Music theatre
17.8.-20.8.2024
Jahrhunderthalle Bochum

Audacious music theatre celebrating individuality and freedom.

The Ramrod empire is in decline – and outside its patriarchal structures, the faggots and their friends are having a good time. They live undisturbed in free communes, able to celebrate who they are: with art, music and uninhibited sex. Based on Larry Mitchell’s cult novel from the late 70s, Philip Venables and Ted Huffman have created a wild musical spectacle that ignores boundaries just like the characters on stage do, drawing on music and dance from the Baroque period, from Broadway and rave culture. The performers are actors, storytellers and musicians all rolled into one and are continually swapping roles. A musical adventure that does away with gender and genre norms, replacing them with individuality and lust for life.

Commissioned by Factory International, Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, Bregenzer Festspiele, the Southbank Centre, Ruhrtriennale and NYU Skirball in association with Holland Festival. Produced by Factory International for Manchester International Festival. Under exclusive licence and courtesy by Nightboat Books, New York G. Ricordi & Co. Bühnen- und Musikverlag GmbH

Audio introduction

Find out more about the the production in our audio introduction.

„It’s been a long time since the last revolutions and the faggots and their friends are still not free.“
Larry Mitchell
  • Collin Shay mit Megafon in der Hand und mit bunten Stoffen umhüllt
    © Tristram Kenton
  • Jacob Garside, Sally Swanson, Meriel Price auf der Bühne sitzend mit Instrumenten
    © Tristram Kenton
  • Kerry Bursey, Yandass, Eric Lamb, Collin Shay, Meriel Price, Jacob Garside, Joy Smith, Kit Green und Themba Mvula rennen durcheinander über die Bühne
    © Tristram Kenton
  • Yandass im Vordergrund, tanzend, dahinter Deepa Johnny, Themba Mvula, Eric Lamb, Collin Shay, Sally Swanson und Kit Green auf einer Bühne
    © Tristram Kenton
  • Mariamielle Lamagat, Sally Swanson, Eric Lamb und Jacob Garside auf der Bühne, tanzend und musizierend
    © Tristram Kenton
  • Kit Green sitzt auf einer Bühne, ein großes Tuch über die Schultern haltend wie ein Cape
    © Tristram Kenton
  • Cast

    • Composition
      • Philip Venables
    • Direction
      • Ted Huffman
    • Musical Director
      • Yshani Perinpanayagam
    • Choreography & Costume Design
      • Theo Clinkard
    • Set Design
      • Rosie Elnile
    • Lighting Design
      • Bertrand Couderc
    • Sound Design
      • Simon Hendry
    • Dramaturgy
      • Scottee
    • Assistant Director
      • Sonoko Kamimura
    • Associate Musical Director
      • Jamie Man
    • Costume Collaborator
      • Sophie Donaldson
    • Production Manager
      • Steve Wald
    • Sound Associate
      • Josh Bobby
    • Lighting Associate
      • K. J
    • Company Manager
      • Bonnie Poole
    • Stage Management
      • Jambi Darnton
    • Assistant Stage Manager
      • Bláithín McReynolds
    • Wardrobe Supervisor
      • Evie Akerman
    • With
      • Valerie Barr ,
      • Kerry Bursey ,
      • Jacob Garside ,
      • Kit Green ,
      • Conor Gricmanis ,
      • Mariamielle Lamagat ,
      • Eric Lamb ,
      • Themba Mvula ,
      • Yshani Perinpanayagam ,
      • Meriel Price ,
      • Collin Shay ,
      • Daniel Shelvey ,
      • Joy Smith ,
      • Yandass ,
      • Lauren Young
    • Production Manager Ruhrtriennale
      • Maike Schuster
    • Technical Project Manager Ruhrtriennale
      • Georg Bugiel
    • Technician
      • Harald Adams ,
      • Konrad Anger ,
      • Steven Böhm ,
      • Willi Eidam ,
      • Desirée García López ,
      • Severino Jurischka ,
      • Andreas Korogonas ,
      • Torben Krol ,
      • Franzi Luhn ,
      • Ole Meißner ,
      • Gerd Mikuscheit ,
      • Fernando Quartana ,
      • Janine Reich ,
      • Uwe Renken ,
      • Stephan Schneppel ,
      • Alma Schraer ,
      • Ralph Schwarzenauer ,
      • Petar Skrivan ,
      • Johannes Voltz ,
      • Ian Weinfurtner ,
      • Michael Wünsch ,
      • Christoph Wüst
    • Dressing, collaboration costumes
      • Paula de la Haye

    Visit

    • Language

      English with German surtitles

    • Run time

      1 h 40 min

    • Age guidance

      Recommended from 14 years

    • Introduction

      An introduction will take place in the upper foyer of the Jahrhunderthalle Bochum one hour before the start of each event.

    • Sensory stimuli

      Stroboscopes and loud music are used during the event.

    • Advise on content

      The Faggots and Their Friends Between Revolutions deals with sexual liberation in an explicit way. The production also refers to discrimination and violence against the LGBTQIA+ community. 

    • Artist talk

      Following the performance on Monday, 19 Aug, we invite interested people to an artist talk with participants of the production.

    • Construction site information

      Since 6 August, the A40 has been fully closed between the Bochum-West junction and the Bochum-Harpen junction due to the construction of a new bridge. Visitors to the Ruhrtriennale must be prepared for increased traffic on the diversion routes, which we have summarised for you here

    Message from the makers of this performance

    We recognise that "faggot" is a provocative word – one that for many isn’t easy to read or hear. When Larry Mitchell wrote and published the book in 1977, he sought to reclaim the word in a loving, supportive and positive way. This follows a long process of reclamation by parts of the LGBTQIA+ community of words that have previously been seen as only negative – including using the word queer as a collective term. 

    The inclusion of the word in this production marks that intention and is a deliberate choice by the creative team. Since the book was published in 1977, conversations about gender diversity within the queer community have also evolved, and this is reflected in both the language the show uses and the casting.

    • Happy Sundays

    Directions and arrival

    Jahrhunderthalle Bochum
    An der Jahrhunderthalle 1
    44793 Bochum

  • Public transport and KombiTicket
  • Directions
  • Travelling by bike
  • Accessibility at the venue

  • Access
  • Accessible toilets
  • Accessible parking
  • Audio description and haptic tour
  • Hearing support
  • Sign language translation
  • Festival team on site
  • Dates and Tickets

    Festival Stories

    Interview: Philip Venables