Lesbian Triple Bill

An evening of queer works in progress from Manchester?s emerging theatre-makers

Join directors Clodagh Chapman, Ellie Harrington and Maisie Holland at the John Thaw Studio Theatre on July 22nd for an evening of queer theatre in development.

Featuring extracts from three exciting works in progress, alongside a selection of short performances from local artists, this triple bill offers audiences a chance to encounter new work at a vital stage of its journey.

The programme includes:

Castrato

by Rosa Gatley | Directed by Ellie Harrington

Albert is 12, and a chorister at the prestigious Saint Pauline?s Cathedral. The choir is his whole life, with the coveted ?Once In Royal David?s City? solo glimmering on the horizon. But he?s hiding a secret. His voice is starting to break, the highest notes quickly slipping out of his range, and if anyone finds out, he?ll be forced to leave the choir forever.

?Castrato? is about masculinity, the oftentimes horror of puberty, and the crushing inevitability of growing up when all you want is to remain the same.

Quimera

After Federico Garc?a Lorca | Adapted and Directed by Clodagh Chapman.

A man disappears into the mountains. His children wish into the void. His wife says goodbye.

Quimera, an almost hundred-year-old text, is part of Federico Garc?a Lorca?s body of formally-inventive short plays. This free adaptation reimagines the text for the present moment, and asks what it means to read a text from a queer author in the present.

Funny, moving and thought-provoking, these three works explore identity, belonging, change, resistance and the spaces we create for ourselves and one another. Together, they offer a snapshot of exciting new queer theatre in development and the artists helping to shape its future.

Doing What A Lemon Pip Does

by Lucy Whelan | Directed by Maisie Holland

?Then someone reported my tomatoes. So I went to war.?

Jenny is a classic 2020s twenty-something, with no clear direction or purpose. She loves her girlfriend, Jo, and tolerates her mother, Dot, but she?s not too sure about her job, her passions, or much else. At least she wasn?t before someone reported her to her building conglomerate for illegally growing tomatoes on the roof of her rental property.

What follows is a mad mission to turn the rooftops of Manchester into a wild space. But tomatoes were one thing; a city-wide rooftop garden is another altogether, and Jenny soon finds that rewilding even her own building is enough of a challenge to throw her life and relationships into turmoil.

Age restriction: 12+

Content warnings: Strong language, themes of family conflict, serious injury, references to death, fascism, homophobia, death, and gender dysphoria.

Whether purchasing online, by post, over the phone or in person, a booking fee is included in the advertised ticket price. A single transaction fee of ?1.25 will be levied at the point of purchase.

After the event is off sale online, tickets can be purchased directly from the Martin Harris Centre Box Office, subject to availability. The Box Office will open from one hour before an event is due to start.

Access related/wheelchair user and companion seats aren?t available online. Patrons should please book by calling Quaytickets on 0161 876 2015; or via the Martin Harris Centre Box Office by emailing boxoffice@manchester.ac.uk or by calling 0161 2758951. Please share your access requirements and any other information that may assist the team to find suitable seats at the time of booking. Please note that wheelchair spaces are limited to two per performance. (However, it is also possible to support wheelchair transfers where patrons are happy to do so.)

The Martin Harris Centre offers one free personal assistant/support worker ticket for all eligible customers. This companion seat is available at the discretion of the box office team to patrons who require support from another person to attend the Centre (due to an impairment or long-term medical condition.)