Come and join the film making team for DO NOT FADE, an upcoming short film reimagining Quentin Crisp as the trans woman he never got to be, this event is a fundraiser to get this important film made!

Quentin Crisp was a pioneer who spent a lifetime being punished for refusing to perform a gender that wasn't his. In the 1930s when it was sinful for women to wear make-up he wore lipstick, eye shadow, and had long henna'ed hair. At the age of 65 he published his groundbreaking autobiography, The Naked Civil Servant that went on to be made into a film starring John Hurt making both Crisp and Hurt famous. In his final posthumous autobiography, he wrote: "At the age of ninety, it has finally been explained to me that I'm not really homosexual. I'm transgender. I accept that now." That sentence is the heart of our film, Do Not Fade.

Co-written by Adrian Goycoolea and Juliet Jacques — whose acclaimed collection Variations imagines trans lives written out of history — and inspired by the aesthetics of Sally Potter's Orlando, we imagine a world where Quentin is transformed into Orlyn Crisp: a figure who moves through time and gender to find herself alive today as a young trans woman.

With an intro by Adrian (Quentins Great Nephew) followed by a screening of the The Naked Civil Servant (1975) which created a sensastion and scandal at the time when it was broadcast by ITV.

Based on Quentin Crisp's autobiography, the once-controversial picture The Naked Civil Servant stars John Hurt as Crisp, a flamboyant character who publicly declared his homosexuality during the brutally homophobic and misogynistic England of the 1930s and '40s - a time when this alternative lifestyle was still an offense punishable by imprisonment in Great Britain.

Find out more about the new film here

Pacific Theatre writing in the UK 2012 - 2024

Play Readings +

The Collected Works of Sani Muliaumaseali'i

TALUNE

A girls dream portends the devastation brought to Samoa in 1918 by the flu pandemic.

​

‘Last night, I had the most magnificent dream; I dreamt my whole family came to the wharf to meet me’

Talune,  is a powerful stage work blending fact and fiction to evoke the 1918 influenza pandemic in Samoa. Premiering in London in 2018, it follows Teine (Nina Thilas Mohs) returning to Upolu from the big island of Savai‘i, walking home alone from the wharf when her brothers fail to meet her. Told through dreamlike vignettes that move to and fro between Teine’s monologue and the surrounding action, the work blurs reality and imagination as her personal loss opens into the wider grief of a nation.
 

At its centre is the arrival of the SS Talune , the New Zealand ship that carried influenza to Samoa, its impact compounded by the negligence of Colonel Robert Logan (Alan Mosley). Engaging with the entangled histories of Samoa and New Zealand, the play confronts colonial power and the disregard for Samoan lives.

Blending singing, movement, and storytelling, *Talune* is both remembrance and reckoning—a tribute to those lost and to the enduring resilience of the Samoan people.

**Footnote:**
Some historical context draws on the book *Mau : Samoa's struggle for freedom* by Michael Field, alongside anecdotal family knowledge, woven by Sani Muliaumaseali‘i into a deeply human account of this tragedy.

TICKETS:  ONLINE £20 /  Door sales £25 - Cash only

REVIEW: “Is there anything more powerful than a true story? Yes. It is an untold story.”

Play Readings +

Performers read a script aloud, usually without sets, props, or costumes, emphasizing vocal delivery over staging.

+ Music + Movement + Momentos Moana a Kiwa

ABOUT THE WRITER

Layered artist, operatic tenor, and Pacific cultural architect Sani Muliaumasealii turned to writing after personal upheaval. The only Samoan writer creating specifically for the UK stage, he is a singular voice and true game changer. Co-founder of GAFA Arts Collective, he fuses language, ritual, and music, reshaping British theatre through Pacific perspectives.The works gathered here reflect this, alongside politics, history, and creative passions. All are envisioned for full staging in London in 2027, celebrating Sani’s 60th year. A pioneer in his field, he continues to shape and expand the presence of Samoan and Pacific voices on the UK stage. Sani holds the chiefly (Matai) title of Siliga from Vaitele, Samoa.

We are graduating summa cum laude!

The eff-able project is coming to a close and we want to celebrate with you an amazing year of effing sexy poetry & erotic queer crip cabaret. What better way than to have a prom party!

We have the crème de la crème of cabaret lined up for you, more glitter & glam than you can shake a mobility aid at, a pop up bar, and some promtastic surprises.

It’s on Thursday 4th June, 7pm - 11pm (doors open 7, everything kicks off at 7.30)
Dress to impress!

Further details

If you require a free PA or companion ticket, please use the option onOutsavvy so we can account for numbers. 

BOOKS will be on sale! As well as some other effing great merch… 

The Line Up

Carrot is your favourite drag vegetable, giving you campery and chaos as they serve you well more than your cabaret 5-a-day… Insta page

 Libro Levi Bridgeman wrote the sell-out theatre show The Butch Monologues. Short stories include “For Ezra”, now a stop-motion film. They co-run hotpencil press with Serge Nicholson. They are featured in the doco “Private View”.

Rick Dove is a black, queer, and disabled writer from South London. Widely anthologised since 2016, Rick became UK Poetry Slam Champion in 2021, and has published two solo collections.

Cat Chong is a poet, essayist, and publisher who completed their PhD at NTU, Singapore in 2024. Their work considers the intersections between gender, genre, and disability in experimental poetics.

Don't laugh, it's Nat Funni! East London's very own draglesque sweetheart who puts the "ass" in "massive personality", making a name for themselves after 6 years of terrorising the national cabaret scene with their infectiously delightful charm, nostalgia-tinged costume & devotion to all things camp. Nat's Website

 Black Disabled Spiritual More creates disability equity designs with a cheeky twist. Rooted in the social model of disability, each design challenges ableism while celebrating Disabled identity—from "Big D Energy" to "Disabled Hottie." Each design has been created by a Black Disabled advocate committed to making disability pride accessible, bold, and unapologetically fun. Etsy site

jdwoof (aka Jo Wood) (she/her) is a live illustrator and visual artist who works from the edges - catching the weird, tender, unexpected moments that happen between people before they disappear. Drawing is how she processes thoughts, feelings, and the general strangeness of being human, and she's been doing it on-the-go, in little books, in bed, on the bus and in groups of humans, for as long as she can remember. At the party, she'll be sketching as a wallflower. Come find her, have a chat about your experiences of eff-able, and end up in a drawing. @jdwoof or misswoodforthetrees.com

Marques Hanalei Marzan is a noted teacher and artist of various Native Hawaiian art forms and has practiced the art of hana pu‘upu‘u for the last 20 years. He believes is preserving customary practices through innovative integration into modern contexts to bring relevance into the present.

What to expect at the workshop:

• A brief history of Hawaiian knotting
• Overview of materials 
• Students will make a cord bracelet  using customary techniques in a modern form
• If time allows, other projects may include a knotted keychain or necklace

When: 16th of May
What time: 12pm-4pm
Where: 
The Outsiders Gallery
64 Stoke Newington Road, London, N16 7XB, UK

This workshop takes place in the basement lounge space, access is via stairs.

https://www.marquesmarzan.com/

Supported by Arts Council England

#craftweek

Brooke Kahawai Holt, is a Mākaha, Oʻahu–based artisan whose work centers around contemporary jewelry alongside the ancestral practices of lauhala weaving and hulu (feather) lei making. 

Guided by the stories of her kūpuna and the rhythm of island life, she creates adornment that honors ʻike passed on through generations—each weave and each feather placed with intention, respect, and aloha. Working with materials gathered from the ʻāina and shaped through traditional practice, her pieces carry forward living moʻolelo that reflect beauty, identity, and belonging.

What to expect at the workshop:

• A brief history of Hawaiian Weaving

• Overview of Materials

• Description of types of weaving and common patterns

• Students chose either a pair of earrings or a bracelet to weave.

• Students can do multiple projects as there will be additional kits available for them to use.

When: 16th of May

What time: 10am to 2pm

Where: 

The Outsiders Gallery

64 Stoke Newington Road, London, N16 7XB, UK

16th May 

10am- 2pm

Cost £85.00 - ticket booking link below

https://ulanamakaha.com/

Supported by Arts Council England

#craftweek

Join us in t'ARTopia for a queer-curated night of drag, comedy, poetry, cabaret and music from some of our most delicious t'ARTs.

We have invited some of our favourite performers to entertain you all, at a night that will be nothing short of t'ARTopian. 

We will be raising money for gender affirming surgery funds with this evening's raffle, so come with a couple of quid, win art and raise money for good causes!

Doors: 7:15pm

Performances start: 7:30pm

 Let's get mouth-watering

 t’ART is a queer and trans-led arts and lit collective, that creates space (on the page and in real life) for marginalised voices.

Töpia - Music

Töpia is a UK-based fusion artist blending bossa nova, R&B, and indie-soul into immersive live performances. Backed by her full band, The Homies, she has been performing for over ten years, creating one-of-a-kind shows where audience and band collaborate, sing, and move together. Completely independent and unreleased, Töpia has built her career organically through community jams and live events, including London, Paris, and Los Angeles. Her writing and performance credits include ANAIIS and MRTL, and she has shared the stage with Chaka Khan. Töpia and The Homies deliver full-bodied, intimate, and unforgettable experiences, bringing energy, connection, and joy to every stage they play.

George - Music & Poetry

George is a multi-instrumentalist, sound engineer and hobbyist poet. This is their first solo endeavour as part of a t’art event - expect ambient atmospheric cello soundscapes and musings on love and loss.

JP Seabright - Poetry

JP Seabright (she/they) is a queer disabled writer living in London. They have seven solo pamphlets published and four collaborations, encompassing poetry, prose and experimental work. JP explores themes of gender, sexuality, trauma, technology and the climate crisis in her work, and has been nominated for Pushcart Prize, Best of the Net, Forward Prize, and shortlisted (twice) for a Saboteur Award for Best Collaborative Work. They are co-editor and organiser of the Arts Council England funded project eff-able.

Dick Finder: Private Transvestigator - Comedy

Dick Finder is a private investigator who investigates privates. He is also a buffoon and a public menace.

Returning to T'artopia two years after his debut there, Dick will be giving you a glimpse of his new hour long work-in-progress show coming to the Pen Theatre Bermondsey, 18th July.

Further artists to be announced soon!

Pacific Theatre writing in the UK 2012 - 2024

PLAY READINGS

The Collected Works of Sani Muliaumaseali'i

The Mario LaNZa valentines Fantasy 

The great American tenor Mario Lanza never toured to Aotearoa NZ, but in this musical fantasy he does.

Flying home to be with his Valentine, a storm forces Lanza’s plane to land in Rotorua, where he meets Māori recording legend Ana Hato. What begins as chance turns into an unforgettable musical collaboration, blending Lanza’s iconic voice with the soul of Aotearoa.

Set in wartime, it weaves in the legacy of the Māori Battalion, whose courage and sacrifice shaped a nation. 

And don’t miss the magic of these iconic songs: Lanza’s "Be My Love" and "Vesti La Giubba," alongside the timeless Māori waiata "Pokarekare Ana’’ ‘’Hoea ra’’ Plus,  “Po Atarau / Now Is the Hour” — the song that bid farewell to the Māori Battalion, made famous again in the new Project Hail Mary starring Ryan Gosling! 

As long as the plane stays grounded — the magic happens.

Grab your tickets NOW before the flight departs!

TICKETS:  ONLINE £20 /  Door sales £25 Cash only

Play reading: Performers read a script aloud, usually without sets, props, or costumes, emphasizing vocal delivery over staging.

ABOUT THE WRITER

Layered artist, operatic tenor, and Pacific cultural architect Sani Muliaumasealii turned to writing after personal upheaval. The only Samoan writer creating specifically for the UK stage, he is a singular voice and true game changer. Co-founder of GAFA Arts Collective, he fuses language, ritual, and music, reshaping British theatre through Pacific perspectives.The works gathered here reflect this, alongside politics, history, and creative passions. All are envisioned for full staging in London in 2027, celebrating Sani’s 60th year. A pioneer in his field, he continues to shape and expand the presence of Samoan and Pacific voices on the UK stage. Sani holds the chiefly (Matai) title of Siliga from Vaitele, Samoa.

8pm to 11pm, doors open at 7:45pm

Tickets £6 in advance (book here) or £8 on the door

Nesian Punx #2

A night of Pasifika – poc punk raising money for Free West Papua Campaign.

Since the first days of Indonesian colonial occupation in 1963, the people and land of West Papua have been under relentless attack. Over 500,000 West Papuan civilians have been killed by Indonesia’s military.

Racism and discrimination are a daily reality and basic human rights including freedom of speech are outlawed. The Indonesian Government have banned international media and human rights organisations from operating in West Papua, ensuring that news about what is happening rarely reaches the outside world.

The Free West Papua Campaign was launched in 2004, led by Benny Wenda – an exiled West Papuan independence leader and Chairman of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP).

The Free West Papua Campaign is bringing the story of West Papua to the world and campaigning for freedom and justice in West Papua. It is time to end the violence of the last 50 years and give West Papuans the freedom to decide their own future.

With the return of the mighty Half/Time- māori led punk band from Aotearoa back in London on their UK tour and lairy London punx -GRUNT and the wider diaspora community are teaming up to raise monies for our West Papuan brothers and sisters.

Talks from Free West Papua Campaign and Boycott for West Papua and a special performance from The Lani Singers - traditional West Papuan folk band playing songs rooted in resistance and celebrating Papuan culture (tbc)

Band merch/Prints/Stickers/Patches up for grabs!

BANDS

Half/Time - are a Māori post-punk band hailing from Aotearoa (so-called 
New Zealand) - they're loud, angry and making change through music. 
Through visceral and vulnerable waiata (songs) they invite audiences to 
engage and learn about Aotearoa New Zealand's colonised past, its 
present and hopes for its future. These are unsanitized, undiluted 
histories that are delivered without apology, encompassing the personal 
and political, amplifying the ancestral echoes of te ao Māori (the Māori 
world) and giving voice to the injustices faced by indigenous 
communities today. FFO Dead Pioneers, Idles, Pixies, The Muslims and Big 
Brave.

GRUNT - Lairy three piece London punx. Drums bass n vocals but not 
techno... brown queer and fvcking tired. ''Raw self-righteous feminist 
punk, reminiscent of the burgeoning 70's punk scene'' - Laviea Thomas 
for Decolonise Fest.

Hemi Hemingway - With the rock’n’roll panache of a dive bar matador and the emotional force of a knife in the guts, Hemi Hemingway makes music that thrills, spills and breaks hearts. The effortlessly slick New Zealand star has a connoisseur’s ear for the finest parts of musical history, sweeping 60s rock, 50s sheen and 80s romanticism into the present day, refurbishing and refashioning them into something new and fresh. At home in the spotlight, he’s a showman in the best troubadour traditions, but one with real depth, showcasing swagger and vulnerability in equal measure.
 

The Lani Singers - from the Baliem Valley in the remote central highland 
region of West Papua in the south-west Pacific, play songs that are 
rooted in the sacred rituals of the Lani tribe. Formed in UK 2004 as a 
way of celebrating and preserving Papuan culture – the Indonesian regime 
have outlawed traditional music and cultural practices in West Papua. 
The band have played at music festivals in the UK including Glastonbury, 
Musicport, Port Eliot, the Mayor of London’s Thames Festival and 
Celebrating Sanctuary. They have also performed live sessions on the 
‘World Routes’ show on BBC Radio 3 and on DJ Ritu’s ‘A World In London’ 
show on BBC Radio London.

It's the FINAL EVER One More Time and we're back to were we started - the turn of the millennium! Expect

• The hottest year in pop: Britney, Whitney, Cher, Vengaboys, Steps, TLC, Backstreet Boys, S Club 7, Shania, Madonna, *NSync, Destiny's Child, Five, Lolly, Christina, Precious, A1, B*Witched, Westlife, Another Level, Will Smith and Texas

• Latin scorchers from: J Lo, Ricky Martin, Enrique and Geri

• Ibiza anthems from: ATB, Alice Deejay, Phats & Small, Chicane and Shanks & Bigfoot.

• Forgotten pop gems from: Thunderbugs, The Cartoons, Glamma Kid, Marvin & Tamara, Emmie and Tina Cousins

• Our 1999 Bargain Bin kicking things off from 2pm

And one final New Year's Eve Millennium moment!

Don't miss your last chance to dance to your faves from 1999 loud and proud and to enjoy the One More Time experience!

Details coming very soon

Queer Noise is back babes!!

Join us on Thursday 26th March  for an incredible line up of mega talented poets, musicians and performers bringing you simultaneously silly and sensitive explorations of queer community, identity, and relationships 

We've missed you and we know you've missed us too, so get yourself down to VFDalston for an evening of queer gorgeousness. 

Doors at 7pm 

Performance start at 7:30pm you don't wanna miss a single second. 

Featuring:  Kia Matanky-Becker, Grace Quigley, Leah Cleaver and Die Lemma!

Kia Matanky-Becker

Kia is a very serious poet who definetly doesnt dream of being a comedian.  An over-sharer and attention seeker, get ready for tales of dyke drama, late nights and the people they fell in love with on the bus this morning. 

Recent performances include  Glastonbury 2025, Summer in the Ditch for Shoreditch Town Hall and Out Of Frame Dulwich Picture Gallery for LGBTQ+ History Month. 

Grace Quigley

Grace makes performance and theatre work using cabaret, drag and text. She is currently developing a new show, On Our Backs.

A messy, hedonistic club world where Dilly pines after Kitten—her fellow dancer/ mother figure—while chasing glamour to cover life’s rot and dreaming of motherhood though her pussy's already sore. Expect alternative cabaret, spectacle on a budget, and strange lipsyncs to your favourite divas.

Leah Cleaver 

Leah is an artist and singer based in East London. After first making music as part of collective ZEBEDE, she's now carving out her own alt pop sound, shaped by the friends and scene around her. Leah is co-founder of U Gd, Girl? a community for women and non-binary babes who come together for intimate talking circles and "werkshops" in London.
Leah's music speaks to people who move through life with curiosity and who love discovering music that catches them a bit off guard. Her songs are an expression of black queer joy, and are for those who dance late into the night with their friends, love big bass lines and honest lyrics and those who see love and beauty in all its different forms

Die Lemma

Die Lemma is a trans femme artist of German and Ethiopian heritage, blending the worlds of music and drag.
Her vocal performances pay homage to black music and old cabaret. Situated in the trans body, they disrupt prescriptive ideas of gender. In its place, she weaves reimagined possibilities using costume, craft and paint. Die Lemma regularly works all around London and beyond in queer venues and nightclubs but her work has also taken her to venues such as the National Theatre, Southbank Center, Barbican, the Roundhouse, Glastonbury Festival and the Box. She recently won the drag competition Top of the slops Allstars and recently sold out her first Drag theatre show, Peach, Shit & Die, with collaborator Masc Peach

TICKETS:

Standard: £8

Solidarity: £14*

Pay-it-forward: £9**

*Solidarity tickets: for allies or those who can afford to pay a higher ticket price to will help us keep this event sustainable and make it grow, so please consider this option if you can.

**Pay-it-forward tickets: please consider this option if you're an ally who'd like to support low/unwaged people from the community.

One Last Time: 1998

We're heading to 1998 for one last time. The sunniest year in pop with:

• Big pure pop from B*Witched, Billie, Steps, Five, Aqua, Spice Girls, Cleopatra and Cher

• Epic ballads from Celine Dion, Lighthouse Family, Madonna, LeAnn Rimes, Whitney & Mariah and Honeyz

• Pop nonsense from Des'ree, The Tamperer, T-Spoon, Sham Rock and Mousse T

• Forgotten gems from Lutricia McNeal, Alda, Garbage, Ultra, Lucid and Solid HarmoniE

• The Bargain Bin of 1998’s pop flops kicks things off for the first hour.

Also Karma's final two epic performances

Don't miss your last chance to dance to song of 1998's gems loud and proud!

Join t'ARTopia on 19th February for a queer-curated night of drag, comedy, poetry, cabaret and music from some of our most delicious t'ARTs.

We will be raising money for gender affirming surgery funds with this evening's raffle, so come with a couple of quid, win art and raise money for good causes!

Let's get mouth-watering

Looking for a space to hire for a birthday party, event, launch, community group, worlshop

VFD has a variety of spaces at very attractive rates, take to the team

info@vfdalston.com

Join us in t'ARTopia for a queer-curated night of drag, comedy, poetry, cabaret and music from some of our most delicious t'ARTs.

We have invited some of our favourite performers to entertain you all, at a night that will be nothing short of t'ARTopian. 

We will be raising money for gender affirming surgery funds with this evening's raffle, so come with a couple of quid, win art and raise money for good causes!

Let's get mouth-watering

Welcome to Hunny's World - where bad girls go to heaven. Step into a night of queer liberation, expression and celebration. Join Hunny and her iconic lineup of FLINTA* performers for a night of music, movement and magic. 

Look forward to stripteases, drag, DJ's and comedy. Dress up as your dream self x