We at Shoreditch Town Hall have announced our exciting new season Summer in The Ditch, a series of takeovers in our basement space featuring a programme of all things camp, queer and cult. With experimental new work, and rough and ready sessions from musicians, artists, poets and performers, there is mischief and mayhem a plenty.

On Wednesday 19th June is Queer Noise; The Queer Noise Collective are taking over the basement with new work from queer poets, musicians, performers and artists. Reeking of community and honking with organic pride, audiences can feel uplifted, supported, funky, wonky and emotional (in the best way). There will also be the chance to explore and buy prints from hot new artists, and be in with a shot of winning the raffle, which is fundraising for gender-affirming surgery. Queer Noise is offering concession community tickets for people from the LGBTQIA+, POC, sex worker communities, those on low income or in receipt of universal credit. Solidarity/Allyship tickets will be on offer for allies who can afford to pay a higher ticket price to support the event.

Internationally renowned pop sensation and LGBTQIA+ ally FEMMI and her stepson Fabio Lezonli will be taking audiences down memory line in a dramatic tale on Thursday 11th July in SMILF – A Technically not incest Cabaret. May your eyes be dazzled and your hearts warmed by the story of two incredibly sexy and charismatic people and the trials and tribulations of lusting after someone that’s a little bit taboo.

Long Shot! A Cabaret Showcase on Friday 12th July is a comedy cabaret that sees Top of the Slops finalist Curly guide audiences through a show of spectacular and hilarious cabaret performances from Lust, Richard Energy and Cyro, with belly laughs big enough to build a six pack. On Saturday 20th July comes new queer cabaret DYKE Systems LTD™! Following the 2024 lesbian renaissance in London comes this exciting new cabaret: DYKE Systems is a very special business venture that helps the audience find their inner Dynamic, Young, Knowledgeable Entrepreneur. Perfect for fans of John Waters, cult films, lesbian references, Tupperware parties and amazing acts!

Multi-award winning company piss/CARNATION (52 Monologues for Young Transsexuals, Edinburgh Fringe, Soho Theatre) will also be workshopping their new show Ugly Sisters. Presenting an operatic and hallucinatory retelling of the very moment a transgender woman rushes up to praise Germaine Greer for The Female Eunuch, this production celebrates sisterhood and feminist history. Following a two week residency at Shoreditch Town Hall, Victor Esses will also present a work in progress for a new installation piece Rage Trip, inviting audiences to explore one of the most primal human feelings; rage. The work will look at the personal and the societal, from daily interactions to road to gamer rage, wars and social media.

Current Cultural Programme Producer Christie Hill comments, We’re really excited to introduce Summer in the Ditch this summer, welcoming a brilliant programme of experimental work to our underground ditch space. The line up includes drag, cabaret, works in progress, Edinburgh previews and mixed bill from the hilarious queer duo 2 Indie Boys, the dynamic collective of Queer poets and musicians brought together by Queer Noise, the innovative piss/CARNATION who will be debuting a brand-new performance after a three-week residency in our building, and drag performances from the likes of Fabio Lezonli, FEMMI and more. We want to make sure the tickets and bar prices are affordable, and the shows are nights of unfiltered mischief and revelry. We hope to see you there!”

You can find out more about the full line-up by clicking here.