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A celebration of LGBTQ+ creativity in response to the First Folio – Shakespeare’s complete(ish) works first published in 1623.
Shows in progress
2023 was the 400th anniversary of the First Folio.
To celebrate, more than 60 queer artists joined members of the LGBTQ+ community to co-create 30 fabulous new shows in progress, inspired by the First Folio and queer experiences today.
The artists shared the shows in progress in venues across the nation at 10 scratch nights, which were BSL interpreted and livestreamed on the 1623 YouTube channel with live captions.
Videos of all 30 shows in progress are available to experience right now - check them out below and tell us what you think.
Queer Folio scratch videos
As You Lick It - a queer interview of love and ice cream, inspired by As You Like It
Bed of Roses - a queer soap opera, based on Henry VI Parts 1-3 and Richard III
Queericles - a queer adventure of epic music and digital dimensions, adapted from Pericles
Richard’s Little World - a queer soliloquy of self-isolation, inspired by Richard II
What’s in My Fly? - a queer quiz show of individuality, inspired by The Merchant of Venice
Hector and Achilles - a queer tragedy of love and war, based on Troilus and Cressida
Mercutio - a queer blaze of unrequited love, inspired by Romeo and Juliet
Toni and Cleo - a queer musing of iconic lovers, inspired by Antony and Cleopatra
Ford & Page - a queer love story, adapted from The Merry Wives of Windsor
Hidden Letters - a queer correspondence of secret love, based on Henry VIII and Sonnets
A World Elsewhere - a queer coming-out story, adapted from Coriolanus
Timon - a queer carnival of excess, loss and hope, adapted from Timon of Athens
Un / natural - a queer poem of wild animation, inspired by Macbeth
Nepo Baby - a queer canto poem of injustice, based on King John
Antonio and Sebastian - a queer sketch of forbidden love, adapted from Twelfth Night
Losing the Labour of Love - a queer rebellion of self acceptance, based on Love’s Labour’s Lost
Main Character Energy - a queer comedy of ruthless ambition, based on The Tempest
Quickly! - a queer cabaret of working class culture, based on Henry IV Parts 1 & 2 and Henry V
I Am Titania - a queer epilogue of empowerment, based on A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Izzy - a queer confession of love and sexuality, based on Measure for Measure
Othello Re:Mx - a queer dance of Black trans identity, inspired by Othello
All’s Well - a queer gig of chronic illness, inspired by All’s Well That Ends Well
Toxic - a queer drama of masculinity, inspired by Much Ado, Hamlet and Taming of the Shrew
Marble - a queer elegy of trans grief and hope, based on The Winter’s Tale
Mucky Titus - a queer orgy of punk and kink, based on Titus Andronicus
Imogen Fidele - a queer speakeasy of dreams and revelations, inspired by Cymbeline
Tongue in Cheek - a queer collection of poetry, based on The Two Gentlemen of Verona
Knife to My Heart - a queer song of betrayal, based on Julius Caesar
Comedy of Errors - a queer teaser of love under wraps, adapted from The Comedy of Errors
A Very Queer Lear - a queer experiment of travelling through time, inspired by King Lear
Artists
Oliver Alvin-Wilson
Sâmir Bhamra
Rikki Beadle-Blair
Sam Beckett Jr
Lawrie Boothman
Kim Bormann
Jamie Brown
Roz Chalmers
Stephen Collins
Aoife O’Connor
Pamela Crowe
JJ Cruickshank
Edalia Day
Charlie Derrar
Aishwarya Deshpande
Curtis Dunn
Victoria Ellis
Adam Evans
Alice Fitzgerald
Leon Fleming
Floki
Shane Gabriel
Sasha Georgette
Holly Hannaway
Matt Harper-Hardcastle
Jen Harrison
Carys Jones
Catriona Judt
Caitlin M Kearns
Corinne Kilvington
Jim Kitson
Joe Lammond
Vince Laws
Polly Lister
Jude Leath
Madeleine Leslay
Kate Lewis
Stephen Lloyd
Maria Machin
Simon Marshall
Sam Metz
Tiger Mitchell
Jay Mitra
Claire Morley
Laila Noble
Dave Payne
Pie Eye Collective
Graham Pritz-Bennett
mandla rae
Anna Sharp-Jones
Olivia Sismey
Luke Skilbeck
Maria Slack
Aron Sood
Sophie Sparham
Karen Spicer
Ben Spiller
Lara Steward
Ciaran Stewart
JD Stewart
Alex Tahnée
Lenny Turner
Mia Ward
Dan Webber
Bea Webster
Ashleigh Wilder
Director
Ben Spiller
Producers
Sam Beckett Jr
Jamie Brown
Stage managers
Hannah Dingle
Cynthia Chika Franklin
Rebecca Glendenning
Aisha Kent
BSL interpreters
Becky Barry
Laura Goulden
Tracey Tyer
Live captioners
Amanda Bavin
Marea O’Brien
Heather Casali
Alison Stockwell
Graphic designer
Jonny Chambers
Angels
Kath Akers
Sam Beckett Jr
Ashley Hall
Vince Laws
Elaine Pritchard
Alex Shaw
Jayne Williams
Partners and supporters
87 Gallery, Hull
Arts Council England
Bradford Producing Hub
Century Theatre, Coalville
Circus Strong, Ashbourne
Derbyshire LGBT+
Friends of 1623
Gaysians
Harlow Theatre, Essex
Leeds Playhouse
LIPA, Liverpool
Manchester LGBT+ Centre
Museum of Making, Derby
Nonsuch Studios, Nottingham
Phizzical Productions
Purple Theatre
Red Ladder
Team Angelica
Theatre Deli, Sheffield
Theatre Royal, Norwich
Theatro Technis, Camden
Theatre Space North East, Sunderland
University of Leicester