Abseiling lesbians! Queers in classrooms! Perverts panicking parents!

Thatcher's Section 28, which banned the 'promotion' of homosexuality in schools, was the landmark legislation that silenced a generation, offered a global blueprint for LGBTQ+ oppression and galvanised a movement.

Billy Barrett and Ellice Stevens's After the Act is a funny, camp and unapologetically queer musical about how a moral panic gripped a nation – and a community decided to fight back. Its inspiring, often heartbreaking, stories of teachers, students and activists impacted by the legislation are accompanied by a joyously exuberant score written by Frew and inspired by the music of the 1980s.

It was first produced in 2023 by the award-winning theatre and film company Breach at New Diorama Theatre, London, before performances during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and a UK tour in 2024.

'Fizzing, fiery... sparkling satire... this musical feels exceptional... a massive achievement' — Guardian

'Fantastically daring... magnificent' — Time Out

'Empowering and gut-wrenching... full of righteous anger and euphoric 80s synths' — Telegraph

'Heart-rending yet joyful... brilliantly conveys the hysteria and outrage of Section 28' — The Stage

'A powerful and important piece of theatre' — Broadway World

'A moving tribute, a cry of fury, and a timely reminder against complacency – entertaining, provocative and important' — Arts Desk

'Dizzyingly, gleefully, furiously loud... an act of defiance and a fiery call to arms... more urgent than ever' — WhatsOnStage