Britain's What's On Event Guide
Boogie on the Bones
In Soviet Moscow, wearing a yellow tie is an act of rebellion. Dancing to jazz could cost you everything.
This is the story of the stilyagi — young people who chose colour over conformity, music over safety, and love over ideology.
“We wanted to live like Americans, but we created something of our own — something human.”
Moscow, 1956. In Stalin’s grey world, a group of young rebels called stilyagi dare to wear bright clothes and dance to American jazz. Bob, a medical student, smuggles Western music by carving grooves into X-ray films — literally “boogie on the bones.” When Komsomol officer Mels falls for the mysterious Polly during a police raid, he must choose between duty and desire, safety and self-expression.
This electrifying new musical follows Mels’s transformation from loyal party member to passionate jazz musician, guided by Bob’s darkly comic wisdom and the charismatic Fred, who carries a devastating secret from his trip to America. As the authorities tighten their grip and friends disappear one by one, these young dreamers discover that sometimes the only way to stay human under an authoritarian regime is to put on a bright tie and play jazz.
Inspired by real events Boogie on the Bones is a story of love, music, and the price of freedom. With echoes of Cabaret and the energy of West Side Story, this intimate chamber musical asks: what would you risk to be yourself?
A powerful reminder that in the darkest times, art becomes rebellion, and every song is an act of defiance.
This is the story of the stilyagi — young people who chose colour over conformity, music over safety, and love over ideology.
“We wanted to live like Americans, but we created something of our own — something human.”
Moscow, 1956. In Stalin’s grey world, a group of young rebels called stilyagi dare to wear bright clothes and dance to American jazz. Bob, a medical student, smuggles Western music by carving grooves into X-ray films — literally “boogie on the bones.” When Komsomol officer Mels falls for the mysterious Polly during a police raid, he must choose between duty and desire, safety and self-expression.
This electrifying new musical follows Mels’s transformation from loyal party member to passionate jazz musician, guided by Bob’s darkly comic wisdom and the charismatic Fred, who carries a devastating secret from his trip to America. As the authorities tighten their grip and friends disappear one by one, these young dreamers discover that sometimes the only way to stay human under an authoritarian regime is to put on a bright tie and play jazz.
Inspired by real events Boogie on the Bones is a story of love, music, and the price of freedom. With echoes of Cabaret and the energy of West Side Story, this intimate chamber musical asks: what would you risk to be yourself?
A powerful reminder that in the darkest times, art becomes rebellion, and every song is an act of defiance.
Mon 1 Dec to Sunday 7 December
The Cockpit, Gateforth Street, London NW8 8EH
Date:1 to 7 Dec - 7pm & 4pm
Tickets:
Standard: £21.60
Concessions: £19.54
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