LGBT: Unlikely Bedfellows’ – a brand new commission by the Pride Fringe Arts Festival exploring the extraordinary diversity within Manchester’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender community.

They say politics makes strange bedfellows – and sexual politics even stranger still. In this new piece commissioned by the Manchester Pride Fringe Arts Festival, a quartet of our leading writers has composed a series of monologues, each representing a letter from the LGBT moniker. Featuring work by acclaimed director and playwright Neil Bartlett OBE, author and performer Stella Duffy, the star and writer of ‘Fetish Knights’, Rob Ellis, and poet and author Jackie Kay MBE, each segment examines and challenges the accepted stereotypes which lurk behind the rainbow flag.

Jackie Kay’s contribution, an adaptation of recently-published short story ‘Last of the Smokers’, is the story of Claire, a woman who’s been debating with her best friend to give up smoking, the only reliable constant in their lives. Starring the Manchester Evening News Theatre Award-winning Claire Brown, the segment continues the actress’ collaboration with the Scottish writer following a successful run of ‘Manchester Lines’ at the Library Theatre in June. “I’m a huge fan of Jackie’s work”, Claire says, “And it will be great to be back in Manchester working on another of her projects this summer”.

‘The Wedding’ is Stella Duffy’s comment on that political hot potato, same-sex marriage. Originally written as a response to Jonathan Harvey’s much-loved classic, ‘Beautiful Thing’, Duffy’s monologue follows one woman’s big day, and her thoughts on the many homophobic injustices still perpetrated against gay men and women, both in this country and throughout the world. Erin Shanagher, fresh from starring alongside art house favourite Chloe Sevigny in Sky Atlantic series ‘Hit & Miss’, shines in this powerful, passionate plea for global equality.

Also featuring ‘Full Monty’ actress Kate Layden, and Manchester comedy circuit firmament Jonathan Mayor, Jonathan Best’s production draws the seemingly disparate strands of everyday LGBT life into one glorious, life-affirming whole.
Performances are at the John Thaw Studio Theatre, The Martin Harris Centre, Bridgeford Street, Manchester M13 9PL from Monday 20^th to Thursday 23^rd August.
Tickets are priced at £10 each and can be booked at www.quaytickets.com or by calling 0843 208 0500
Manchester Pride has commissioned LGBT: Unlikely Bedfellows through support of the Arts Council England.