In a world still struggling with gender identity and sexuality we asked to find out more about the creation of children's theatre piece, Aunty Ben, from the delightful Paua's Sian Ni Mhuiri.
Describe your show in one sentence!
A celebration of individuality, empathy and the creative spirit.
How did the show come to be?
I studied in the Central School of Speech and Drama, in London, and while I was there I met a very special Drag Queen, whose boy-name is Ben. I lived with him for a year, and through him was introduced to a whole community of amazing, inspiring drag queens and queer performers. This show is partially a homage to them, their strength, their humour and their beauty. Ben has a niece, who has grown up seeing him in and out of women’s clothes – she sometimes calls him Aunty Ben, though no-one ever told her to! I always admired the honesty in their family dynamic, and thought how lucky this young child was to be raised in a family where boy/girl rules were broken down. What a special opportunity to be or do whatever makes you happiest! 'Aunty' Ben sometimes joked about writing a children's book for his niece to explain what a drag queen was, and when I started working in children’s media I thought – it’s about time that story finally got told! The play Aunty Ben isn’t a realistic account of the real Ben’s life story, but it is definitely inspired by his life, his radiant personality and his relationship with his niece.
Have you performed the show before, and what was the reaction?
We premiered the show at the International Dublin Gay Theatre Festival this year, and the response was fantastic. We had to add two extra shows to satisfy demand, and we are also proud to have made a little bit of Irish LGBT history – we were the first ever company to bring a school group to the Dublin Gay Theatre Festival, and we were there first ever sell-out family show. We were awarded the Doric Wilson Intercultural Dialogue Award for our work in engaging children and schools in LGBT issues, and also the IdeasTap Brighton Fringe Award 2014 which funded our transfer to the Brighton Fringe Festival in the same year. Overall, the reception of the show has been really positive, and it’s led to a surge of interest in our work from school principals, LGBT families and theatre programmers – we think 2015 will be a big year for the Aunty Ben project
What has changed about the show since its premiere?
We have a fantastic new Director on board called Katherine Murphy, who has just finished a stint working for the Dublin Fringe Festival, and is taking the show in such a lovely, playful new direction – we have some new music, new choral work, and new physical direction which is really enhancing the piece. We also have a new designer on board – Molly O’Cathain – who’s going to be dressing the actors (and maybe the audience!) in some fabulous costume creations. Last, but certainly not least, we’ve been privileged to welcome Veda Beaux Reves to the company to play the part of Aunty Ben. Veda is a major name in the Irish drag, cabaret and music scenes, and also a passionate and articulate advocate for the need for LGBT media in schools. Veda’s energy, experience, fantastic wardrobe and sheer charisma have brought so much to the production, and we know we’re very lucky to have her.
What makes your show unique?
Our show is unique in too many ways to count! It’s about the family life of a drag queen, from the perspective of his 9 year old niece, and the story is created specifically for children aged 7+. There’s nothing more unique than a piece of LGBT theatre for primary school children (from the Catholic stronghold of Ireland, no less)! As well as this, we have a very innovative design – we are incorporating original animation and illustration into our show. The beautiful art work by Hanae Seida really makes the show stand out – she has such a strong and original aesthetic. Her design provides a visual feast that children will just love. Finally, our company was established to make social and political theatre for children, which makes us quite unique. While Aunty Ben is very humorous, nuanced and measured in how it discusses sensitive topics, it is most certainly created to challenge children’s’ opinions, to encourage them to speak about their experiences (and consider the experiences of others), and to pave the way for further discussion on diversity and difference. Though very entertaining, our show is primarily a piece of age-appropriate political art for young people, and that is certainly something very unique.
Where else are you performing Aunty Ben in 2014?
We are performing a mini-tour this November to expose our show to new audiences, teachers and programmers, and we’ll be opening in Outburst Queer Arts Festival in Belfast on the 16th of November, before coming to the Chelsea Theatre, London, on the 23rd November. We’ll then be bringing Aunty Ben back to it’s hometown – Dublin – to perform in Smock Alley Theatre on the 28th November, and we’ll be doing a private schools show on the 1st of December. We’re hoping that the positive reception of our work will continue, and that we can do a more extensive UK and Irish tour in 2015.
Aunty Ben will be appearing at Chelsea Theatre, 23rd November 2014, 3.00PM.
Tickets £10- £5
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