THE VERY TOP SECRET DANCE COMPANY
is definitely not a transparent front for a criminal gang plotting world domination.
With its focus on quality entertainment, The VERY Top Secret Dance Company aims to use comedy and theatricality to broaden dance audiences (but, shhh, don’t tell anybody...). Their latest production, Alfred Taylor-Gaunt’s DERRIÈRE ON A G STRING, began with a rigorous, three-year workshopping process, culminating in a sold-out, week-long run at the Tristan Bates Theatre, where it received an overwhelmingly positive response, both in standing ovations and audience feedback forms.
Written, directed, and performed by a dynamic ensemble of artists aged 23 – 26, the show has a fresh, millennial feel, aligning it with the current thirst for new blood in theatre. Through its clever deployment of canonical classical music, Taylor-Gaunt’s DERRIÈRE feels somewhat familiar, despite representing a radical departure from dance convention. This familiarity allows the audience to enjoy some of the greatest classical music of all time, whilst revelling in Taylor-Gaunt’s subversive comic timing. Involving a unique combination of comedy, dance and physical theatre DERRIÈRE is unusually innovative; it appeals, not only to existing aficionados of dance and theatre, but also to a new, much wider, audience attracted by its humour and
mildly risqué content.
Written, directed, and performed by a dynamic ensemble of artists aged 23 – 26, the show has a fresh, millennial feel, aligning it with the current thirst for new blood in theatre. Through its clever deployment of canonical classical music, Taylor-Gaunt’s DERRIÈRE feels somewhat familiar, despite representing a radical departure from dance convention. This familiarity allows the audience to enjoy some of the greatest classical music of all time, whilst revelling in Taylor-Gaunt’s subversive comic timing. Involving a unique combination of comedy, dance and physical theatre DERRIÈRE is unusually innovative; it appeals, not only to existing aficionados of dance and theatre, but also to a new, much wider, audience attracted by its humour and
mildly risqué content.
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Sketch comedy has long been the signature style of British light entertainment. From MORECAMBE AND WISE and MONTY PYTHON, to THE FAST SHOW, TRACY BREAKS THE NEWS, and JOHN FINNEMORE’S SOUVENIR PROGRAMME, it has been a hugely popular genre across the country for decades. DERRIÈRE finds its foundations in this rich comedic heritage; its familiar and relatable comedic style harks back to the likes of Charlie Chaplin, through THE TWO RONNIES, to
ARMSTRONG AND MILLER, not to mention a myriad of other comedy greats. Entirely non-verbal, DERRIÈRE breaks down language barriers to communicate with an international audience through the language we all speak fluently: laughter. In our current troubled times, comedy might be the antidote we all need; a good night out may not cure a broken nation, but it might just make us all feel a little better. |
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Though DERRIÈRE has undergone a long, enjoyable (and often rather naughty) process to become the cheeky new dance sensation it is today, it is still at the inception of its journey. The VERY Top Secret Dance Company whispers it sincere gratitude to the audience for all their support and invites you all to join us on our merry dance to challenge preconceptions, and have jolly good fun doing so. (As long as you keep it a secret, of course...).
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