After suffering a homophobic attack on his walk home in East London in 2005, Brazilian performance artist Nando Messias responded with his piece ‘The Sissy’s Progress’, which saw him march in a dress and heels from the spot of the assault, followed in tow by a four-piece brass band.
It was a brave statement in reclaiming the femininity that attracted the ire of his assailants, and he went onto tour it round the country to critical praise.
This October, Messias is back with a new performance piece as part of the ‘And What? Queer Arts Festival’. It again focuses on his ‘sissy’ body, all gracefully gangly dancers’ limbs and feminine fragility, and continues to fight against the terror and negative attention it draws from society. Following on from his previous performance, he’s promising another evening of exquisite theatricality and carnivalesque contortion. Don’t miss the chance to see this unique and thought-provoking performer debut his new piece.
• ‘Shoot the Sissy’ is at Chelsea Theatre 18th-19th October 8pm, as part of ‘And What? Queer Arts Festival’, Tickets are £10 and are available from andwhatfest.com.
