A Searing and Relevant Show
After the Act is a new musical from Breach Theatre by Billy Barrett and Ellice Stevens, with music from Frew which grapples with Section 28 through the medium of verbatim theatre. The show follows the lives of a range of LGBTQ+ people and the impact that Section 28 had on their lives, on their identities and on their development.
The show is episodic, and the fact that it is verbatim kept grounded in reality, in a way which was highly effective. I was particularly moved by the story of the P.E. teacher and the way that the show didn’t shy away from nuance, and did not simply depict queer people as perfect. The second act was truly excellent and, in my view, lifted the show. The ending that showed the Manchester protest against the act in 1988 was beautiful and moving, and certainly my favourite song of the night. There are no weak links in its cast of 4 (Erica Posadas, Nkara Stephenson, Zachary Wills and Ellice Stevens) and all of the actors have a chance to shine.
Whilst the music was not always to my personal taste with the songs feeling slightly one note and long, I can certainly see the appeal. If you enjoy synths and 2010s style musical theatre, you will enjoy the music of this show. I would have enjoyed it more with a fuller band as sometimes the harmonies and layers of singing were not always supported and distinguishable.
The design of the show is excellent, the team does a lot with the relatively small space of the Jerwood. The set design by Bethany Wells was brilliant, evoking a primary school gym, the oversized 80s suits in green and hot pink also designed by Wells were incredibly camp and created a sense of cohesion among the relatively small cast. Zakk Hein’s projections were often but not universally successful as sometimes text was projected over beams, obscuring it. Jodie Underwood’s lighting design was punchy, and reminded me of shows like Six with flashing lights, evoking the feel of a concert or a club.
As they explicitly say towards the end of the show, we are living in an equivalent moral panic centred around trans people. After the Act serves as a reminder that culture war issues are often used as scapegoats and distractions from other material concerns and that we must be open, empathetic and kind. Also, it’s a chance to see a camp sequined Margaret Thatcher.
After the Act runs at the Royal Court Theatre until Saturday 14 June 2025.