A They in A Manger is the first commission for Wardrobe & Sons. It’s a new performance experience from innovators within performance across cabaret, live art, theatre, drag, comedy and pole work industries. The show is also in response to three rejected Arts Council England applications, deepening our response to a depleted industry which sidelines or disregards work from underrepresented artists and freelancers. This show is not a cabaret, a drag show, or a panto, but a homecoming!
A They In A Manger is showing at Camden People’s Theatre from the 5th – 16th December. We sit down with the critically-acclaimed artists, Vijay Patel, Len Blanco, An0maly, and Danielle James – the cast of A They In A Manger, a (Christmas) show of queer solidarity, and a response to heteronormative, traditional and capitalist culture. Get your tickets here – The code WARDROBE gets you 20% off standard tickets from 5th-7th!
Why do you think A They In A Manger is important right now?
Vijay Patel: I think it’s a space for people who feel like they don’t have a space. The world is chaos, so I think we are presenting something that is an alternative at Christmas time, and I think this is a show for people who find Christmas time hard and want to be in a safe space and a joyous space.
Len Blanco: Things are already worse for queers in Britain than I thought they would be in my lifetime. The way trans people are being talked about feels very Section 28, so we have to maintain the momentum of love, fire and self-celebration within our communities. Christmas is a bastion of heteronormative traditions and often the centre of the biological family calendar. It is cast as a time to think about what we most deeply value, and when those values clash with the people you’re spending time with, it can be uncomfortable, upsetting and sometimes dangerous. In an increasingly fascistic society, it’s fairly fucking vital that as queer artists we make space for our fellow queers to experience warmth, solidarity, levity and joy.
A They In A Manger is “a celebration of chosen families, queer community and survival of self, in all the ways we choose to express, perform, and simply exist.” What do these mean to you?
An0maly: I became homeless after coming out 10 years ago, now settled in a small council house flat to call home. I find peace and tranquillity in the quiet around Christmas even without anyone to celebrate it with. These are very intense, isolating but beautiful seasonal periods where I use the Christmas period as an opportunity for rest, respite and release from white supremacy.
Danielle James: Chosen families allow us to grow, expand, and improve beyond the limitations that society or even we place on ourselves. They make us better people. Our existence within these contexts is an inherently radical act, and being able to make within these contexts only extends their radical nature.
What can audiences usually expect from your work?
An0maly: My work is unconventional. I use verbatim recordings from YouTube, news, books and people I know to create movement around the pole. I LOVE music and have an eclectic taste which ranges from alternative rock to neosoul. I take inspiration from alternative and political drag, telling stories through my body while remembering to experience and share the pleasure within my work. Expect sexy christmas lingerie, a metal pole and some twerking!
Vijay Patel: Silly, autobiographical, political, gay, fun. Not necessarily christmas. Not your typical office christmas party vibes (but could be).
What do you want audiences to feel when they see A They In A Manger?
Danielle James: I want audiences to come away from A They in a Manger hating Christmas as much as I do.
Len Blanco: I want audiences to feel – in a medically unconcerning way – like they’ve been plugged into an immense power source. Chest-expanding, fingertip-tingling, face-aching good times.
Wardrobe & Sons, founded by Frankie Thompson (CAttS, BODY SHOW), is a brand new queer, neurodivergent-led collective of artists making radical work in innovative ways from inside a portable West-End Theatre built inside a wardrobe. Read more about them here.