After the Act
After the Act by Billy Barrett is a musical that explores the impact of Thatcher’s Section 28, legislation that prohibited the promotion of homosexuality in schools. Published by Nick Hern Books, Limited on December 16, 2025, this edition spans 88 pages and is presented in English. The narrative combines humor and camp with poignant stories of teachers, students, and activists who were affected by this landmark legislation, highlighting a community’s response to moral panic.
Readers will find a vibrant exploration of LGBTQ+ themes, as the book captures the spirit of resistance against oppression through its engaging characters and narratives. Accompanied by a lively score inspired by 1980s music, After the Act presents a blend of drama and comedy that reflects the struggles and triumphs of those fighting for acceptance and rights. This edition offers a unique perspective on a significant historical moment in British and Irish literature and drama.
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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.
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