After the break, we come to “Brahm’s Second Piano Concerto in Recollection of Others.” We hear Hay-Gordon speak in the introduction on how he used to ‘prance’ endlessly to classical music as a child; as he grew up, he was accused of dancing too ‘effeminately.’ In this very intimate solo, he reclaims his own way of dancing, taking in sensorial inspiration from other dancers he has worked with. Eyes low to the floor, he frequently pulls himself up onto the balls of his feet, before falling or bourrée-ing across the floor. His hands flutter to Brahm’s trembling notes. 

This is followed with “Baldwin’s Room,” co-created by Thick & Tight and Azara Meghie, and performed as a solo by Meghie. There is a lot packed into this short work, which takes excerpts from American writer and civil rights activist James Baldwin’s vast oeuvre and interlaces them with Meghie’s own voice. Baldwin muses on who we are allowed to love, while Meghie mimics shaving in a doorframe—a lit rectangle carved out of the dark at the back of the stage—or travels and tumbles down a crack of light diagonally cut across the floor (smarty created by Lighting Designer Nao Nagai). Meghie’s movement takes on the figure of Baldwin without caricaturing him, nor do they lose their own sense of self, particularly evident when they break and drop to the floor, legs twisting then freezing mid-air. 

There’s a brief comic interlude in “Flies on the Spaceship Wall,” depicting two flies (Hay-Gordon and Perry) who cannot stand another moment of Katy Perry’s ‘drivel.’ Small, increasingly frustrated movements, soon lead them to finally pressing that big eject button; perhaps there is no more to explore here, but I could have happily stayed in this comic set-up a little longer.

We end with “Dust,” listening to quotes from English raconteur Quentin Crisp in his famously dusty bedsit. We hear Crisp implore the housewives of England not to lose their nerve: “after the first four years, the dirt doesn’t get any worse.” On stage is the magnetic Jahmarley Bachelor, while projected onto the backdrop are clips from Members of the Camberwell Incredibles, a group of artists living with moderate to profound learning disabilities and complex needs. The Incredibles have created their own poem in response to Crisp’s sardonic words; they peer through cut out window frames and don purple wigs, while Bachelor holds the physical space in front of them. It’s an interesting mix of poignancy and lightness, the craft and care of the dramaturgy finding things to both laugh along with and ponder about Crisp’s singular, unconventional life. It’s a shame the stage is quite dark, making it a struggle to fully take in the clips. It’s unclear whether this is an artistic choice or a technical necessity.

The evening ends with all the artists coming out to take a bow together. “Natural Behaviour” mostly moves from down in the weeds of the natural world to broader, philosophical considerations about ‘natural’ behaviour. And while the different worlds presented in the showcase have either been historically repressed or are currently under threat, you feel that Thick & Tight are attempting to make their own contributions, both on and off stage, to ensure that the world’s (bio)diversity is celebrated. It’s a gentle, silly, interested and aesthetically invested evening.