Jon Brittain’s romantic comedy, Rotterdam, has led the way about transgender stories on stage, blending the laugh-out-loud funny with the dab-your-eyes tender. Now, after its triumphant win at the 2017 Olivier Awards and a sell-out run in New York, his tale about gender and sexuality comes to Birmingham Repertory Theatre from 20 – 22 May.
Alice and Fiona’s relationship appears to be going well. It's New Year in Rotterdam, and Alice has finally plucked up the courage to email her parents and tell them she's gay. But before she can hit send, her girlfriend Fiona reveals that he has always identified as male and now wants to start living as a man named Adrian. Now, as Adrian confronts the reality of his transition, Alice faces a question she never thought she'd ask... does this mean she's straight?
Jon was inspired to write Rotterdam after several of his friends transitioned in the late 2000s. He became aware of the absence of transgender stories in pop culture and wanted to address this on the stage. Through writing this show, he researched and consulted widely including talking to trans people and their partners, conducting a reading for members of trans communities and discussing the show with various organisations, including Trans Media Watch who then endorsed Rotterdam, and the charity Gendered Intelligence, who the company dedicated their Olivier award to. In the time Brittain was writing the play, the visibility of the trans community has radically changed. “When Rotterdam first came on, it was the summer after Caitlyn Jenner announced her transition, and there was a part of me that worried it would look cynical. Will people think this is something I’d knocked up in a few months to capitalise on it?” he confessed in an interview in 2017. But now, Brittain is simply happy to be one story in an “eco-system” of different trans narratives gaining attention. Jon Brittain is a playwright, comedy writer and director. His critically acclaimed play Rotterdamearned him a nomination for the Charles Wintour Award for Most Promising Playwright at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards in 2016 and won the Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre in 2017. It was adapted for Radio 3 this year. Other work includes the cult hit shows Margaret Thatcher Queen of Soho and its sequel Margaret Thatcher Queen of Game Shows, and the Scotsman Fringe First Award-winning musical A Super Happy Story (About Feeling Super Sad). He directed John Kearns's Fosters Award winning shows Sight Gags for Perverts and Shtick and the follow-up Don’t Bother, They’re Here, and Tom Allen's shows Both Worlds, Indeed and Absolutely. He is currently working on a musical adaptation of David Walliams' book Billionaire Boy, commissions for HBO and the National Theatre, and is a staff writer on Netflix’s The Crown.
Directed by Donnacadh O’Briain, the cast includes Trans non-binary actor Lucy Jane Parkinson(multi award-winning Joan, international tour; Communion, Young Vic; DragKing Cabaret artiste ‘LoUis CYfer’) will star as Fiona/Adrian, playing opposite Bethan Cullinane (Salt, Theatre503; King Lear, RSC; Othello, Globe Theatre) as Alice. Trans actor Elijah W Harris (And The Rest of Me Floats, Bush Theatre; The Butch Monologues, Birmingham Rep,) will play Alice’s lovable brother Josh and Ellie Morris (The Comedy About A Bank Robbery, Criterion; Peter Pan Goes Wrong, Apollo Theatre and BBC1) returns to the production to play Dutch partygoer Lelani.
Actor Elijah Harris says of the play: “Trans stories told by trans people are vital to the progression of theatre. I grew up in the Midlands and seeing something like Rotterdam when I was younger would have been life changing. I was drawn to the play for that very reason- to be able to bring this story to people all over the country, challenge perspectives and, more importantly, reach trans and non-binary people who cannot see themselves represented in popular culture. I am thrilled to be playing the part of Josh and so excited to be able to be a visible trans person in the role of the cis-gendered brother!”
Rotterdam is designed by Ellan Parry with lighting design by Richard Williamson and sound design by Keegan Curran.
Rotterdam was recently co-produced in Los Angeles by Hartshorn – Hook Productions and Skylight Theatre where the production won the top award at the Los Angeles Drama Critics’ Circle Awards jointly with Hamilton.
