Press

GARY CLARKE

‘One of the most exiting new talents in British contemporary dance’  The Sheffield Star

‘An artistically fast maturing choreographer’
The Dancing Times

‘A very good Director’
Belly Flop 

‘Gary Clarke is one of the most exiting talents in contemporary dance today’
Arts Council England

‘Gary Clarke is one of the new generations of dancers and choreographers bringing new life and vision to the world of contemporary dance’
The Sheffield Star

‘Clarke has a wonderful sense of theatricality’  
East Anglian Daily Times

‘A much admired young choreographer’
The Stage

‘While other dance makers retreat far too frequently into tried and tested methods, Clarke approaches from the angle of pure theatre…..love it or loathe it, you sure won’t forget it’
Leeds Guide

‘Clarke’s choreography mixes sculptural, tender, brash, intimidating and intense moves’
The Guardian Guide

‘Gary Clarke is one to watch’
Seen Magazine

‘Clarke’s work is complex and profound’
The Skinny

‘Gary Clarke showed us what he’s made of and it’s impressive’
London Fringe

‘Audiences love Clarke’s quirky and energetic routines and tonight does not disappoint. From the moment the audience walks in, we know this is going to be something utterly different to anything we’ve seen before’
From Dust Till Dawn

HORSEMEAT 

‘Horsemeat is Gary Clarke at his most outrageous!’
Sheffield Telegraph

‘Riotous, raunchy, wildly funny and unexpectedly moving piece of autobiographical dance’
The South Yorkshire Star

‘Brash, brutal and incredibly funny’
Metro

‘In Horsemeat he eats cigarettes and grafittis himself with maker pen to Placebo…he is pure punk rock!’
Northern Exposure

‘The all singing, all dancing solo by Gary Clarke is a brave piece of work’
The Sheffield Telegraph

‘Horsemeat is a powerful romp!’
londonist

‘Horsemeat isn’t a show, it’s an experience. Clarke has an insightful clarity that allows his growing pains to be tangible and shared with a room full of people’
London Fringe  

‘Horsemeat see’s Gary in his full Y-fronted glory careering between self-confessional, camped-up exuberance, desperation and Abba’
Belly Flop

COAL

‘The most intriguing of all the dance piece’s coming to Yorkshire is Gary Clarke’s COAL’
Yorkshire Post

‘COAL is a gritty, gutsy, visceral re-enaction of toil that is part of living memory’
Metro

‘COAL succeeds in all of its creators intentions…to translate into dance the harsh physical realities of mining within an easily understandable narrative structure’
The Barnsley Chronicle

‘COAL is a compelling and riveting work. Skilfully crafted COAL takes the audience on a journey of intense physicality’
Dr Christy Adaire 

‘COAL is Clarke’s explorative creation’
londondance.com

2 MEN & A MICHAEL

‘Morecambe and Wise meets Pina Bausch’
The Spectator

‘2 Men & A Michael is a dancers dream. It’s quick, quirky and out of the ordinary. Clarke has created a very clever and entertaining piece of work’
London Fringe

‘Wittily Inventive’  
The Sheffield Telegraph

‘A simple use of actions and gestures made us laugh out loud!’
londondance.com

‘Pleasingly sharp’
londonist

‘Gary Clarke’s absurdist 2 Men & a Michael is performed with deranged earnestness’
The Observer

BAGOFTI

‘Peculiar but compelling’
The Times

‘Bagofti is a dark, beautiful, brooding physical conversation’
Broadway Baby

‘A very powerful piece indeed’
The British Theatre Guide

‘Clarke delivers some wrenchingly strong stuff’
The Herald

‘Gary Clarke and Gavin Coward pack a lot of  punches into a very short piece and at every turn Bagofti captures something of the beauty and ambiguity of Bacon’s work’
The Skinny

‘Bagofti is a compelling solo performance, as demanding and affecting as the original paintings’
Across the Arts

‘Movement sequences with a fluid poetry that echoed the grotesque beauty of Bacon’s work; this was a magnificently devised and performed solo piece; a must-see for anyone interested in the boundaries of dance and sanity‘
Edinburgh Guide

‘Bagofti demonstrates Clarke’s prowess as a choreographer and Gavin Coward gives a gorgeously athletic and emotionally nimble performance’
londonist

‘Something vice like grips your insides wanting the experience to stop, it’s unnerving and chilling, uncomfortable. But this is good art, so you willingly suffer’
London Fringe****

CAMEO COOKIE

‘Cameo Cookie employs a heavy dose of theatricality and each snippet of this hyper-theatrical, in-your-face performance lands with a punch. The vignettes range from ridiculous to sickening, humorous to disturbing, and, with a touch of pathos thrown in, the work definitely has impact. Cameo Cookie knows what it is, and goes for it with gusto. Through the kaleidoscopic roller-coaster of its vignettes, Cameo Cookie raises some interesting questions’
Cloud Dance Festival****

‘The decisions about timing and angles and details of choreography and costume satisfied me in their neatness and coherence’
Belly Flop

‘Cameo Cookie is a vibrant, vigorous solo and Perry gives a powerful physical performance as the vociferous Bryant with strong mime sections and a great floor-stomping dance sequence’
londondance.com

‘Cameo Cookie offered visual stimulation and plenty of vim and vigour’
Liverpool Daily Post

‘Cameo Cookie transfixed the audience and delighted many’
G Scene

‘Eleanor Perry performs the part with suitable lunacy’
From Dust Till Dawn

 ‘Compellingly psychedelic and worth a watch’
Made Up Magazine

 ‘You’re caught up in the infectious manic energy of the whole thing’
The Double Negative

‘Cameo Cookie raised the stakes…Outstanding’
The Lady 

MÉNAGE A TROIS 

‘I had a great time at Gary Clarke’s Menage a Trois. The works were stylish and decisive and stayed well clear of pretension. More please!’
Belly Flop 

‘Menage a Trois is three distinctly different dance works that communicate with an eloquence and daringness which isn’t often experienced’
London Fringe.com 

‘Menage a Trois’ is a triple bill of socially engaged works with a sense of humor!’
Time Out

‘Ménage a Trois is an enjoyable collection of Clarke’s works; a nostalgic peek into a Pandora’s Box of contemporary dance and the complexities of modern life’
londonist

‘It’s great fun, and there isn’t a person in the theatre without a large grin on their face!’
Dust Till Dawn 

A BEAUTIFUL HELL

‘A sumptuous array of majestic physical theatre’
Stage Won

‘An astonishing and hypnotic performance with powerfully dynamic choreography’
Cloud Dance Festival

‘It is a clever piece… the dancers are animated; their technique emotive, every gesture is crystal clear’
Remote Goat

‘Great exuberance and fierce emotion displayed by this group… by the end I felt as though I had been borne along through a thrilling storm of emotion’
Scots Gay *****

‘Seeing performers push their bodies to the limits is one of the great pleasures of watching dance, and the energy that comes off this ensemble is electric’
Festmag****

 ‘The choreography has bite and depth, and the dancing just crackles with class and conviction’
The Herald ****

‘A talented troupe fuelled by testosterone and clearly influenced by Clarke in their limitless edgy power’
Across the Arts ***

‘A Beautiful Hell’ is powerful, enthralling and evokes an emotional catharsis by the end… it’s a struggle to peel your eyes from this intensely captivating performance… an impressive and thoroughly moving performance, ‘A Beautiful Hell’ will make you consider your own relationships and leave you emotionally drained and gasping for breath’
Broadway Baby ****

BITTER SUITE

‘Highly effective’
British Theatre Guide

‘The finale (of the triple bill) is a grand affair. The piece is strong, witty, harrowing and the dancers are stupendous’
The Public Reviews

‘Bitter Suite is a fast and furious portrayal of human relationships. Gary Clarke combines daring physical theatre with quirky and visually striking choreography in this stunning dance piece’
The Messenger

‘Finally, Gary Clarke brought us Bitter Suite. A hugely powerful and moving portrayal of human relationships’
Alt.Blackpool