Meet Sweetheart, Honey, Babygirl and their emotional / feral support dog - as they attempt to figure out the answer to Haddaway's infamous question: what is love?

As our trio transform the home into a combat arena, old wounds become weapons and the complexities of abuse are wrestled with: that love, gentleness, safety and softness can and often do cohabit with hate, harm, and imminent threat. 

Bad Lesbians is an exploration of queer intimate partner violence through a blend of offbeat humour and knowing discomfort. In this story, it’s implicit that we’re all complicit. 

Who is the villain, when all of us have the ability to cause harm, be harmed and to look away from harm? Whose responsibility is it to call out what we see? How do we exit the dreamhouse? And what really makes a Bad Lesbian, anyway?

The Bad Lesbians Artistic Team is:

Toni-Dee Paul - Lead Artist and Performer

Samra Mayanja - Creative Collaborator and Performer

Liv Ello - Creative Collaborator and Performer

Jo Tyabji - Creative Collaborator and Director

Liv Walters - Designer 

Steph Daniels - Sound Designer

Haley Yiu - Lighting Designer

Emmy Lahouel - Movement Consultant

Stacey Potter - Production Manager

Rose Thorn - Artist Wellbeing Support 

Joana Nastari - Intimacy Coordinator 

Ways to See Bad Lesbians 

After a summer of work-in-progress showings - including Camden People’s Theatre and Edinburgh Festival Fringe - Bad Lesbians has a four show preview run at Friction Arts in Birmingham this November.

Tickets are on sale now.

Access Information

Friction Arts, Birmingham

Friction has step-free access and there will be wheelchair spaces available.

There are accessible and gender neutral toilets on-site. 

There are limited car parking spaces on-site, when tickets go on sale we will tell you how you contact us to request one. There is also nearby on-street parking. 

Will will provide ear defenders, fidget toys and hand sanitisers for anyone who would appreciate them.

There will be a quiet space available for audience members during and after the performance. 

There will be a range of seating options, and we will invite you to let us know of any requests when booking your ticket. 

Taking influence from relaxed performances, audiences can tick and stim, make noise as they need and leave and return to the performance space as needed. Audiences should note however, there may be some loud noises and bright lights during the show.

The space will be ventilated pre and post performance.

Selina Thompson Ltd is an interdisciplinary performance and visual arts organisation based in Birmingham, UK.

Our practice is primarily intimate, political and participatory, with a strong standard of public engagement and investigation. We make joyous, highly visual work that seeks to connect to those often marginalised by the arts.

Our work has been presented in a range of contexts, all over the world. From pubs, clubs and toilets, to the National Theatre Studio and the British Council Showcase, amongst other divers venues.

In 2023, STL joined Arts Council England’s National Portfolio for the first time.