Bechdel Theatre Podcast

Matilda Ibini is a playwright and screen-writer from East London. She is the writer of Little Miss Burden, a five-star-reviewed coming-of-age tale that smashes together 90s nostalgia, Nigerian family, East London and Sailor Moon to tell the sometimes tricky, often funny truth about growing up with a physical impairment.    Matilda also recently worked as dramaturg on Eve Leigh’s Midnight Movie, a new play exploring what it is like to have a digital body, when your physical body is always glitching and letting you down.   Little Miss Burden is at The Bunker until Dec 21   Midnight Movie is at The Royal Court until Dec 21   Matilda’s #FeministFaves were Triple Cripples podcast  Crutchesandspice.com by American activist Imani Barbarin  Jillian Macardo - model and actor (currently in the new series of The L Word)  Kelechi Okafor - actor, pole/twerking teacher and her podcast Say Your Mind Danielle Dash - writer and TV executive.   Pippa’s #FeministFaves were YouTubers - Jessica Kellgren-Fozard & Molly Bur

Madiha Ansari specialises in cultural engagement, specifically for communities of South Asian women. She is the founder and director of arts-based social enterprise The Cultural Ecology Project which aims to make art accessible to those in the most deprived and vulnerable areas of society.  You can contact her at madiha@lungtheatre.co.uk or follow her at @AnsariMadiha. Madiha's #feministfaves were the Muslim Women’s Council, Cate Blanchet and the Pakistani movie Cake.  Pippa’s is Leslie Feinberg’s Stone Butch Blues. Beth's is Samira Ahmed.   More recommendations...  And So The Choir Gathers The Bunker Nov 17 & 18  i will still be whole (when you rip me in half) & Before I Was A Bear is on until 23rd November. Use ticket discount BECHDEL10 to join us for our audience discussion on Thursday 21 November.  Little Miss Burden The Bunker Dec 4 - 21 Midnight Movie Royal Court Nov 27 - Dec 21 Post Popular Soho Theatre Dec 3 - 14 Bitch on Heat Soho Theatre Dec 5 - 14 Venus Soho Theatre Jan 13 - 18 Three

Porscha Present is a singer, pianist, performer, and tutor currently playing Mermaid, Baba Yaga in Red Palace.   Camilla Harding is a performer, actor, and drag-dabbler currently playing Prince, Wolf, and an unnamed mystery character in Red Palace.   Red Palace is a Shotgun Carousel production, written by Cressida Peever and directed by Celine Lowenthal. It’s running at The Vaults until January 12.   Porscha’s #FeministFaves are femmes with facial hair, the Gurls Talk online community founded by Adwoa Aboah, and the model Sophia Hadjipanteli.   Milly’s #FeministFave is the tattoo artist Mani.Tattoo who focuses on tattooing as a sacred and ancient art, and often tattoos darker skin and people of colour.   Beth’s #FeministFaves are the apocalyptic zombie movie The Girl With All The Gifts netflix, and the documentary about women running for congress Knock Down The House netflix.   Pippa’s #FeministFaves are lesbian activist singer-songwriter Grace Petrie and her song Black Tie, plus a series of articles about B

This is the fourth episode in a series of podcasts covering Edinburgh Fringe 2019.  Listen back to the previous episodes with Mika Johnson & Teddy Lamb, Travis Alabanza, and Emily Aboud & Charlotte Dowding, and look out on our social media for tour dates to see their shows.   You can now support Bechdel Theatre on Patreon with a monthly donation of $1.   Brigitte Aphrodite is a punk poet, musician, writer, theatre maker and feminist showgirl. Brigitte is the writer of Parakeet, and performs as a parakeet underscoring the show.   Michelle Tiwo is an actor, poet and model, and the lead performer in Parakeet. Brigitte’s #FeministFaves are…   Music: Pink Suits, Self Esteem, Big Joanie, The Tuts, Dream Wife, Kate Nash, Lunatraktors Books: Period Power by Maisie Hill, Laura Dockrill’s books for children & young adults. Poet: Neelam Saredia-Brayley Michelle’s #FeministFaves are... Travis Alabanza & their writing about Edinburgh Fringe Ruth Sutoye & Bald Black Girls Tobi Kyeremateng & T

Emily Aboud is the director and writer of Splintered.   Charlotte Dowding is one of the three performers in Splintered.   Splintered is a Lagahoo Theatre production which uses cabaret, carnival, and recorded interviews with LGBTQ+ people in Trinidad and Tobago to tell the stories of Queer people in the Caribbean. It’s on every night during Edinburgh Fringe, at Bedlam Theatre 21:30.   Emily’s #FeministFaves are soca artist Nailah Blackman & dancehall artist Shenseea. Charlotte’s #FeministFave is The Slumflower, and her book What A Time To Be Alone.   Other #EdFringe shows mentioned in this episode... Girl Scouts vs Aliens at Assembly George Square at 12:10 Pink Lemonade at Assembly Roxy at 15:45 every other day (listen to our previous episode featuring Pink Lemonade writer/performer Mika Johnson) Typical at Pleasance Courtyard 16:30  

Travis Alabanza is a performer, writer and theatre-maker based in London (via Bristol). Their show BURGERZ is on at the Traverse Theatre at varying times until August 25th (except the 5th, 12th & 19th), and then on tour, going to Dublin, Newcastle, Glasgow, Warwick, Birmingham, Bristol, and London’s Southbank Centre. Travis’ #FeministFave is community activist, writer, trainer & facilitator Nim Ralph.   Pippa’s #FeministFave is singer-songwriter King Princess.   Beth’s #FeministFave is the organisers of BiFest, Bi Pride, and #BwiththeT. Travis’ #EdFringe show recommendations are...   Black Holes Zoo Southside 14:20 (Aug 19-25th)   Nightclubbing/OUT Summerhall 15:45   Pink Lemonade & Since U Been Gone Assembly Roxy 15:45  (listen to our interview with Mika Johnson & Teddy Lamb on our first EdFringe2019 podcast)   Class Assembly Roxy 16:05   Crystal Rasmussen Underbelly Cowgate 17:50   Sex Education Summerhall 19:10   Sofie Hagen: The Bumswing Pleasance Dome 19:00    Sophie Duker: Venus

This episode is the first Bechdel Theatre podcast from Edinburgh Fringe 2019!   Follow us on instagram & twitter, and read our blog for constant updates of EdFringe shows to see. If you want to support our work at Edinburgh you can still do so via our GoFundMe, Ko-Fi, and Patreon pages.   Mika Johnson is a writer and performer from Nottingham. Their show Pink Lemonade is on at Assembly Roxy at 15:45 on odd dates. Help fund Mika's Top Surgery   Teddy Lamb is a playwright and theatre-maker from Warwickshire. Their show Since U Been Gone is on at Assembly Roxy at 15:45 on even dates.   Mika and Teddy’s shows are both being co-produced by The Queer House and HighTide Theatre. The Queer House is an agency and production company for LGBTQIA+ actors, performers and theatre-makers.   Teddy’s #FeministFave is writer/podcaster Bethany Rutter and her debut novel No Big Deal.   Mika’s #FemininstFave is the book Kings Queens and Inbetweens by Tanya Boteju.   Beth’s #FeministFave is Cerys Bradley’s podcast The Com

Selina Thompson is an artist and performer based in Leeds, who has been creating autobiographical work since 2014.   salt. Is part of a wider body of Selina’s work looking at Black British identity. It focuses on grief, home, Afro-pessimism, the Black Atlantic, the forgetting of the UK’s colonial history and the impact that has on the daily life of Caribbean communities in the UK today.   Rochelle Rose is an actor and singer who is playing the role of The Woman in salt. for the show’s Royal Court run.   You can see salt. at the Royal Court until June 1st. We also recommend checking out Selina’s Reading List for salt. which includes books, films, music, and twitter accounts to follow.   Selina’s #FeministFave is Rebecca Sugar’s cartoon series Steven Universe.   Rochelle’s #FeministFave is her Grandmothers.   Beth’s #FeministFave is the TV series Pose, which is currently available to watch in the UK on BBC iPlayer.   Pippa’s #FeministFave is the Olympic Gold-medallist Caster Semenya. Follow and support her on

  Florence Schechter is the founder of the Vagina Museum, which will be the first ever bricks-and-mortar museum dedicated to vaginas, vulvas and the gynaecological anatomy. You can donate to the Vagina Museum's Crowdfunder Page to help them make the museum a physical reality.   Rejoicing At Her Wondrous Vulva The Young Woman Applauded Herself is Bella Heesom's second collaboration with director Donnacadh O'Briain and co-performer Sara Alexander. You can listen to our interview with Bella about her previous show My World Has Exploded A Little Bit in episode 2 of our podcast.   Florence’s #FeministFave is Second Shelf bookshop in the West End which sells rare and antiquarian books, modern first editions, ephemera, manuscripts, and rediscovered works by women.   Beth’s #FeministFave is Lizzo’s new album Cuz I Love You   Pippa’s #FeministFave is the book Fierce Femmes and Notorius Liars: A Dangerous Trans Girl’s Confabulous Memoir by Kai Cheng Thom   Funeral Flowers Bernie Grant Arts Centre May 29 - June 1   Sa

This episode was sponsored by Stagedoor.  Lyn Gardner is the critic for the Stagedoor app. In the past she has written theatre reviews for The Guardian, The Stage and The Independent. She also writes children’s novels.   Ava Wong Davies writes about theatre for Exeunt Magazine, The Stage, and on her own blog. Her debut as a playwright: i will still be whole (when you rip me in half) was at VAULT Festival this year.   Read what Lyn wrote about Ava’s play i will still be whole (when you rip me in half) on Stagedoor, and Pippa’s piece of embedded criticism about the play on our blog.   Ava's #FeministFave was her friend Eve Allin, who writes about theatre, art and music. Lyn's #FeministFave was American poet and essayist Adrienne Rich.   Audience #FeministFaves were: Jasmine Paris - a runner who became the first woman to win the 268 mile ultra-marathon Spine Race while breastfeeding. Carol Christ - an academic who writes about women in religion and Goddess Feminism. Claudia Jones - the Trinidad-born political

Chi Thai is a Vietnamese born, British raised filmmaker. She has been a Cannes Lions finalist three times and her work has competed at Academy accredited festivals. She is part of the Guiding Lights alumnus & listed in Creative England’s Top 50 companies.  She is currently in production with Automat, a new film starring Sophie Wu.   Chi is one of the founders of BEATS: a not-for-profit organisation founded by British East Asians working in Theatre and across the Screen industry seeking to humanise British East Asians, increase the visibility of British East Asians on stage and screen, and advocate for the use of the term British East Asian.   Chi’s #FeministFave is White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo. The New York Times best-selling book exploring the counterproductive reactions white people have when their assumptions about race are challenged, and how these reactions maintain racial inequality.   Recommendations...   The Ridiculous Darkness The Gate Theatre until Mar 23   Us Against Whatever Hull Truc

  Lauren Steele is a drag king, burlesque performer and activist. She is a founding member of Pecs drag king collective, and performs as Thrustin’ Limbersnake. Pecs latest show SEX SEX MEN MEN is on at The Yard until March 16. Watch the iconic trailer for the show now. Lauren’s #FeministFave is The LOL Word comedy, a collective made up of queer womxn and non-binary comics. They host regular nights at The Albany and have been performing a show at VAULT Festival with a ‘prom night’ theme. Beth’s #FeministFave is Generation Z, especially the teenagers taking part in the School Strike for Climate. Pippa’s  #FeministFave is Jeanette Winterson’s book Written on the Body. Be in our audience: Bechdel Theatre Podcast is recording LIVE at VAULT Festival on Sunday March 10 at 16:45. More recommendations… Becoming– Stratford Circus Arts Centre March 6 – 9 I’m A Phoenix, Bitch – Battersea Arts Centre until March 9 The Paper Man – Soho Theatre until March 9 Boots – The Bunker until March 16 And The Rest Of Me Floats – Th

Dr Naomi Paxton is a performer and feminist theatre historian who wrote her PhD on the work of the Actresses' Franchise League. She has published two books of Suffrage plays with Methuen Drama, and is currently Knowledge Exchange Fellow at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama.    Naomi is the curator of Dramatic Progress, an exhibition at the National Theatre, which runs until January 26.   Naomi also performs at comedy, cabaret and variety nights as her character Ada Campe.    Naomi's #feministfaves were Vik Groskop's How to Own the Room, Cicely Hamilton's Marriage as a Trade Elizabeth Robin's Way Stations   Pippa's was Claude Cahun   Beth's was the She's All Fat podcast.    Shows to see at VAULT Festival... Inside Voices (Jan 23 – 27) Juniper and Jules (Jan 23 – 27) Dangerous Lenses (Jan 23 – 27) Lola (Jan 23 – 27)  17 (Jan 23 – 27)  Salaam (Jan 30 – Feb 3) Fatty Fat Fat (Jan 30 – Feb 3) Hear Me Howl (Jan 30 – Feb 3) Succubus (Feb 1)  The LOL Word (Jan 25, Feb 15, Mar 15)  Pecs: King fo

Rubyyy Jones is is a Canadian-born London-based burlesque dancer, cabaret performer and theatre-maker best known as the Queen of Queerlesque. You can find out more about her upcoming appearances, and how to get involved with her courses and classes on her Facebook and Instagram pages.   Rubyyy is currently performing as part of an ensemble cast of 6 in Hole at The Royal Court. Hole is written by Ellie Kendrick, and directed by (previous podcast guests) Helen and Abi from RashDash. It’s on until January 12th.   Rubyyy’s #FeministFave is the Anti Diet Riot Club which hosts events and meet-ups, in London and the UK, that connect people struggling with diet-cycling, poor body image, and disordered eating. They spread the message of body acceptance, radical self-love and fatpositivity.   Beth’s #FeministFave this month is Afua Hirsch’s book Brit(ish). Pippa’s #FeministFave is Ariana Grande.   More recommendations...   Divine Proportions The Vaults until Jan 12   The Convert Young Vic until Jan 26   Nine Night Tr

Isley Lynn is an American-born, London-based playwright and poet. Her play Skin A Cat opened at VAULT Festival in 2016, where it won Pick of the Year, and was nominated for four Off West End Awards for its transfer as inaugural production at The Bunker. Skin A Cat’s upcoming tour dates are The Other Room Cardiff Oct 8 - 13, Stephen Joseph Theatre Scarborough Oct 19-20, and Isley’s adaptation of The War Of The Worlds (created in collaboration with Rhum and Clay) is at New Diorama London January 8-9.   Isley’s #FeministFave is the singer-songwriter Ani DiFranco.   More recommendations...   Kingdom Camden People’s Theatre Oct 9 - 11   Come As You Are Festival touring Derby, Peterborough, Exeter, and Poole until Dec 1   Divine Proportions The Vaults until Jan 12   Medusa Nuffield Theatre Southampton Oct 11 - 13   I'm a Phoenix Bitch Battersea Arts Centre Oct 3 - 20   Skate Hard Turn Left Battersea Arts Centre Oct 9 - 13   Britney Battersea Arts Centre Oct 16 - 17   Silence Mercury Theatre Colchester  Oct

Katie Leung began her career playing Cho Chang in the Harry Potter films, and has had screen and stage roles in Run on Channel 4, One Child on BBC, The World Of Extreme Happiness at The National Theatre, and Snow in Midsummer at The RSC.   Kae Alexander was most recently seen on stage in The Great Wave at The National Theatre. Her screen acting has included roles in Collateral, Fleabag, Game of Thrones, Bad Education and Ready Player One.   Katie and Kae are currently starring in the drama series Strangers which airs on Monday nights at 9pm on ITV.   Katie's #FeministFave is the My Body Back Project, which runs specialist services, including a cervical screening clinics in London and Glasgow designed especially for women who have experienced sexual violence so they feel safe, relaxed, and their individual needs are met.   Kae's #FeministFave and hero is her Mum, Kim.      More recommendations...   Hear Me Howl Old Red Lion until Sept 29th   Dance Nation Almeida until Oct 6   Queen Margaret Royal Exchange

Alissa Anne Jeun Yi has written and is performing in Love Songs at Edinburgh Festival Fringe (Underbelly Cowgate, 14:40, everyday until August 26th)   Alissa studied law at university before realising her true passion for creative writing. She has been performing spoken-word for a year, and Love Songs is her first full-length show: an autobiographical story told with poetry, music, and audience volunteers.     Alissa's #FeministFave shows at Edinburgh Fringe:   WHITE Pleasance Courtyard 11:30    WEIRD Pleasance Courtyard 13:45   Awakening Underbelly Bristo Square 14:35   Lost In Thought Underbelly Cowgate 18:40        More shows we recommended…   Sparks Pleasance Courtyard 11:30 Sticks & Stones, and Island Town Summerhall (times & dates vary) Sarah Keyworth Pleasance Courtyard 17:30 Evelyn Mok Pleasance Courtyard 18:00 Yana Alana Assembly Checkpoint 20:00

Joana Nastari has written and is performing in Fuck You Pay Me at Edinburgh Festival Fringe (Assembly Rooms, 15:25, every day except 14 & 21).    Fuck You Pay Me is a poetic, surreal, and no-holds-barred REAL love-letter to strippers. It follows a day in the life of Bea, a stripper whose Brazilian Catholic mother has just found out what she does for a living.   Other shows Joana recommended: Illicit Thrill The Voodoo Rooms 23:35  (even) HOTTER Bedlam 21:30 Miss Venezuela Just The Tonic at The Mash House 22:10   Shows we recommended: Baby Daddy Assembly Rooms 18:20 (until August 13)  Dangerous Giant Animals Underbelly Cowgate 12:00 Zoo Assembly George Square 11:00 Dominoes Assembly George Square 12:00   For Londoners not in Edinburgh: Emilia at The Globe Aug 10 - Sept 1

  Lisa Fa'alafi and Yami 'Rowdy' Lofvenberg are the Director and Assistant Director of Hive City Legacy: a riotous new show by a league of extraordinary Femmes Of Colour, created in association with legendary Australian performance collective Hot Brown Honey. Hive City Legacy is at The Roundhouse until July 21.   Hot Brown Honey are performing their own show at London's Southbank Centre on July 24 - 28 and throughout August at Edinburgh Fringe.   Lisa's #FeministFave was Cocoa Butter Club, a queer cabaret collective of colour, who hold regular showcases at Her Upstairs, and are performing a show at Roundhouse after Hive City Legacy on July 20th.   Yami's #FeministFave was OSHUN, an independent Hip-Hop / Soul duo and the sonic manifestation of Afrofuturism. Their debut studio album, bittersweet vol 1, is out now.   Cherrelle Skeete is currently playing Joan in Fun Home at the Young Vic - the musical adaptation of Alison Bechdel's graphic memoir of the same name. Cherrelle previously played Char in Ella R

RashDash Theatre Company are Abbi Greenland, Becky Wilkie and Helen Goalen. They have been making shows together since 2009, and have been called "The punk princesses of late night theatre". Their new show Three Sisters (after Chekhov) is at The Yard London until June 9 and Tobacco Factory Bristol June 12 - 16   Helen's #FeministFave was playwright and RashDash collaborator Alice Birch.   Becky's #FeministFave was singer/songwriter Regina Spektor.   Abbi's #FeministFave was her follow members of RashDash (see above!).   Beth and Pippa's #FeministFaves this month were Reni Eddo-Lodge's podcast About Race, and the KOC (Kings of Colour) Initiative, founded by drag king Zayn Phallic.   More recommendations...   The Yellow Wallpaper Clapham Omnibus 5 - 24 June   Leave Taking Bush Theatre until June 30   Spun Arcola Theatre 27 June–28 July As You Like It & Hamlet Shakespeare's Globe until August 26   Fun Home The Young Vic June 18 - Sept 1