Daring, silly, sensual, moving, powerful, funny… queer!
Arcola Queer Collective has gathered an eclectic ensemble of performers to entertain, excite, confuse and confound your senses. This Fundraiser Cabaret celebrates the circus, the absurd, and the carnivalesque, and the queer with amazing performances from some of the stars of the London and International scene, joined by some celebrated newcomers, with tarot card reading in the foyer before, and a raucous afterparty till late!
All money raised will go to supporting the 2018 Arcola Queer Collective Season. It will be the largest season yet with three headline productions and two weekends of events, workshops and parties! The full 2018 season will also be announced on the night, which will end in an afterparty in Arcola Bar till late!
Hosted by…
Mrs Jonjo
‘A self-confessed high energy idiot, Mrs Jonjo is a long-lallied drag clown who makes performance from naivety, joy and far too many props’
Returning following her star turn hosting the 2017 Queer Collective Opening Night Cabaret, Mrs Jonjo will be dusting off the bells, coconuts and show tunes!
With performances from…
Sadie Sinner
As a velvet-toned songbird or powerhouse of a host, “a bad girl with a good voice and a lot of loving to give…”, Sadie Sinner is a creative force! Founder and curator of The Cocoa Butter Club, Sadie performs a seamless repertoire bursting with the RnB, Blues, Jazz, Motown, Funk and Neo-soul that raised her. Sadie brings entire rooms to their feet- her vocals and vibe, compelling them to dance the night away!
Krishna Istha
Named as ‘One to watch’ on the Rainbow List 2015, Krishna has performed in various degrees at the National Theatre, Shakespeare’s Globe, Southbank Centre, and was a founding member of Arcola Queer Collective. Currently residing in Australia, they can be currently seen in a special role at the Soho Theatre. Krishna also programmes and produces the Cocoa Butter Club Australia.
Shakona Fire
Sue Frumin
Returning to the Queer Collective Cabaret is queer theatre legend Sue Frumin. Wether she’s involved as a producer, writer, performer, teacher, singer, stand-up comedian or presenter, one thing is always guaranteed… laughs. A London theatre intitution, Sue has appeared in fione–womanman shows and performed or had her plays presented at Arcola Theatre, The Kings Head, Ovalhouse and more. Her avant-garde cabaret ‘At Home with The Ludskis’ is often to be seen at the Rio Cinema in Dalston, London. Fresh of a star turn on Channel 4’s First Dates, Sue will be singing country and western, if only she isn’t too drunk to remember…
Smidge Swayer
A graduate of Rubyyy Jones’ Burlesque and Cabaret school, Smidge has been blazing a trail of glitter and sequins across London and the UK!
“the stand-outs for me being Smidge Swayer’s bubbly act involving her transformation from grey uniform-clad school-girl to queer neon queen!” (The Daily Info)
Arkem Mark Walton
A distinctive figure in the London Underground, Arkem Mark Walton’s performances join the surreal, the absurd and the powerful into one well-moustachioed package. He has performed across London and the UK with sightings at Glastonbury Music Festival, Arcola Theatre, The Glory, The Natural History Museum, the RVT and Butlin’s, Bognor Regis!
Maeve Scullion
Maeve Scullion is a queer writer and performer from South Wales who is currently living and working in London. She studied BA (Hons) Drama and Theatre Arts at Goldsmiths, University of London and has made shows about Joan of Arc, activism and fairies who live in Nandos.
Manic Pixie
Manic Pixie is a queer clown performer looking for sunshine on a cloudy day. They wish to wow you with wisps of wonder while waking your whizzers up too. They are keen to pick apart ‘cute’ and how that is policed on certain bodies and interrogate gendered behaviours to boot.
Plus Tarot Card Reading.
Arcola Queer Collective is a community performance company open to anyone identifying as LGBTQI* in East London. The Collective stage new, adapted and rediscovered plays exploring queer identity. The Queer Collective’s past productions have received critical acclaim and a strong audience following and have included A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Little Prince, The X and The Drag.
So support the Arcola Queer Collective and run away to the circus!
Praise for previous Arcola Queer Collective productions:
“Tender, funny and utterly brilliant… I urge you to beg, borrow or steal a ticket if you have to”
—DIVA Magazine on The Little Prince
“Surely the most inventive, outrageous, and thoroughly enjoyable bending of the Bard that we’ve witnessed … An ingenious blending of classical theatre with burlesque, cabaret and queer politics … Do yourself a favour and run away with the fairies.”
—Gay Times on A Midsummer Night’s Dream
“Succès de scandale”
—Times Literary Supplement on The Drag