This shows a review of the play ‘ Hotel Destiny’ which was performed at The Oval House Theatre.
The review is generally positive, with some negative remarks, but states that the performance "is an evening of lesbian affirmation with mixed pleasures - ingenious, gently laconic without being fully satisfying, subversive without truly detonating."
The review was written after a performance at the Drill Hall in London.
Bardsley writes that "Siren have always been mesmerised by the idea of time travel, they move their performances through both past and future and around a central theme of DANGER: the danger of lesbian sexuality (and of any kind of 'otherness') to straight society."
The event that this flyer refers to was the launch of The Dyke Collective manifesto on the 24th April 2025, held at Dyke Night, a weekly queer social event at The Actors pub, Brighton.
The Brighton Dyke Collective participated in a manifesto-writing workshop with Exploding Appendix in early 2024, and the manifesto was created as a group effort to set the tone for the Collective's future. The event included dykey activities and performances to spread the word that inclusive political action is taking place within the community. Bringing the manifesto launch to this space directly politicised it. The event was designed to celebrate dyke culture with performances, an arm wrestling station, and a table for Queers for Palestine, selling copies of the DC manifesto as part of the regular fundraising effort at the Actors. The manifesto is central to the collective and has inspired lots of dykes to get involved. The DC put these posters all around town, in The Queery, at the Universities, pubs, coffee shops, and bars. The event was a great night, with our Chair MCing, poetry from local dyke poets, music, and a reading of our manifesto to finish the night, read by members of the collective.
1. This shows the cover of the Contemporary Theatre Studies book called Feminist Stages. Tasha Fairbanks from Siren is interviewed in the book and discusses why gender and sexuality matter so much to her.
2. This shows a photo from the book of Jude Winter from Siren in 'Pulp' (1985).
These are handwritten notes taken during The Brighton Dyke Collective manifesto writing workshop, ran by the research group Exploding Appendix, in March 2024. In this workshop Dykes were encouraged to ask what they wanted from their manifesto, what they wanted to say and achieve in their work, and how best to mobilise dykes in their city. These notes explore the role of thinking about utopia, rage, community, queerness and other topics when it comes to creating their manifesto.
Janet tells Roni and David which are the objects that would best tell her personal queer story.
Recorded on October 20, 2020
Janet Jones grew up in West Yorkshire and lives in Brighton. She is a writer, queer and disability-rights activist, film makers, and all round source of many stories and anecdotes.
In this interview Janet talks about her youth, self-discovery, writing and performing during the AIDS crisis, activism, death, life, and joy!
Recorded on October 20, 2020, on Janet's balcony in Brighton, as part of the My Queer Museum podcast series
Interview by: Roni Guetta and David Sheppeard
Editing and original music by Olive Mondegreen
Latex Theatre was initiated as part of a sexual health project, in Leeds, in the early 90s. The group met weekly in the AIDS Advice Centre, and wrote collectively and individually.
1. A manuscript of a poem that Janet co-wrote in 1994 with her partner. The poem was read and performed on tour across the country.
2. A photograph of Janet and another member of Latex theatre performing a short piece at London Pride between 1993 and 1995.
The piece was short and punchy and delivered in an angry tone. Each of the sentences was made from tabloid newspaper headlines, and the homophobic language used around HIV/AIDS.
"AIDS, you're better off dead.
AIDS, a bullet in the head.
AIDS, you made your bed, lay on it"
3. Stupid Bastard: a sketch written by Janet Jones for Latex Theatre in 1993. The piece is a commentary on current legislation on AIDS, rape, MSM, the prison population, the age of consent, and drug use.
This review was done after a performance of ‘Pulp’ at the Premises, Norwich Arts Centre.
"Siren, here acting women with 'pasts'...will, without a doubt, make it even bigger in the future."