An “honest, wicked and moving unpicking” of the character of the pantomime dame is among a range of original performances unveiled for this year’s festival programme at the Traverse Theatre.
Scotland's new writing theatre said it had unveiled a programme that “reaffirms its unwavering commitment to discovering, developing and showcasing the most vital new voices in theatre”.
This year's TravFest, which is comprised of 12 productions, including ten premieres, deals with issues from climate change to radicalisation and loved ones developing dementia. Other themes include global conflict and dysfunctional family dynamics, while also bringing joy, humanity, commonality and humour.
Gary McNair’s solo fable A Gambler’s Guide to Dying returns to the Traverse ten years on from its sell-out, award-winning debut. Another production is Standing In The Shadows of Giants, a world premiere of an autobiographical musical play written and performed by Lucie Barât – sister of The Libertines’ frontman and guitarist Carl Barât.
Meanwhile, The Beautiful Future is Coming – an “urgent” new play about the onrushing climate apocalypse - will span 250 years of real and imagined history through the eyes of three couples, from 1850s New York to present-day London.
The new play by Karis Kelly, winner of the Women’s Prize for Playwriting 2022, entitled Consumed, directed by Katie Posner, receives its world premiere on the Traverse stage this August.
5. Nowhere
Inspired by his involvement in the Egyptian revolution of 2011 and his experience of the counter-revolution that followed, Glasgow-born actor and activist Khalid Abdalla takes the audience on a surprising journey into his own history, set against a cartography of seismic world events. | Traverse
6. Lucky Tonight
Lucky Tonight is billed as an "hilarious, interactive pub quiz-cum-theatre show" written and performed by Afreena Islam-Wright. Audiences join the quizmaster Afreena, a former contestant on The Chase, as she unpacks her identity across cultures and generations, from Old Trafford to Chittagong. | Traverse
7. Lost Lear
Lost Lear follows the world of Joy, a woman with dementia, who is being cared for through a method where people live inside an old memory. | Traverse
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8. I'm Ready to Talk Now
Inside a hospital room, audience members meet Oliver as he shares the story of being diagnosed with a severe immune condition. | Traverse