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Up & down the UK it's been a busy month of remembrance, Pride community events & more corporate rainbows than ever before...
So with the 50th anniversary Pride march & UK Black Pride events this weekend in London, NSDF selectors Sean Linnen and Lucy Ellinson share a few thoughts on LGBTQ representation at the festival (and want to know yours)...
Lucy: A wonderful piece of work for me was Stevie Thomas’ piece 1001010
Stevie presented this solo work at NSDF2018. It was bold, honest, heartfelt, political and I loved it. I also loved how generous the work was, how it reached out to the festival. The festival audience responded brilliantly, thoughtfully, with curiosity, with care. I think Stevie's production made a permanent impression on the Fest & reminded me of how important it is that *we* take the space and tell our stories. It showed how in the noisy, fragmented, mediacontentdrivenhellscape we find ourselves in currently, that theatre/live performance can hold open that space and make a meeting point for people to encounter complex, disobedient ideas, and one another, in the spirit of radical kindness.
Sean: NSDF19 felt like a particularly glorious celebration of work that put LGBTQ+ stories front and centre.
No more were queer characters reduced to the bit parts or best friends, the butt end of the jokes or there to serve as a vehicle for another character’s homophobia- they were living and loving to the fullest. From Nottingham New Theatre’s heartfelt production of Rotterdam to Quick Duck’s riotous Magic Hour: The Murder Mystery Disco and Shrinking Violet’s inspiring work-in-progress performance of Barry- queer work and queer artists rightly took up space at the festival which was exciting, joyful and galvanising. The future is bright. And the future is QUEER. More please.
Be Proud, Live Loud & Happy Pride everyone.
Sean & Lucy
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