VOXED stage the long-awaited world premiere of their first full-length work, Out Late, at the Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough, today (25/11/2021) and tomorrow.
Choreographed and directed by artistic director Wayne Parsons, Ankur Bahl’s dance-theatre crime drama follows the fiercely closeted Sebastian, who falls in love with out-and-proud gay man Vinnie and tries to hide his new relationship from his wife, Fifi.
While unravelling Vinnie’s murder, a dark and twisted story of jealousy, shame and manipulation unfolds as Out Late blends virtuosic choreography with a compelling script, performed by dance-theatre artists Folu Odimayo, Caldonia Walton and Stuart Waters. Angus MacRae provides the music; Pooja Ghai, the dramaturgy.
Parsons says: “I’m proud to finally be presenting Out Late, our first stage production as Voxed. As an artist and choreographer, I’m deeply interested in the intersection between dance and theatre and combining these two art forms to share highly original stories that move people.
“There’s so much I’m excited about in presenting this work: Out Late is our first crime drama, our first full-length work, and features an LGBTQ+ storyline at its heart. I can’t wait to share this work with audiences in Scarborough.”
Voxed’s philosophy as a dance theatre company is to look specifically at the relationship between text and movement in narrative dance theatre works, creating digital, in-person, indoor and outdoor projects with community members, writers, film directors, dramaturgs and performers.
The Voxed journey started in 2013 under the name Wayne Parsons Dance. In 2020, the company evolved and rebranded to reflect its aim to “create a space for us all to be creative, to move, to talk and to share our stories”.
Choreographer, movement director and artistic director Parsons previously created Meeting, a finalist at the Copenhagen International Choreography Competition. Vestige emerged in 2017, and in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, Parsons devised #GOGGLEDANCE, a national participatory project, taking place outside people’s homes and placing participants as the stars of a reality TV-style mini-series.
Voxed have become the first dance company to be appointed a Stephen Joseph Theatre associate company.
Out Late will be performed at 1.30pm and 7.30pm today and 7.30pm tomorrow. Box office: 01723 370541 or at sjt.uk.com.