Writing Queer Performance

The first of its kind, this anthology documents some of the UK's most exciting contemporary queer performances, through a mix of retrospective scripts, development material and visual documentation.

Queer performances are often expected to live a brief, bright life without textual record. They rarely begin with complete scripts at all, being mostly developed by performance-led forms designed to fill noisy bars, clinking cabaret venues and fringe theatres, typically for very short runs. Because of this lack of written material, these important and vital forms run the risk of being lost to the archives of memory.

Writing Queer Performance: Contemporary Texts and Documents features eight seminal queer live works, ensuring their enduring accessibility. Featuring performance scripts, developmental material and visual documentation, this anthology provides a panoramic view of contemporary processes and practices.

The works include

Black (2013), Le Gateau Chocolat
Pull the Trigger (2016), Vijay Patel
Re-Member Me (2017), Dickie Beau
DollyWould (2017), Sh!t Theatre
NIGHTCLUBBING (2018), Ray Young
Pleasure Seekers (2022), Bourgeois & Maurice
The Making of Pinocchio (2022),Rosana Cade and Ivor MacAskill
Ten Commandments (2022), David Hoyle

Along with a contextualizing introduction, this collection illuminates this vibrant but vulnerable form, supporting its documentation and accessibility long after the event of live performance.