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TAP FACTORY The boys are back in town bringing trashcan percussion, high-octane dance and comedy

Tap dance has come a long way since the days of Fred and Ginger. Back in the 1990s, Aussie troupe Tap Dogs ripped up the rulebook on elegance and injected tap with a distinctly macho l avour. Now you’re as likely to see it performed by men in boiler suits as tuxedos which is exactly the case with Tap Factory. The eight-strong crew are returning to

Scotland with a show that uses brooms and bins, and puts the drumming into oil drums. But it’s not all about men making noise. ‘My i rst inspiration is Charlie Chaplin,’ says director Vincent Pausanias. ‘What could be a better place than a factory to mix together all these different artistic disciplines; music, tap dance, hip hop, circus, acrobatics and comedy?’

The show follows a factory worker on his i rst day, meeting the foreman, the sweeper, the mechanics, giving the troupe the chance to l it between skills. ‘What is great is the contrast between scenes to go from the strong energy of the urban percussions to the poetry and softness of an African l ute, or to jump from a fast and strong tap routine to an amazing aerial acrobatic performance.’ (Lucy Ribchester) Edinburgh Festival Theatre, Sun 24 Sep; Theatre Royal, Glasgow, Mon 25 Sep.

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1 Sep–31 Oct 2017 THE LIST 81