Queer Play Reading Club - Pronoun by Evan Placey
with special guest, Evan Placey

Tuesday 17 June 2025
The Railway, Clapham

The second session of Queer Theatre’s brand-new Queer Play Reading Club took place on Tuesday 17th June 2025 at The Railway, Clapham, in partnership with Nick Hern Books. Designed to celebrate LGBTQ+ playwriting in a welcoming, supportive, and social setting, the evening once again brought together queer theatre-makers and allies for an inspiring night of storytelling and conversation.

The event opened with an hour of new queer writing, where emerging LGBTQ+ playwrights shared fresh short scenes and monologues, receiving warm and constructive feedback from a room full of peers and professionals. This vital space gave new voices the encouragement to experiment, take risks, and connect directly with their audience.

The main feature of the evening was a full group reading of Evan Placey’s acclaimed play Pronoun — “a love story about transition, testosterone, and James Dean.” The play follows Josh and Isabella, childhood sweethearts whose relationship is profoundly altered when Isabella transitions and begins living as a boy. The reading provoked heartfelt discussion around identity, love, transition, and representation, opening space for audience members to reflect on their own experiences and connections to the material.

The evening was made even more special by the in-person attendance of Evan Placey himself, who joined for a lively Q&A after the reading. Audiences were able to ask questions about the origins of the play, the impact it has had in schools and theatres worldwide, and the wider importance of telling authentic trans narratives on stage.

Every ticket included a copy of the play-text, courtesy of Nick Hern Books, with additional exclusive discounts on other LGBTQ+ titles, allowing attendees to continue their exploration of queer theatre long after the night ended.

The session cemented the Queer Play Reading Club as a vital monthly hub for queer writers, actors, directors, and audiences alike — a place where new work can be tested, published plays rediscovered, and the richness of LGBTQ+ storytelling celebrated together in community.