From Silence to Soundtrack: Small Town Boys Dances Through Queer Joy, Heartbreak, and the 1980s AIDS Crisis

Written, directed, and choreographed by Thomas Small, Small Town Boys follows a young man’s journey from a quiet hometown to the vibrant LGBTQ+ community in the late 80s, set against the AIDS crisis. It’s a powerful mix of dance, physical theatre, and circus, highlighting joy, community, and resilience.

We spoke to Thomas Small ahead of the show’s run at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

For those new to Small Town Boys, how would you sum up the story and spirit of the show in just one sentence? 

Small Town Boys is a powerful and emotionally charged dance-theatre production that transforms the stage into a vibrant queer nightclub, following one young man’s journey from small-town isolation to the joy, love, and heartbreak of 1980s LGBTQ+ nightlife during the AIDS crisis.

The show is set during the height of the AIDS crisis in the late 80s — what inspired you to tell this particular story now, especially through dance and physical theatre? 

I grew up in the 1980s, in the shadow of the AIDS crisis. I always knew I was different, even though I didn’t yet have the words to describe who I was. Everywhere I looked - especially in the newspapers - there was a wave of hysteria about gay men, with vile headlines splashed across the front pages. Today, we’re seeing that same kind of hateful rhetoric being directed at trans and non-binary people, and it’s completely unacceptable. I also remember the devastating impact of Section 28, which banned the so-called "promotion of homosexuality" in schools. In reality, it meant a generation of queer young people were left without support, guidance, or affirmation, and that neglect led to a mental health crisis among my peers that we’re still reckoning with. It’s a difficult subject to talk about, but the emotions run so deep and rich that they’re often best expressed through dance and physical theatre rather than words alone. 

Community and queer nightlife play a huge role in the show as both sanctuary and stage. What do you hope audiences will take away about the importance of these spaces, then and now? 

The nightclub is a vital character in the show. Queer nightclubs have long been sanctuaries - spaces where queer people can finally let go of the mask they wear to survive in the outside world. These spaces offer the freedom to be fully yourself, to fall in love, whether for a lifetime or just one night, and to dance with wild, joyful abandon. They’re often the first places where someone feels safe enough to hold their partner’s hand in public. When you look back at footage of queer clubs in the ’80s, you see that same shared joy and liberation pulsing across the dance floor, a powerful thread of defiance, freedom, and connection through time. Queer nightlife spaces are essential community lifelines that must be protected and honoured as safe havens where queer people can truly be themselves, free from fear and judgment.

What’s one thing about the late 80s queer community or the AIDS crisis that you wish more people knew or understood? 

It’s crucial to remember how the queer community was abandoned by the government at that time. Our lives, then and even now, too often feel like political pawns, debated, and dismissed, when all we want is to live with freedom and happiness. It breaks my heart to think of the countless queer people lost during the AIDS crisis, and how an entire generation of thinkers, artists, musicians, writers, and scientists were taken from us, leaving the world poorer for their absence.

How has the show evolved through its journey, and what does it mean to bring it to Edinburgh’s big stage? 

I’d been developing this show for over a decade, exploring the queer experience from many perspectives. Then, one night, while dancing in a queer club with my best mate, it all just clicked - the show had to be set in a nightclub, and the lyrics of Smalltown Boy immediately came to mind. Bringing the show to the Fringe, the world’s greatest arts festival, feels incredible…and even better that it’s just down the road too. I’m so excited to dance alongside the audience, to share laughter and tears as we collectively remember this powerful moment in history.

If you could pick one song that perfectly captures the vibe of Small Town Boys, what would it be and why? 

I think it has to be You Spin Me Round by Dead or Alive — it kicks off the show while the audience dances on stage with the cast, and everyone usually sings the chorus en masse together! The energy is electric, and the crowd gets so fired up by this song they could run right through concrete walls!

Small Town Boys runs at ZOO Southside, Main House, 1–17 Aug 2025 (not 4 & 11), 19.45 (20.45). Tickets available at: https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/small-town-boys