Bechdel Theatre Podcast

Jennifer Tang is the director of Mountains: The Dreams of Lily Kwok, which is currently touring and can be seen this month in Derby, Watford, Sheffield, Hexham, and Coventry.  Jennifer's #FeministFave is performer and theatre-maker Lucy Ellinson, who was most recently seen on stage in Jubilee.        Ariane Barnes is an actor, singer, comedian, writer and founder of the Different Women Project, which is dedicated to celebrating diversity and difference in the performing arts. Ariane's #FeministFave is Gina Torres, best known for her TV roles in Angel and Suits.      Beth's #FeministFave this month is Star Trek: Discovery.  Pippa's #FeministFave this month is Janelle Monae.     More recommendations...   The Year of The Rooster Monk The Pleasance May 22 - Jun 3  Use the code BECHDEL10 to get £10 tickets for any performance, if you book before May 22nd (we're going to see it on the 23rd!)   Tara Arts presents: I’ll Say It Again! May 2 - June 2 A season of women's work at Wandsworth Fringe   Gracie The Fi

Lisa Francesca Nand is a journalist, travel writer and broadcaster. She was the first female presenter on TalkSPORT, and hosts her own podcast The Big Travel Podcast.   We went with Lisa to see Good Girl by Naomi Sheldon at VAULT Festival. The show has since transferred to Trafalgar Studios, where it is running until March 31st.   Lisa's #FeministFave is the book A Good Time To Be A Girl and its author Helena Morrissey: a City CEO, mother of nine, and founder of the influential 30% Club which campaigns for gender-balanced UK company boards.   More recommendations...   Coconut Ovalhouse 11 - 28 April, and touring until June 30.   Scene Camden People's Theatre 10 - 14 April.   Half-Breed Soho Theatre 16 - 21 Apr.   Chisholm 72 Barbican Cinema 18 Apr   Nine Night National Theatre 21 April to 26 May.   Mountains: Dreams of Lily Kwok UK tour until 2 June.   Our Country's Good Touring to Leeds, London, Sheffield and Birmingham, until 2 June.

Giselle Gant is an Emmy-winning actor, theatre-maker, and presenter (known for her 'Black To Life' series on BET Her). Giselle was born and raised in Manhatten.   Nathalie Adlam is Artistic Director of theatre company Les Foules, who won the VAULT Festival Origins Award for Outstanding New Work in 2015.   Giselle and Nathalie are the creators of The Year of The Rooster Monk, running at VAULT Festival March 7 - 11.   Giselle's #FeministFave is Shirley Chisholm, who was the United States first black congresswoman, and the first woman to run for President in 1972.   More recommendations...   So Many Reasons Ovalhouse Mar 6 - 10 Use the code BECHDEL12 to book for our special International Women's Day celebration on March 8th for a discounted ticket and free espresso martini!   Good Girl Trafalgar Studios throughout March. Leftover Women Cockpit Theatre 11 Mar      Yvette WOW Festival Southbank Centre 10 & 11 Mar | UK Tour 16 April to 23 May   Electra The Bunker 27 Feb - 24 Mar   The Great Wave Natio

Rakhee Thakrar is best known for her long-running role on Eastenders playing Shabnam Masood. Her theatre credits include: Astronauts of Hartlepool (Vaults Festival); Lalita's Big Fat Asian Wedding (Curve Leicester); Pyaar Hai (Rich Mix); Free Booze (Edinburgh Fringe)   Rakhee is currently starring in There or Here at the Park Theatre until Feb 17.  Bechdel Theatre are hosting a post-show after the evening performance of There or Here on Thu Feb 1st.  Rakhee's #FeministFaves:  Denise Gough Amy Agnew and Caroline Dollman of Global Citizen. Our #FeministFaves: Reni Eddo-Lodge's book Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race. Mary Beard's book Women in Power. More recommendations...   Bechdel Theatre Actors Workshop at The Mono Box with guest director: Madelaine Moore of The Thelmas The Old Vic Workroom Jan 30   96 Festival Clapham Omnibus Feb 2 - 28   How The Vote Was Won The Bunker Feb 5   Jubilee Lyric Hammersmith 15 Feb ‐ Mar 10   Rejoicing At Her Wondrous Vulva The Young Woman Applaud

Comfort Moye is an Anthropology student and her University's POC officer. We watched Apologia at Trafalgar Studios and Racheal Ofori's Portrait at Rich Mix.   Comfort's #FeministFaves are Plantation Memories book by Grada Kilomba, and the TV series Girlfriends.    More recommendations...   Six at The Arts 18 December, 8 January, 15 January and 22 January   Calm Down Dear at CPT 16th January – 4th February Led by Racheal Ofori and Heather Agyepong’s So Many Reasons.   There or Here The Park 23 Jan - 17 Feb   Collective Rage 24 Jan - 17 Feb   Rita, Sue and Bob Too Royal Court Jan 9 - 27 & The Andrea Project Sat 20 Jan    My Mum's A Twat Royal Court Jan 8 - 20   Bechdel Theatre Workshop at The Mono Box Jan 30th   VAULT Festival begins Jan 24th, including The Breaks In You & I 31 Jan — 04 Feb

The Famous Lauren Barri Holstein also known as ‘The Famous,’ is a New York-raised, London-based feminist performance maker who holds a PhD on 'The Agency of the Displayed Female Body: The Political Potential of Negative Affects in Contemporary Feminism and Performance'   Lauren's #FeministFaves are Sara Ahmed's book 'The Promise of Happiness, Lauren Berlant, Nao Bustamante, Ann Liv Young, Julia Bardsley, Kira O'Reilly, Lois Weaver and Split Britches.   Michelle Barwood is an actor, writer, shit feminist, bad vegan, witch. Michelle watched Queens of Sheba, produced by Nouveau Riche at Camden People's Theatre, and In Event of Moone Disaster at Theatre503.   Michelle's #FeministFave is Eve Ensler's One Billion Rising project.   More recommendations...   Jubilee   Manchester Royal Exchange until Nov 18. & Lyric Hammersmith in Feb.  Damsel Develops  The Bunker Nov 13 - 19.   The Butch Monologues  Soho Theatre Nov 21 - 24th    We Are The Lions, Mr Manager!  TARA Theatre Nov 21 - 25 and touring unt

Tutku Barbaros is an actor, writer, and member of Plunge Theatre. Tutku's review of Angel at The Arcola was published in The Tung and Sister-hood.    Tutku's #FeministFaves are Mona Eltahawy, Deeya Khan, Leyla Hussain (Three #FeministFaves who also featured in Epsiode 3!), the essay collection Nasty Women, and the sitcom My Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.   Other recommendations...   A Dangerous Woman & Elsa  Soho Theatre Nov 4   Wings Young Vic til Nov 4   Portrait by Racheal Ofori UK Tour Nov 1 - 12 Apologia Trafalgar Studios until Nov 18   Notorious created and performed by The Famous Lauren Barri Holstein UK tour Oct 20 - Nov 23 White by Koko Brown Ovalhouse Nov 15 - 25   No Place Like Hope The Old Red Lion Nov 7 - 26   Muvvahood by Libby Liburd London Tour 3 Nov to 1 Dec   Contractions produced by Deafinitely Theatre New Diorama Nov 1 - 29

  Lucy J Skilbeck (aka Leo) is one of the founders of award-winning theatre company Milk Presents, and writer and director of BULLISH: a new mythical play with songs, negotiating ancient and new territories in trans-masculine gender and identity. BULLISH is headlining Camden People's Theatre's Come As You Are festival of performance that interrogates and celebrates gender from cis to trans, from binary to beyond.   Lucy Parkinson is one of the four performers in BULLISH and stars in JOAN, also written by Skilbeck, which won critical acclaim (and a Bechdel Theatre sticker) at Edinburgh Fringe last year, and has been touring for the past year.   Leo's #FeministFave is performance artist David Hoyle, whose legendary anti-drag persona The Divine David became an alternative LGBTQ cult icon in the 90s, and who continues to make performances and films which address class and social issues, mainstream gay culture, and his own mental health.   Lucy Parkinson's #FeministFave is their Mum, who's not on Wikipedia or soci

For more Fringe tips, our blog has a long list of Edinburgh shows we recommend seeing, and a shorter but more detailed list of our Fringe #FeministFaves.   If you're not in Edinburgh, never fear! The majority of the shows that do well at the Fringe will tour across the country, so make sure you get them on your radar ahead of their inevitable future success.   Tanya Loretta Dee is starring in Offside by Sabrina Mahfouz and Hollie McNish @ Pleasance Courtyard 15:40 Tanya's #FeministFave is The Color Purple, originally a book by Alice Walker, adapted into a film in 1985 starring Whoopi Goldberg, and a Broadway musical, which is touring the US later this year.   Comedy duo 'Britney', aka Charly Clive and Ellen Robertson, are starring in Britney in: John @ Bedlam Theatre 18:30 We talked about Britney's previous show on Episode 2: Live from Vault Festival.   Rebecca Humphries is the writer of Prom Kween @ Underbelly Cowgate 20:35 Rebecca's #FeministFave is Julia Davis: comedian, actress, writer, director and produ

Interview with Yolanda Mercy and Jade Lewis: writer/performer and director of 'Quarter Life Crisis', plus our recommendations for Underbelly Cowgate at Edinburgh Fringe, and shows opening in London and touring this summer. Yolanda Mercy is a London based Actor and Playwright. She trained at the renowned Brit school, Laban and Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. Yolanda is a winner of the Rich Mix Small Story Big City Award and Associate Artist at OvalHouse Theatre.  Jade Lewis is a director who has worked at Southwark Playhouse, The Bush Theatre and The Royal Court (where she assisted debbie tucker green). Jade is a Creative Associate at The Gate Theatre and Emerging Artist at Ovalhouse Theatre, and also runs workshops in schools and youth groups. Yolanda’s #FeministFaves: The Secret book by Rhonda Byrne, Lilly Singh Youtuber. Jade’s #FeministFaves: Nina Simone and Shelley-Ann Fraser-Pryce We also talked about... The Scar Test by Hannah Khalil - The Place Theatre, Bedford June 21st, The Bohemian Ba

Episode 3 - #BringAFeministFriend special on representations of Muslim girls, with Firdos Ali and Shaneela Rowah Al-Qamar talking about Homegrown and Hounslow Girl.   Firdos Ali is a playwright, currently writing a musical which will be previewed at Theatre Royal Stratford East. Firdos is co-curator of the Bunker Without Borders, and has 2 pieces of work being staged at the Bunker on April 4th and 8th. Firdos' #FeministFaves were Deeya Khan of sister-hood.com, Edna Adan who founded a hospital for women and children in Somaliland, and anti-FGM campaigner Layla Hussein.   Shaneela Rowah Al-Qamar is a business woman, founder of perfume company  The Scented Souq and writer of several books on Arabian and Islamic history.  Shaneela's #FeministFave was Mona Eltahawy.   We watched The Inconvenient Muslim - An Evening to Launch Homegrown at Conway Hall.  Some of the publicity around the cancellation of the National Youth Theatre's production: The Guardian, Telegraph, Channel 4 and BBC. & The Diary of a Hounslow

This week join Beth and Pippa for their very special second episode from deep in the underground at Vault Festival! Our special guests include Bella Heesom who talks about her autobiographical play My World Has Exploded A Little Bit, Lekhani Chirwa actor and host of the Creative Juice Podcast and Georgina Bobb, our #bringafeministfriend guest who is a TV production co-ordinator, managing director of TV Jobs UK and Bipolar activist.   We question what can TV and Theatre can learn from each other? Is Dreamgirls ground-breaking or stuck in the past? And how far do we still have to go in representing minorities on stage? PLUS in our final segment we invite our audience to share some of their feminists faves AND we recommend some upcoming plays that we think will pass the Bechdel Test!  x x 

Originally created as a Twitter campaign in 2015 by Beth Watson and now a 50-minute women-in-theatre audible feast!    Bechdel Theatre is directly inspired by the famous Bechdel Test which looks at gender representation in film - only now british theatre is under the microscope.    In this first episode Beth and her co-host Pippa discuss whether subverting gender on stage, as seen in Panto, can still pass the Bechdel Test requirements...   Also discussed is Emma Rice's departure from Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, an interview with the Donmar Trilogy's Jade Anouka and introducing #BringAFeministFriend.   Plus expect chat on "Oil" at the Almeida Theatre AS WELL AS what to look forward to in 2017...    @bechdeltheatre  bechdeltheatre.com   AND if you want to be in with the chance of winning Dame Harriet Walter's book Brutus and Other Heriones send in your Bechdel-passing conversations (about absolutely ANYTHING) to bechdeltheatre@gmail.com   x x