Archives for Theatre

Outside, looking in

Veteran gay activist Ted Brown, who came out before LGBT people had any rights in the UK, has dedicated his life to combating racism and homophobia since joining the Gay Liberation Front (GLF) in 1970, after meeting a group of activists picketing The Boys in the Band in London’s West End. Ted Brown had been aware of his feelings for other boys at school when he was 11 or 12, but it was the discovery of a Tom of Finland book in a Popular Books store in New Cross, London, when he was 15 that convinced him this was not a phase. “I

Answering the call of the dancefloor

He was playing Donna Summer records at his sister’s house parties when he was still at primary school, won a DJ contest when he was still a teenager in Italy, and has been spinning at Horse Meat Disco for more than a decade. Who better to DJ our preview party than Severino Panzetta? From the moment we started organising the preview night for We Raise Our Hands In The Sanctuary at The Albany this summer, our first choice to DJ the after-party was Severino Panzetta, the languidly approachable resident at Horse Meat Disco, the south London gay night that no less an authority than legendary

Dancing to a different beat in Deptford: from Outdance to We Raise Our Hands

Back in the late 1980s, the Albany used to host a weekly LGBT club night that attracted hundreds of revellers from the local community and beyond every Saturday. Former promoter Brendan Nash explains how it all came about. The Albany in Deptford has a fantastic tradition of developing LGBTQ work like our new show We Raise Our Hands In The Sanctuary, which tells a gay friendship story set in the 1980s London underground gay club scene. Around the same time they scheduled a week of research and development for this show as part of their Hatched new writing programme,

We are all dancers

Choreographer Mina Aidoo talks to Inky Cloak about her approach to choreographing the trailer for our new show. What drew you to the project to choreograph the trailer for We Raise Our Hands In The Sanctuary? Disco! That was it. I really love disco music. I already knew Earth Wind & Fire and all the classic American acts, so it was fascinating to explore some different aspects of the genre through the references you gave me, such as early ’80s boogie (So You Wanna Be A Star by Mtume) and Italo disco (Spacer Woman by Charlie). It helped situate me in

“I’m not a drag queen, but I have done an awful lot of drag”

Carl Mullaney, who plays Brandi in We Raise Our Hands In The Sanctuary, has been performing in drag since he left drama school – in Chicago, Saucy Jack and the Space Vixens and even The Bill. Interviewed during the second week of performances, he reflects on the challenges of bringing Brandi to the stage. In what ways do you feel like you identify with your character? I can identify with the character of Brandi because she is a (for want of a better phrase) a nightclub entertainer and I have an element of that in my life. When you

Playing a character who is not the average black man seen on stage

Jahvel Hall, who plays up-and-coming 1980s DJ Michael in We Raise Our Hands In The Sanctuary, explains how he researched a complex character who faces down the homophobia, racism and HIV/AIDS prejudice of the 1980s. How has the rehearsal process been for you, how does it compare to other productions you have done? Having three weeks instead of four or more was a bit intense, we sort of hit the ground running which was good. I think the main thing about the rehearsal process for me – aside from getting lines, getting the dialogue out and practising it with the other actors on stage –

Chanelling a sense of a character’s potent sexuality

Dean Graham, who plays club promoter Paul in We Raise Our Hands In The Sanctuary, talks about how his performance has evolved in the rehearsal room and on the stage. How did you prepare for the role of Paul? Well obviously, I did a lot of research that [writers and directors] Daniel and Martin passed over to me and I followed that. I was also really interested in notions of masculinity. I think that there’s a lot that you can take from your own life as a man and your relationship to your own father. I think it’s one of

Being open to all the styles and grooves

Dancers Jordan Ajadi and Shawn Willis talk about their experiences working on We Raise Our Hands In The Sanctuary.

Armoured by the fierceness of character

When your only experience of drag is a little light cross-dressing on holiday as a kid, how do you prepare for the role of a fierce drag queen? It’s all about channelling fearless icons, says Emile Clarke, who played Lady Brandi in our work-in-progress preview this summer. When you started developing the character of Lady Brandi, the down-at-heel New York drag queen in our show, where did you look for inspiration? Grace Jones definitely. She was someone I brought along to the show-and-tell you guys organised on day one of rehearsals at The Albany (image below). I love Grace Jones’s fearlessness. In