What's on in London: Queer Theatre

Queer Theatre invites you to join our weekly acting classes for queer people, held every Monday from 7pm to 9:30pm at the iconic LGBTQ+ venue, The Two Brewers in Clapham. Led by award-winning theatre director Andrew Keates, our classes welcome LGBTQ+ performers of all levels, from seasoned professionals to enthusiastic beginners. What matters most to us, is building a queer community of performers in a place where we can play and grow together.WHAT TO EXPECTOur acting classes serve as a queer theatre lab, a safe and creative space where LGBTQ+ theatre-makers can come together to:Hone Acting and Performance Skills: Engage in diverse performance styles and learn acting techniques to elevate your craft.Explore Through Play: Participate in creative games, exercises and improvisation exercises designed to foster self-discovery and collaborative play.Delve into LGBTQ+ Material: Work with scripts, themes and devise work that reflects LGBTQ+ people, experiences and themes.Build a Supportive Network: Make friends and join a nurturing community that supports your artistic and personal growth.Discover Opportunities: Gain access to Queer Theatre’s array of events, including queer play readings, comedy nights, networking events, shows, special workshops and performance opportunities. YOUR FACILITATOR AND ACTING TUTOROur classes are facilitated by Andrew Keates (He/Him), Queer Theatre’s artistic director and an award-winning theatre director. Andrew’s impressive portfolio includes directing critically acclaimed LGBTQ+ plays such as Bent and Passing By by Martin Sherman, As Is by William M. Hoffman, Dark Sublime by Michael Dennis, and the recent European premiere of Steve by Mark Gerrard (to name but a few. ). His experience directing in the West End and working with actors worldwide, along with his years of LGBTQ+ activism and experience of LGBTQ+ issues make these classes a unique sanctuary for growth, learning, challenges and of course, fun. To find out more about him visit www.andrewkeates.co.uk. CLASS DETAILSWhen: Mondays, 7pm - 9:30pm. Doors open at 6:30pm for complimentary tea, coffee and biscuits. 9:30pm we often socialise together until late after class.Where: The Two Brewers, Club Room, 114 Clapham High Street, Lambeth, Greater London, SW4 7UJTravel: Conveniently located just a five-minute walk from Clapham Common underground station, ten minutes from Clapham North underground station, and Clapham High Street overground.Cost: £20 per week (includes entry to The Two Brewers for post-class entertainment and bar access).Accessibility: Our classes are wheelchair accessible. If you have any specific needs, please reach out so we can accommodate you. WHAT DO I NEED?Clothing: Please wear comfortable clothes and shoes that allow you to move easily.Pencil Case: Bring a notebook, a pen, and a pencil. A pencil sharpener and an eraser may also prove helpful.Materials: We will provide ideas for various monologues, scenes, and plays to explore during our sessions. If you have specific pieces you’d like to work on, please bring a copy so your director can refer to it during your collaboration.

Queer Play Reading Club: The P Word by Waleed AkhtarTuesday 16th December 2025The Railway, ClaphamThe Queer Play Reading Club is a monthly event from Queer Theatre, held in partnership with Nick Hern Books, celebrating LGBTQ+ playwriting in a supportive, queer-run, social space. Each session begins with up to an hour of brand-new queer writing, giving LGBTQIA+ playwrights and writers the chance to share short scenes or monologues and receive supportive feedback. We then move into a group reading of a full-length published play, with relaxed discussion and Q&A with the author, facilitated by Queer Theatre’s Artistic Director, Andrew Keates. This month’s play: The P Word by Waleed Akhtar‘I’m not in your Britain. I’m in another Britain.’Zafar flees homophobic persecution in Pakistan to seek asylum in the UK. Londoner Bilal (or Billy as he prefers to be known) is ground down by years of Grindr and the complexity of being a brown gay man.In Soho, at 2am, worlds collide – and Zafar and Billy’s lives are about to change forever. The P Word is Waleed Akhtar’s sharp-witted and devastating play charting the parallel lives of two gay Pakistani men as they negotiate everything from casual hook-ups to the UK’s hostile environment. A story of who wins in the luck of life’s draw, it premiered at the Bush Theatre, London, in 2022, directed by Anthony Simpson-Pike and received widespread critical acclaim, winning the Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in Affiliate Theatre.Special Guest AnnouncementWe are delighted to announce that Waleed Akhtar will be joining us for this session to discuss the play and answer your questions.ItineraryTea, coffee and snacks from 6:30pmSession starts at 7pm (sharing new writing with the group and receiving supportive feedback)We read The P Word together.Q&A with Waleed Akhtar and Andrew KeatesDrinks and socialising until 11pmGetting ThereThe Railway, Clapham18 Clapham High Street, London SW4 7URBy Tube: A 1-minute walk from Clapham North (Northern line) and 5 minutes from Clapham Common.By Overground: Clapham High Street Station is directly opposite the venue.By Bus: Served by routes 50, 88, 155, 322, and 345.By Train: Clapham Junction is a short bus ride away, with connections across London and the South East.AccessibilityThe event takes place in an upstairs space accessible only by stairs. If you have access needs or questions, please contact us in advance so we can support your visit as best we can.Important InformationThis is not a performance but an informal exploration of the play’s text. Scenes will be read aloud by members of the group who wish to participate. Roles may therefore be read in ways that differ from their original casting intentions, including across gender, race, age, sexuality, and lived experience. We actively welcome this openness while also encouraging those with lived experience reflecting the characters to volunteer where appropriate.If you are a writer wishing to have your own work shared aloud in the opening section, please bring an excerpt of no more than five minutes to allow space for others. We may not have time to include everyone’s work on the night. If you need excerpts printed, please email us.This event forms part of Queer Theatre’s commitment to ensuring LGBTQ+ theatre-makers always have somewhere to go each week to connect, create, and be inspired – alongside our 2B: Acting Classes, OutCast showcases, theatre trips, social events, masterclasses, parties and shows.Find out more at queertheatre.co.uk/whats-on

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