FemFest 2023 East Sussex

Info

FemFest Brighton takes place on the 6th to 12th March 2023.

Brighton's only arts festival that advocates for and showcases the work of women, trans and non-binary performers. FemFest is an antidote to the white-cis-het-male dominated fringe theatre landscape of the UK.

The festival takes place over the week of International Women's Day, celebrating voices from marginalised genders.
FemFest is Brighton's only fringe arts festival run by and for people with a lived experience of misogyny. Since it's launch in 2020 we have seen Femfest grow exponentially, 2023 will be our biggest year yet, seeing us move to our new home, The Actors. A venue with a long history of championing and centering queer narratives and fringe theatre. We host multiple art disciplines including cabaret, comedy, theatre, workshops, life-drawing and more.

RAWVERSITY
WORKSHOP
JADE HYLTON SHE/HER
Monday 6th March | 6pm
Diversifying life art
Drawversity is a life model class that focuses on introducing more black models and people of colour to the world of life modelling.

MADONNA/WHORE
THEATRE/MUSIC/BURLESQUE
SELENA MERSEY SHE/HER
Monday 6th March | 8pm
From Musical Comedy Awards 2021 finalist Selena Mersey
Musical comedian and professional overthinker Selena Mersey is in a loving, long-term relationship. Unfortunately, she’s also been reading about Freud. Can Selena’s romance survive the weight of anxiety, progressive politics, and an incredibly impactful psychology A Level? A filthy, Freudian, feminist odyssey, featuring songs, stand-up, burlesque, and a live birth.

BLOOD, SWEAT AND VAGINAS
THEATRE
PAULA DAVID SHE/HER
Tuesday 7th March | 6pm
Carolann stumbles out of her super woman bubble to discover a world of shifting desires, menopause, and music direct from her soul. Hypnotic melodies, searing honesty and humour will take you on a journey of discovery with Carolann.

DRAG 'N' DROP
DRAG/COMEDY/THEATRE
DRODGE/RI BAROCHE THEY/HER
Tuesday 7th March | 8pm
Delivering quantum gender fluidity in a world of mono gender hand-me-downs
Several years into the future, gender has been outlawed. Only registered performers are allowed to deviate from neutrality, like licensed drag artists Mike Drop and Dragona Budjet (pronounced “bou-jzay”) of removals company Drag ‘n’ Drop. Combining drag, music, comedy, spoken word, ‘Drag ‘n’ Drop’ peeks behind the universe’s rhinestoned curtains.

MEASURE 2 MEASURE
THEATRE
DIFFERENT THEATRE
Wednesday 8th March | 6pm
A post-#MeToo take on Shakespeare's 'problem play'
“Who will believe thee, Isabel?” A stripped down version of Shakespeare’s problem play. With #MeToo themes, this adaptation dramatically highlights the consequences of political and personal abuse. Adapted by Sam Chittenden. With Catie Ridewood, Mickey Knighton and Harry W Freeman. "Must See Show" - Fringe Review; "A dramatic tour- de-force" - Latest, 4.5 *

MEASURE 2 MEASURE: WORKSHOP ON THEMES
WORKSHOP
DIFFERENT THEATRE
Wednesday 8th March | 7.30pm
A workshop exploring Different Theatre's post-#MeToo take on Shakespeare's 'problem play'
Join the writer of Measure 2 Measure, Sam Chittenden, as they unpack the themes of Shakespeare’s ‘problem play’.

BEFORE THE WORLD ENDS
THEATRE
OPEN HANDED THEATRE CO.
Thursday 9th March | 8pm
With one phone call, you can change history
The year is 3027. When Nicola discovers a phone that can communicate through time, she can’t stop herself from secretly using Barry as a subject in her own historical research. But as Barry denies the changes in the world around him, Nicola sees her own life start to unravel.

MOONFACE
THEATRE
MEG HODGSON SHE/HER
Friday 10th March | 6pm
2023. Shady billionaires make plans to colonise and mine the solar system behind all our backs, and one rocky satellite is dangerously close to the edge. One last investigation could figure out where it all went wrong and how we can course-correct before it’s too late.

ANTICHRIST
THEATRE
AMELIA HILLS THEY/THEM/HE/HIM
Friday 10th March | 7.30pm
A high camp, body horror romp into pregnancy, grandness and the fear of the monstrous within ourselves
Amelia Hills is pregnant with the Antichrist, and they’re not sure what to do next. An hour of high camp body horror parody navigating fears of pregnancy as a trans person. Equal parts silly and horrifying, ANTICHRIST is a queer celebration of the parts of ourselves deemed most monstrous.

FEMFEST POETRY NIGHT
POETRY
NAOMI WOOD, THE FEMINIST BOOKSHOP & FEMFEST
Friday 10th March | 7.30pm
FemFest's annual Poetry Night at the Feminist Bookshop!
FemFest’s annual Poetry Night at the Feminist Bookshop! Featuring established and new poets and hosted by Naomi Wood.

QUEER ZINE WORKSHOP
WORKSHOP
UNATTAINABLE BLONDE SHE/HER
Saturday 11th March | 12.00pm
Queer zine workshop with Unattainable Blonde on the themes of Queer Joy and Queer Rage.

FIND YOUR INNER ARTISTE
WORKSHOP
ELLE FIRE SHE/HER
Saturday 11th March | 1.00pm
Explore queer joy by creating your own short cabaret act
Ever wondered if you have one lip sync, one silly character, one drag act in you? Specifically inclusive to non-performers, this supportive workshop will see you creating your own short act around the theme of queer self-acceptance and sharing it with the group. Don’t be shy! You might just surprise yourself...

FEMFEST SCATCH NIGHT
NEW WRITING
FEMFEST
Saturday 11th March | 6.00pm
A night of new work, new characters and trying out jokes that might not land
The official FemFest scratch night set up for artists to explore new ideas in a supportive space. Watch this space for the next generation of performers and their ideas. The event will take place at The Actors

​THEMFEST
CABARET
FEMFEST/BERTIE HODD
Saturday 11th March | 9.00pm
FemFest's first annual cabaret night led by non-binary people
Description coming soon

​MERKING MAKERS
WORKSHOP
AGHH! ZINE: MNAMUG & NURIA CATRO/DEVIL'S DYKE NETWORK: CLAIRE BESSEL ALL SHE/HER
Sunday 12th March | 2.00pm
Get your Merkin on!
For the merkin curious, we the hairy textile lovers: Aghh! Zine and Devil’s Dyke Network invite you to create merkins with us! Express yourself through the merkin, learn the technique of needle-felting and generally have a fun, silly and performative time with a pinch of serious discussion thrown in.

DRY SEASON
THEATRE
KAT LYONS
Sunday 12th March | 3.00pm
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UNISEX
THEATRE
LEONARDA SEP SHE/HER
Sunday 12th March | 5.00pm
Unisex is a one woman show that explores the shifting concepts of feminism through the lens of comic, unapologetic, vigorous story telling. Through songs and text inspired by real situations and experiences, Lea Sep takes the audience on a journey through the patriarchy, gender roles, sexism and misunderstanding the meaning of equality.

WALK
THEATRE
ELLIE HIGGINS SHE/HER
Sunday 12th March | 8.00pm
Tread carefully
From emerging Scottish theatre maker, Ellie Higgins, comes a disorientating step-by-step guide to finding your stride. Or strut. Or stroll. But it's not really about walking at all.