In this performance, Thick & Tight presents a distinctive mix of dance, satire, poetry and impersonation, bringing a hilarious and profound queer deconstruction of what it means for something to be 'natural' or 'unnatural'.
Somewhere between a variety show and a biology essay comes alive, the show includes a line-up of two moths, a pantomime horse, the dust in Quentin Crisp’s room, some flies on the wall, and a lesbian seagull.
Natural Behaviour premiered at Battersea Arts Centre in London and The Lowry in Salford in June 2025. The production received the Achievement in Dance award at the UK Theatre Awards 2025 and was named The Guardian’s No. 1 Dance Show of 2025.
Co-directors Daniel Hay-Gordon and El Perry perform alongside an outstanding ensemble of dance artists: Annie Edwards (Candoco), Azara Meghie (Ray Young, Talawa) and Jahmarley Bachelor (Punchdrunk). The production’s design is by Tim Spooner, Pam Tait, Darren Evans and Nao Nagai.
Image: Rocio Chacon
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Access Information
- All performances are captioned.
- All performances will feature Audio Introductions. The performance consists of several short works. Though the evening is not 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.
- This performance is relaxed, which means you are free to make noise, move and come and go from the space if you need to. The lights will come up briefly between each work, if you need to leave the room or come back in. There is a quiet space for you to use, if you want. One of the ushers will tell you where it is.
- There will be some sudden loud noises and sounds
- There will be music at the same time as people talking
- There will be flashing/moving lights, no strobe
- There will be some sudden blackouts, approximately 10 seconds. There may also be longer periods of darkness but there will be little bit of light spill from the captions
- Haze will be used
There is no audience participation.
- The performance is 95 minutes long, including a 10-minute pause
- There are captions integrated in every show
- There will be use of mica flakes (not a known allergen) made up of natural silicate minerals that form in thin metallic sheets
- All performances are relaxed, this means you can move or make noise if you need to and can go in and out of the performance space
- Latecomers will be permitted
- Themes of the show: natural world, queerness, natural/unnatural, biology, diversity
- There will be discussion of upsetting topics – extinction, climate collapse, racism, queerphobia, violence. These are all handled with sensitivity, and the intention is to raise awareness and care, rather than to shock or upset
- During ‘Baldwin’s Room’, a recording of a James Baldwin interview is used, and at one point he uses homophobic and racist slurs, including the N word once
- During ’Dust’, a recorded interview of Quentin Crisp mentions homophobic abuse, slurs and violence
- The show is made up of several short dance pieces, including solos and duets. Different performers will appear throughout the show, with some appearing more than once
A Pre-show Access Sessions 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.
This Pre-show Access Session will run from 6.45pm on Friday 16 October, tickets are free and can be booked in conjunction with your show ticket.
Watch the Trailer...
Related event:
Theatre & Dance
Workshop
Performing Arts Studio
Inclusive Dance Workshop
Thu 15 Oct 2026
Join Thick & Tight for an inclusive dance workshop exploring character, transformation, and physical storytelling.
Theatre & Dance
Workshop
Performing Arts Studio
Inclusive Dance Workshop
Thu 15 Oct 2026
Join Thick & Tight for an inclusive dance workshop exploring character, transformation, and physical storytelling.
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