Dead Effing Rebels is a show rooted in queerness, written and directed by a transwoman, and featuring an entirely queer cast.
In Dead Effing Rebels, we follow a diverse group of characters—Mister, Frank, Andrew, David, and Mark—as they navigate the complex dynamics of power and control. The story takes us from the lively backstage of a drag show to the cold environment of a conference room, exploring themes of revolution and sadomasochism along the way.
As financial tensions escalate, the company’s façade begins to crumble, revealing the contemporary insecurities behind their professional, clown-white masks.
In line with the Theatre of Cowards’ moniker, ‘the new art of the weird’, this show is born of transsexuality and amusement, a series of observations from a once-man exploring the many structures of masculinity.
Written and directed by Sylvia Gardner, the variety of cast and crew means Dead Effing Rebels boasts a wealth of diversity and talent. Rather than a production company, the creative ensemble’s innumerable contributions have shaped the show’s creation and evolution, making it a truly social endeavour.
As Individuals, prior to forming Theatre of Cowards and while they performed in the North-East, the creatives have received significant pushback in presenting some of their past work due to their insistence on presenting and discussing sexuality and gender, especially sexual violence as they experience it in their daily lives. The most pertinent example being ’19 Hour Dog Fight’, an original play that was banned from University production and broadly decried for its apparent ‘shock value’, a description those involved in it, performing a show based off experience, did not agree with.
Tickets: £15 (£10)
Dead Effing Rebels runs on 17-18th August and 20-23rd August at Barons Court Theatre, 28a Comeragh Rd, London W14 9HR, United Kingdom.
