Act 3 considers queer masculinity in dance, desire, body image and working-class dance histories.

Working with a cast of collaborators aged 60 and above – whose desire was forbidden in their youth – Act 3 considers what it means for these feelings to be hidden.

Referencing Kenneth Macmillan’s Bedroom Pas de deux from Romeo and Juliet, the performance unfolds on a mattress, combining surreal visuals with an everyday setting to blur the lines between fantasy and reality.

Act 3 is inspired by queer modernism and the work of photography collective PaJaMa. This collective created scenes of magical realism, featuring New York’s young bisexual or gay artists, dancers, and writers in the 1930s and 1940s.

This is the final instalment in a trilogy of works by choreographer, performer and visual artist Christopher Matthews. Continuing his studies of intimacy between two figures, Act 3 is an exploration of queer desire in later life.

This is a free installation in our front of house areas. Come along from 4.30pm on Wed 10 and 5pm on Thu 11 Apr.

Read the freesheet

Image description: A black background with two arms reaching towards the centre, one from the left and one from the right. They have pale skin and relaxed hands. The arms are only visible from the elbows.