Performances for the Curious is a season of thought-provoking, contemporary theatre with plenty of laughter and cabaret, sequins and sorrow, roof raising anthems and scratch performances.
Here's a little taster of what's happening across our Curious season which runs from October 24 – 31 December.
Our Curious season begins with Tuck, a heart-felt story written by Alun Saunders (Connie Orff). When Cardiff Drag legend, Patsy Thatcher decides she wants out for good, her nearest and dearest discover truths nobody wants to face. An exhilarating piece of bilingual theatre, set in the Cardiff Drag scene.
Bullish
20 – 24 November 2018
From the makers of smash hit Joan, Milk Presents brings Bullish, a mythical, musical play negotiating ancient and new territories in trans-masculine gender and identity.
Follow Asterion (the ancient blood thirsty Minotaur from Crete) through a cabaret odyssey that's both thought provoking and entertaining. You'll never look at a Minotaur in quite the same way again.
Curious about comedy & Cabaret...
3 Dads
16 & 17 November 2018
Butetown's finest, Leroy Brito returns with a brand new show examining fatherhood across three very different ages – 18, 24 and 34 – when Leroy's children were born.
Along the way Leroy looks at the universal challenges and differences of being a dad through the eyes of three different versions of himself, so expect plenty of laughter.
Mary Bijou
14 December 2018
Mary Bijou’s annual Christmas extravaganza returns with an outrageous Christmas party that's totally off-piste.
Wear your craziest Christmas clobber and prepare yourselves for an evening of Wintry cabaret, laughter and dodgy Santa comedy with physical feats to astound you, including hula hoop, hand balance and acrobatic SAS (Secret Agent Santa).
Curious about musical...
The Last Five Years
9 – 17 November 2018
The Last 5 Years by Tony award-winning composer and lyricist Jason Robert Brown comes to Wales in a new touring production by Leeway productions.
This ground-breaking production combines an emotionally powerful score with sign language and beautiful movement by award-winning Deaf choreographer Mark Smith.
This intimate musical charts New Yorkers Cathy and Jamie's passionate five-year relationship with plenty of tunes and clever chronological twists and turns to keep you glued to your seat from beginning to end.
Icons
18 – 22 December 2018
Opera and Lycra loving cabaret sensation Le Gateau Chocolat storms into the Weston Studio with his latest work, Icons.
Walking the tightrope between his public and private personas, Le Gateau Chocolat explores the people, the moments, the relationships, the art that have come to shape us and the ideals we all aspire to.
Accompanied by a live band, Gateau unashamedly weaves through an eclectic mix of music; pop, opera, rock; Kate Bush, Whitney, Meatloaf, Pavarotti and more. Not to be missed.
Curious about jazz...
Clifford Brown/Max Roach Revisited
8 November 2018
8 November 2018
Some of Cardiff's finest jazz musicians explore the rich heritage of the original forms and stylings of jazz legends Clifford Brown and Max Roach and re-imagine them with contemporary arrangements and sounds to update the 1950s sound to the 2000s and beyond.
The quartet features Gethin Liddington on trumpet and flugelhorn, Dave Jones on piano, Donald Sweeney on bass and Ian Poole on drums.
Fraser and the Alibis
22 November 2018
Inspired by the big tenor sax sounds of Dexter Gordon and the screaming organ of Jimmy Smith, this London-based band play original tunes, deeply entrenched in the roots of the music.
With a nod to 'Sam Butera and the Witnesses', Fraser & the Alibis channel the intensity and feel good effect of the swing and jive music of the dance hall era, combined with the intricacies and virtuosities of later jazz movements.
Curious about belonging...
Duckie
20 – 31 December 2018
Last but by no means least is Duckie, a tale of tolerance from critically acclaimed cabaret star, Le Gateau Chocolat.
In this re-imagining of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Ugly Duckling, Le Gateau breaks out of his shell in his first work for children.
Set in an animal circus, we join him on an adventure of self-discovery in a classic tale of identity and belonging.
This year's Curious season is also our most accessible yet. You can now use the filter on the What's On page to help you find the right performance for you; whether it's BSL accessible, a relaxed performance or an audio described show.
To find out more, delve into our Performances for the Curious events page.