Newsletter: Puppetry, Plays & Parties | May with Queer Theatre
A puppety masterclass exploring gender and Queer identity, the launch of our Queer Play Reading Club in partnership with Nick Hern Books, a Eurovision Party at the historic theatre pub, Nell of Old Drury and our 2B: Acting Classes for LGBTQ+ People are buzzing! Get involved - places for all events are strictly limited!
Puppetry Masterclass: Exploring Queer Stories and Identities Through the Art of Puppetry
Thursday 8th May | 6:30pm – 10:00pm
📍 The Two Brewers, Clapham
Join Queer Theatre for a one-night-only masterclass exploring how puppetry — free from gender and ego — can express queerness, transformation and emotional truth.
Led by acclaimed puppeteer Abigail Matthews (War Horse, The Wizard of Oz) and director Andrew Keates, you’ll learn the fundamentals of puppetry, devise original characters in teams, and explore how puppets speak to identity and embodiment in bold, beautiful ways.
🫖 Free refreshments from 6:30pm
🎭 Masterclass 7pm–10pm
✨ Stay for queer cabaret in the bar until 2am
📸 Free professional photos of the evening for all participants
About Abigail Matthews
Abigail is a West End actor and professional puppeteer whose credits include War Horse, Goodnight Mister Tom, and The Wizard of Oz. She’s worked with Little Angel Theatre, Polka Theatre, Puppets with Guts and recently served as puppetry director for Snow White at De Montfort Hall.
Queer Play Reading Club: Launch!
Adam by Frances Poet
Thursday 20th May | 6:30pm – 9:30pm
📍 The Railway, Clapham
Join the launch of our brand-new Queer Play Reading Club — a monthly space to celebrate LGBTQ+ stories, share new writing, and build your own queer theatre library, one play at a time.
Each month includes:
🎭 Original LGBTQ+ scenes written and shared by our members
📚 Read & keep a published queer play from Nick Hern Books🧠 Chill, curious discussion — sometimes with the playwright or special guests.
🍰 Free tea, coffee, snacks & sweet treats
🍸 Mingle and socialise with fellow LGBTQ+ theatre-makers until late.
For our launch, we’ll read Adam by Frances Poet — the remarkable true story of a young trans man who risks everything to live authentically. You’ll leave with your own copy of the play to keep — and maybe a few new collaborators too.
Eurovision Viewing Party for Queer Theatre-Makers
Saturday 17th May | 7:30pm – 2:00am
📍 Nell of Old Drury, Drury Lane
Celebrate the campest contest on Earth with Queer Theatre’s first-ever Eurovision Viewing Party for Queer Theatre-Makers.
We’ll be screening the Grand Final on a cinema-style screen with themed décor, sweet treats, and scorecards for the douze-point diehards. From 8pm, join fellow LGBTQ+ theatre-makers to cheer, cringe and cackle through every glitter-soaked performance.
Then from 11pm, it’s cabaret time with the sensational Aura Gasm, followed by iconic Eurovision hits until 2am.
Hosted at The Nell of Old Drury, a historic, queer-run pub in the heart of Theatreland — where queerness and theatre go hand in hand.
2B: Acting Classes for LGBTQ+ People
Every Monday | 6:30pm – 9:30pm
📍 Two Brewers, Clapham
London’s most popular weekly acting class created exclusively for LGBTQ+ people — and it’s become a real community hub for queer actors of all levels.
Whether you’re a seasoned professional or trying acting for the very first time, 2B offers a bold, supportive space to explore character, connection, and queer identity through improvisation, storytelling and devised work. This month, we’re collaborating as an ensemble to develop original queer material that’s dynamic, authentic and unapologetically us.
☕ Free tea, coffee and snacks from 6:30pm
🎭 Class runs 7pm–9:30pm
🍸 Social drinks and drag DJ Amy LaQueefa after class until 2am.
Want to Support Queer Theatre?
Your support helps us tell LGBTQ+ stories, foster queer talent, and create safe spaces for our community.
📧 Get in touch at hello@queertheatre.co.uk
💝 Make a donation at QueerTheatre.co.uk
Thank you for being part of our story. Whether you’re joining a class, raising a glass at our festive feast, or championing queer voices from afar, you’re what makes Queer Theatre a family.