TESTO

Wet Mess

11 - 22 Feb

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Information

Times: 7:30pm

Tickets: Pay What You Can (Recommended Price £14)*

*all orders subject to a transaction fee of £2

Running Time: 60 minutes (no interval)

Age Recommendation: 14+ (Parental discretion advised)

This event takes place in person in our Council Chamber

In TESTO, Wet Mess messifies transitions, testosterone and the edges of drag.

Combining movement with pre-recorded interviews, expect surreal spectacles, dykey desires, and a choreography of guttural sexuality as Wet Mess pinches at the dull flesh of life where the magical is in the mundane and made up shit becomes real.

As seen in Sound of the Underground (Royal Court, 2023) and Galatea (Brighton Fringe, 2023). Winners of Not Another Drag Competition (Royal Vauxhall Tavern, 2021)

‘Brilliantly executed. Wet Mess is a deeply promising artist to watch in years to come.’
★★★★★ Ed Fest Magazine

‘Genderpunk at its finest – watching it feels like taking my first deep breath in a very long time.’
★★★★★ The Skinny

‘Wet Mess shows are not only thrilling and wild, but somehow sweet and life enhancing.’
The Guardian

Biographies

Wet Mess creates performance and film that sit at the edges of drag, cabaret and performance.

In 2023, they performed at the Royal Court as part of Sound of the Underground by Travis Alabanza and Debbie Hannan, and in Galatea by Emma Frankland as part of Brighton Fringe. They won the prestigious Not Another Drag Competition at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern in 2021 and have performed at queer venues in the UK and Internationally.

Recently they choreographed a music video for Tove Lo, and have worked on movement direction for artists such as Will Young, London Grammar, and Wolf Alice.

Credits

Commissioned by The Yard Theatre, Wysing Arts Centre, Cambridge Junction and Raze Collective. Supported by Battersea Arts Centre. Produced by Metal & Water.

Creator Wet Mess
Production Nancy May Roberts & Lucia Fortune-Ely, Metal & Water
Collaborator and Production Coordinator Miz Barber
Costume Design Lambdog1066
Sound Design Baby
Set Design Ruta Irbīte
Lighting Design Joshie Harriette
Dramaturg Travis Alabanza
Poster Design Josh Quinton
Trailer Kunstraum Productions, Stefan Venturi
Logo Design Bora
Audio Description Adedamola Bajomo
BSL Development Grace Buckle
PR Joy Parkinson

Interviewees/Inspirations: Trans Punk Elder, Baby, Angel, Shrek666, Santi Sorrenti, Danni Spooner, Sue Maclaine, Svar Simpson, Felix Mufti, Ben Vyle, Envy the Queen, and Grandma Mess.

Thanks to: Danni Spooner, Duffy, Eve Stainton, Ursula Martinez, Anthony Simpson-Pike, Jay Miller, Ged.

Access

PRE EVENT INFORMATION

This event takes place in person in our Council Chamber. This space is on the first floor, with step-free access via a lift.

If you have booked a ticket you will receive an email from us before your performance detailing important information about your visit.

PERSONAL ASSISTANT/COMPANION TICKETS

If you require the assistance of a friend or helper to attend, we can make a free ticket available for your companion. You can book access companion tickets online or contact the Box Office to book by emailing access@bac.org.uk.

To book a free access companion online:

log in to your account here
go to ‘Other preferences’ and tick ‘I require a personal assistant/companion’.
Choose the performance, date and seats you would like and if you add at least 2 tickets to your basket, then one of these will automatically become free.

PERFORMANCE INFORMATION

BSL Interpreted Performances:

13 Feb
20 Feb

BSL Interpretation by Grace Buckle.

Audio Described Performances:

18 Feb
19 Feb
20 Feb
21 Feb
22 Feb

Content

Strobe lighting
Haze
Moments of complete darkness
Nudity
Strong language

Pre-Show Information

All performances will be Relaxed. We invite you to make yourself comfortable and move around if you need to and if you need to leave the performance at any point you will be allowed to return to the space when you feel ready. Latecomers and re-admittance will be permitted, at specific safe moments, throughout the show.

VISIT OUR ACCESS PAGE

We want our shows to be as accessible to as many people as possible.

We offer tickets to most shows on a Pay What You Can basis throughout the year.

Tickets for performances in 2025 start at £9.50, and we have recommended pricing to help you choose a price that works for you.

We know that ticket price is a huge barrier for some. If you can afford to pay the recommended price or more, choosing to do so supports those that can’t. It makes it possible for us to continue to offer Pay What You Can and welcome those who otherwise wouldn’t be able to attend.