‘I want them to see it. To throw it in their faces in all its big, camp, messy glory.’
In the wake of their boyfriend Leo’s unexpected death, Edie – a drag queen from Bristol – travels down to Cornwall to meet the family they never knew of. Expecting small-town homophobia, Edie instead finds a community they didn’t expect. As Edie’s arrival awakens new emotions and old tensions, drag begins to trickle through this seaside town and truths begin to pour out.
How do you piece together a person who didn’t have time to find those pieces themself?
Smalltown Boy by Brenda Callis, is a heartbreakingly joyful play about grief, community, and growing up queer in a rural town, explored through the explosive storytelling medium of drag.
Made with support and collaboration from Arts Council England, Hall for Cornwall, Bristol Old Vic Ferment, The Writers Block, Black Voices Cornwall and Cornwall Pride.
Artwork: Chris Clegg | Photo: Seb Alexander
