50 YEARS ON | 2017
Hey Weirdos,
It’s been awhile since we properly caught up so thought it time to blog my thoughts and feelings instead of make you pay for them. I think I stopped blogging like this because we send a monthly mailout with all the plugs in the world but perhaps I should talk to you more, would you like that?
50 YEARS ON STUFF
As many of you already know 2017 marks the 50th anniversary since the decriminalisation of sex between men in England and Wales (catchy!) or The Sexual Offences Act. To many this anniversary is cause for celebration. The of actions of queer activists and pressure activism leading to the Wolfenden report has meant I have similar civil liberties as my heterosexual friends.To mark the occasion some great, proper, legit and frankly very establishment organisations have asked me to do stuff with them which is really, bloody exciting. However, I want to make it very clear I’m super grateful of the actions of my forefathers, mothers and non-binary elders that has meant I’m able to do all this stuff!
The first happened last week and was held at the RVT! Produced by RVT Future campaign, it not only discussed the past but the future. If you are not already involved with the RVT Future campaign then check them out - they need time and money!
Tomorrow night I am hosting the an interactive gender and sexual identities map at V&A with the very brilliant Amy Grimehouse and next week I’m popping to Parliament at the invitation of Jezza Corbyn to the launch of Labour’s LGBT history month!
Most excitingly, I’m directing a series of short performances for Historic Royal Palaces, a collaboration with Dame Mark Ravenhill - see I told you it was proper. Long Live Queen James! at Banqueting House is going to be a performative, informative knees up - and we’re rehearsing it at Hampton Court Palace - scream!
It’s not all fun and games - at Scottee HQ we wanted to mark the anniversary not with celebration but with critique and home truths. This will manifest in the shape of a project called Belonging. A series of three events (two dinner parties and a public discussion) at Chats Palace. Belonging will get LGBTQI* community leaders around the table to debate our place in society. These will be on sale very soon - to be the first in the loop join our mailing list!
2017 STUFF
2017 is still shaping up, the gaps in the diary are starting to close (thankfully) and I might just be able to pay my way through the next five months. In the interests of balance and transparency I’ve start the year with four rejection letters so it’s not all skipping around palaces.
Bravado! Today I have put the finishing touches to the script - my first ever. I really enjoyed writing it, all 8,000 words of it. Lets hope its good ‘cause then they’ll let me do it again. You can find out all about the preview tour dates here.
Fat Blokes, our big show for 2017 is shaping up with our commissioners at South Bank - you’ll get to see it at the end of 2017. I’ve just started talks with a prison to work on a project I’ve been thinking about for a long time, Putting Words in Your Mouth is still in the process of deciding if/how/when to minimally tour and funding permitting I’ll be making a bit of work in my new neighbourhood!
Sad news, Grandad is no longer able to make work as he is very poorly and needs to spend time watching Judge Rinder and laughing. We have put our project to bed but you can scroll through his work for eternity here.
EARNING A LIFE STUFF
We’ve had about five emails from those people at Patreon - a sort of social media platform in which you donate a few quid a month for exclusive content on my process, press night tickets, 24 hour booking access etc.
Fancy helping us develop a patron scheme? We have 3 short questions to ask you!
That’s it for now. I need to put the dinner on. Thanks for following, reading and your patience - it’s taken me a long time to get half decent.
Until next time, keep it weird.
x
