“Expect real, authentic, colourful characters in a flamboyant, funky and fabulous show!”

WHO: Johnny Autin, Choreographer/ Director

WHAT: “Queer Words: stand-up comedy meets dance theatre! Performed by an all-LGBTQ cast of three exceptional performers, Queer Words is a bold, provocative, and multidisciplinary performance. Combining storytelling, spoken word, dance and physical theatre, Queer Words investigates toxic ideals and the crisis of masculinity at an open mic night. Brutally honest, darkly funny and at times controversial – Autin Dance Theatre is tackling a culture of violence and insecurities with sketches about personal stories around the male perspective, feminism, gender inequalities, and homophobia. You’ll be sure to enjoy an epic, vibrant and outspoken slice of pride, hope, activism, and courage.”

WHERE: Greenside @ Infirmary Street – Forest Theatre (Venue 139) 

WHEN: 16:15 (45 min)

MORE: Click Here!

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Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

This is the first time the company will be bringing a show to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. We are keen to present this brand new show to audiences in Edinburgh and go on this crazy experience that is The Fringe! Queer Words is the ideal performance for us to make our mark at The Fringe. Our show is not what you’d expect from a dance show, and in the best possible ways! Queer Words has something for everyone, dance, music, poetry, singing, and a lot of sass! We are not shy, and tell it like it is. Expect real, authentic, colourful characters in a flamboyant, funky and fabulous show!

What’s the biggest thing to have happened to you since Festivals ’17?

A lot had happened to us since Festival ’17 but the main 2 successes that we’re super proud of it are:

We’ve been touring and presenting ‘Dystopia’ our new dance theatre duet for outdoor and unusual spaces to International Dance Festivals to great acclaim. A dance theatre duet with a fashion design twist. ‘Dystopia’ is a show-stopping and thought-provoking performance, looking at our human need for connection and belonging, in opposition with our modern anxieties based on fear and violence. Striking physicality and an exciting soundscape take the audience on an intense journey through hell and back.

We’ve been awarded funding from Arts Council England towards further touring of ‘A Positive Life’ (22 tour dates in 2017) an immersive theatre experience for teenagers about sex, love and relationships with an uplifting and engaging message on self-love, sexual health topics and sex ed’ stories.

Tell us about your show.

I have had the ideas of making a show about toxic masculinity from a queer point of view for a couple of years. We did a call out for an all-LGBTQ cast of dancers and poets, and selected our fantastic cast through an audition process! We have been working on this show (devising and rehearsing) since February this year, and it will be premiering for the first time at The Fringe. I directed the rehearsals and worked in collaboration with the performers and our whole creative team of composer, dramaturg, producer, costume & lighting designers.
This production was commissioned by Dance Hub Birmingham as part of their artist commission programme, and with the support of Midlands Arts Centre – MAC.

We believe our show is very relevant for audiences in 2018, looking at homophobia, toxic ideals of masculinity, gender roles, and sexism. We unpick some of those issues and themes in the piece by making taking them to some extremes and making fun of them.

What should your audience see at the festivals after they’ve seen your show?

Dance show wise, I look forward to seeing ‘5 days of falling’ by Sam Amos, and The Troth by Akademi, but also Jonny Woo’s All Star Brexit cabaret, and the ever-so-sexy boylesque’s Briefs! And so many more, the whole company will binge on shows and make the most of the festival’s activities!

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