A Gay in a Manger, The Arches

Everyone’s favourite gender-bending duo Tranny and Roseannah present an alternative festive experience. Come on in, make yourselves comfortable, and enjoy the story of Christmas as you’ve never seen it before… Read more …

It’s CHRIIIIIST-MASSSS! That most special time of year, when the decorations go up, the foul-mouthed family comes over, and the booze goes down. Well this time, Tranny and Roseannah have invited you round to theirs for a cosy Christmas night in – only, it might not be quite what you expect. Think John Waters hosting Noel’s House Party and you’re getting close. Think a camp cabaret atmosphere where anything goes and Christmas values get twisted and shaken and you’re even closer.

Featuring Adrian Howells as Grandma, join us for an evening of special guests, an alternative take on the Christmas nativity, and some good old-fashioned yuletide singalongs. With tits, tinsel, and turkey, baubles, balls, and blood, this is an X-rated Xmas show you won’t soon forget.

Devised and performed by Arches favourites Laurie Brown and Rosana Cade, and Arches Artist-in-Residence Adrian Howells.

The critical consensus

While the show’s digressive, ramshackle structure generally works in its favour, the pace sometimes drops, particularly in the second half as the performers get over-entangled in facilitating audience participation, whose initial horror has faded.

(*) (*) Andrew Tickell, Exeunt