Have you got your tickets for this year’s FemFest, Brighton’s only arts festival made by and for people who are AFAB (assigned female at birth), non-binary and trans?
Don’t worry if you haven’t, because you still have time before the fifth annual event gets under way with the first of 27 shows scheduled to be staged between 7 and 10 March at The Actors, in Prince’s Street, and The Feminist Bookshop, in Upper North Street.
Highlights of this year’s line-up include:
- New poetry-theatre piece Monument, from Tatenda Naomi Matsvai, a Barbican Young Poet for 2022-23 who boasts a four-star Guardian review for previous work.
- BANANA BEARD, a musical-comedy show from Su Mi, winner of accolades including the Keep It Fringe Fund (Phoebe Waller Bridge) 2023, Luke Rollason Memorial Bursary 2023, QUEEROVISION 2022, and Beat The Frog 2022.
- New work Bisexuelle (work in progress) from Selena Mersey, a FemFest Early Career Artist in 2023 who won the Brighton Fringe Lamb Comedy Award 2023 and the Brighton Fringe Seagull Best Concept in 2023 with her previous show, Madonna/Whore.
- “Stand Out Show” (The Stage, 2023) Unforgettable Girl, by Elisabeth Gunawan and Saksi Bisou, which drew rave reviews at Edinburgh Fringe 2023.
- A belly dancing workshop from Cairo-trained belly dancer Lucy Andrina.
- Three Early Career Artists who are being mentored and assisted by FemFest so they can tour their work: Ineka Collective with Pleasure Chapters: No More Salad (navigates beauty standards, health, and body image through dance and storytelling.); Lucy Gaydecki with Lovely Day (a verbatim show exploring motherhood through a specific popular-culture lens, Mumsnet); and LINDA(?) from Ellie Brewster (a clown piece looking at how far women have been taught to cater for others’ needs).
- Everyone’s favourite drag-dad Bertie Hodd, aka Dad (Winner: Brighton Drag Pageant 2023) who brings new cabaret night Gender Blender, platforming the best, weirdest and most wonderful trans+ artists from Brighton and beyond.
Maddie Ross, Artistic Director of FemFest, said: “We have theatre, cabaret, workshops, clown, poetry, comedy and much, much more at our little feminist utopia. There really is something for everyone.
“By buying a ticket you are supporting AFAB, non-binary and trans people as well as supporting FemFest and ensuring we can keep bringing you rebellious and experimental work year on year.”
Tickets priced £15 for solidarity, £12 for general admission and £6 for concessions are available from FemFest. Free tickets are available for people facing economic barriers which prevent their attendance.