in partnership with The B-Bar
Topsie Redfern & Sarah Chew
Intro to the Art Of Drag Workshop
18+
This event has past.
Thu 16 Sep
7pm start
2 hours
Pay What You Decide
West End star Nathan Kiely (aka drag artist Topsie Redfern ) and Sarah Chew (Award Winning Director & Writer) will be running a Pay What You Decide 'Intro To The Art Of Drag Performance' workshop at Barbican Theatre on Thursday 16 September (ages 18+) ahead of Topsie's Crystal Balls show on 17 & 18 September.
In the workshop they'll be giving advice, tips of the trade and performance techniques to established, emerging or curious drag queens, kings, prinx/esses and everyone in between.
You'll also have the chance to show off your own 'act' (however advanced or still very much work-in-progress it is). If you'd like to chat through your act or ideas or get some input before you come on stage on 16 September please email marketing@barbicantheatre.co.uk and they'll put you in touch with Nathan and Sarah.
About your workshop leaders...
Nathan made his West End debut in 2009 playing Mary Sunshine in hit musical Chicago alongside Michelle Williams from Destiny’s Child and talk-show legend Jerry Springer. He is a regular feature in high end UK musical theatre. Most recently Nathan was rehearsing Orpheus by Nmon Ford, a house music opera being staged at London’s Young Vic Theatre, which we hope will premiere post lockdown.
After working with playwright and director Sarah Chew last year, playing the role of Mark in her musical fable Lipstick: Fairytale Of Iran, the duo are currently creating Topsie Redfern's Crystal Balls.
Nathan’s Cabaret alter-ego Topsie Redfern is a regular and popular fixture in some of the UK’s most celebrated cabaret venues, with regular international appearances. Topsie is a popular host of Drag Queen Storytime sessions, reading to families and young people in schools and libraries throughout the UK.
Topsie is an extremely proud Ambassador of UK charity Cancer Is A Drag, and regularly works with HIV Charity The Food Chain.
Nathan is joined by Crystal Balls writer and director Sarah Chew. Sarah's professional experience from the West End and off Broadway, to Nairobi slums, and has taken her to 4 continents, where she has directed over 70 productions and written 7 produced plays.
Sarah also writes and direct comedy and cabaret, and has a regular collaboration with headline comedian Desiree Burch.
Barbican Theatre is a safe space...
Barbican Theatre is a safe space - safe to be who you are, regardless of race, class, religion, country of origin, immigration status, (dis)ability, age, gender, identity, or sexual orientation.
This workshop is held in person at Barbican Theatre, where strict health and safety for social distancing is in place. There is opportunity to share your act, ask questions and get involved as much as you like but this is not mandatory.
Pay What You Decide...
This is a Pay What You Decide workshop which means you only pay what you think it is worth!
Places for this workshop are available to book in advance as usual, and you can pay what you decide when you book or you can wait to pay until after you have seen the show.
We want to encourage more people to come and see shows and attend workshops more often.
We want you to feel you can take a risk, try watching or engaging with something new and get a chance to see new types of shows, and encounter stories you’ve not heard before. This might be your first opportunity to step inside a theatre - we look forward to seeing you here. Pay What You Decide not only allows you to pay what you can afford, rather than a fixed ticket price, but also removes the risk of buying a ticket for a show in advance without knowing whether you are going to enjoy it or not.
You can decide what you would like to pay now by adding a donation to your booking, or you can pay after you have seen the show. Looking around at other events going on in the city, we estimate that 1 ticket to similar workshops would cost £10. There is no ‘right’ answer, we are not attempting to lead you to a specific figure. You can pay £0 for your place.
We’ll have contactless card machines and ways for you to pay by cash on the night.
If you have any questions about Pay What You Decide that will help please drop as an email
To book our wheelchair accessible seats please email info@barbicantheatre.co.uk
