LADYFRIENDS [a period drama]

WRITER & DIRECTOR

Annie and Christabel are dating. Historians dispute this on the grounds of 'inaccuracies' and 'lack of scholastic rigour' and 'the over-interpretation of the fact that women shared bedrooms'.

LADYFRIENDS is a high-octane romp through love letters, third dates, and lesbian period dramas - via the (probably) true stories of Annie Kenney and Christabel Pankhurst. Rammed with live music and film, it digs up real-life queer history to ask the age-old question: "are we dating, or are we just really good friends?”

[think: a lesbian period drama that crumbles into a failure at creating a lesbian period drama that crumbles into an Alanis Morrisette tribute act, sort of.]

Expect confetti, PowerPoints, and power ballads.

VENUES INCLUDE: Camden People’s Theatre, Hope Mill Theatre, Loco Klub Bristol, Gloucester Guildhall, Shakespeare North Playhouse.

REVIEWS:
“Clodagh Chapman opts to tell a plausible love story through moments of gig theatre, film and PowerPoint presentations (yes, really, and it’s utterly brilliant)” - Liam O’Dell

“A glorious collision of off-the-wall humour, quiet intimacy, noisy rebelliousness, and so so much more. A joy.” - Circles & Stalls

“A period drama like no other: drawing on questionable historical data, Powerpoint presentations and guitar solos to weave a forgotten queer love story that would make the BBC blush." - Headfirst

“A charming, stripped-back, playful metadrama” - North West End

“Queer history brought to life with glitterballs, electric guitar, anachronisms and attitude” - Audience feedback

★★★★ North West End
★★★★★ MerseyNewsLive

Headfirst Editor’s Pick [March 2023]
Circles & Stalls Best of Manchester Theatre 2023

Supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England, and by Manchester Pride’s Superbia Queer Arts Grant.