudden loud noises and sounds
- Flashing and moving lights (no strobe)
- Sudden blackouts and periods of darkness
- Haze
- References to climate collapse, extinction, racism, queerphobia, violence.
- Use of mica flakes, made up of natural silicate minerals that form in thin metallic sheets.
All performances will be Relaxed. We invite you to make yourself comfortable and move around if you need to and if you need to leave the performance at any point you will be allowed to return to the space when you feel ready.
We want our shows to be as accessible to as many people as possible.
We offer tickets to most shows on a Pay What You Can basis throughout the year.
Tickets for performances in 2025 start at £9.50, and we have recommended pricing to help you choose a price that works for you.
We know that ticket price is a huge barrier for some. If you can afford to pay the recommended price or more, choosing to do so supports those that can’t. It makes it possible for us to continue to offer Pay What You Can and welcome those who otherwise wouldn’t be able to attend.
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