Tonight’s performances

An [Almost] Completely Untrue Story

Natasha Robertson

On the 27th of November 1776, the Chevalière d’Éon (French diplomat to England and spy for King Louis XV) was called before the King’s Bench in London to prove her true sex before the public of the United Kingdom. She did not attend, her words were never heard. Now, 250 years later, hear her testimony.This piece is an extract from An [Almost] Completely Untrue Story, a biographical exploration of Charlotte d’Éon de Beaumont, the world’s first transgender spy (currently in early development).

Wench

Charity Trimm

Unmasked

Bishal Roy

Rich Brown

Thabo Mokolobate

As I trace the journey of coffee — from seed to soil, harvest to roast, grind to cup — the language shifts. What begins as an ode to espresso becomes a testimony about mob justice, necklacing, and the trauma of witnessing violence in the townships of Soweto. My addiction to coffee becomes my coping mechanism to deal with this traumatic experience because it helps me hide the pain. At the heart of the work is a coined concept: Rich Brown. A colour holding two truths — the tone of specialty coffee at peak roast and the skin of a Black/ Brown man carrying histories across continents. The work asks: what does it mean to be consumed without being truly seen? Whose labour is invisible inside the things we enjoy most? Audiences will experience spoken word woven with music and movement — a performance language built to hold both grief and defiance.