With everything going on in the world right now, it feels more important than ever to find little pockets of joy wherever we can, and there’s no better place to start looking than the King’s Head Theatre. Derrière on a G String returns to London with a new run, bringing its idiosyncratic blend of dance, physical comedy and classical music into the heart of Islington. First seen at Sadler’s Wells, the production arrives with a reputation for cheeky irreverence and high energy theatricality, and it doesn’t disappoint.
Directed and choreographed by Alfred Taylor Gaunt, the show isn’t easy to categorise. Rather than telling a single narrative, it unfolds as a loose sequence of comic sketches and movement pieces, drawing humour from exaggerated physicality, visual surprises and unexpected musical juxtapositions. This non-linear approach feels somewhat invigorating, especially as the production does manage to weave some common threads through several of the numbers.
The combination of physical comedy and classical music works particularly well. We see the full day of an individual from wake to sleep set to The Barber of Seville, and a love story between two footballers set to The Nutcracker (with the name of this segment taking on a witty pun). Those of us who struggle to change a duvet cover may find it easier while listening to Dance of the Hours, and Peer Gynt Suite No. 1 accompanies a rather cheeky ode to ‘morning wood’.
Performed by a small ensemble of highly skilled dancers, the production succeeds on the charisma and comic instincts of its cast. Sammy Moore, returning to the show after its previous staging, is a prominent presence throughout, bringing a very charming performance style whilst engaging the audience.
Despite the comedy, these are trained dancers, and their talents show. Take ‘Duck Pond’, for example, a very unique take on Swan Lake that is beautifully danced by Cam Tweed and Ryan Upton. Alice O’Brien, Courtney Cyrus and Ena Yamaguchi’s versatility is immediately apparent, with performers switching rapidly between technical dance passages and broad physical comedy, often within the same sequence.
Derrière on a G String employs bold, uncomplicated design choices. Costuming is deliberately revealing and playful, reinforcing the show’s knowingly risqué tone without tipping fully into parody. The smaller scale of the venue creates a sense of proximity that heightens both the comedy and the occasional moments of discomfort, particularly when the performers engage directly with the audience.
It is the music and dance that plays the crucial role in shaping the show’s rhythm, with classical compositions used as an ironic counterpoint to the onstage antics. At its best, this contrast sharpens the humour and gives the choreography a clear structural backbone. At other moments, it feels a little flatter. Given the content of the show, things sometimes get messy, and a clean-up is required, but to give the production its dues, they even manage to find comedy in these scenes too.
Comedy is the other key ingredient of Derrière on a G String, and audience response is an important part of the experience. At press night, the humour landed exceptionally well. There’s little dialogue, and what there is, is nonsense – a cross between The Teletubbies and Mr Bean, but it remains consistently amusing throughout. Another scene, which simply involves waiting for a bus, mines every last drip of comedy it can from a relatively benign activity.
Derrière on a G String is unapologetically niche. It aims less to please everyone than to fully commit to its own heightened sense of silliness and spectacle, and where the audience is willing to embrace its deliberately chaotic tone it offers a cheeky, high-energy escape that finds joy in chaos, comedy and classical music.
Listings and ticket information can be found here
