WHO WE ARE
We
are Fag Packet! We are Cheski & Holly! An award winning cabaret company who are looking to leave the East London Queer basements for a shot at the Edinburgh cellars...
SO BOOK YOUR PLANE,TRAIN, CAR OR HECK EVEN HITCHHIKE as you won't wanna miss it!
We have cut our teeth doing a bit of everything - drag, singing & dancing, burlesque and now…theatre making! And now we are so excited to be bringing up our first full length show, DYKE Systems Ltd and are over the moon to announce we will be performing at the Pleasance! For a small and relatively new company this opportunity is crazy to us and we are so grateful.
But we need your support to help get us there!
We are bringing to Edinburgh the story of Sally and Susan, two suburban women looking for new recruits for their 'very lucrative business opportunity’ that is definitely, NO DEFINITELY NOT a Pyramid scheme. It’s DIRECT SALES. Sally and Susan will be leading the seminar to support our audiences to tap into their inner
Dynamic, Young, Knowledgeable, Entrepreneur!
and get filthy rich! But not all is well in the DYKE Systems Ltd universe, as mysterious phone calls plague our protagonists and questions keep swirling round their business practices. Grab your wallet, your carabiners and get ready for a Tupperware party that will go down in history...
WHY THIS SHOW?
We are so excited to bring this show to wider audiences and think this the perfect time to do it given the political and social landscape we are currently living in!
Set in the 1990s, right before the internet allowed MLMs (Multi Level Marketing) to spread like never before, the show explores the ever-evolving landscape of financial exploitation and the pitfalls of choice feminism—through a queer and feminist lens. It explores what it is like to have your queerness repressed at the expense of fitting in, what it means to make a contract with the patriarchy and offers a space for audiences to explore the intersections of queerness, feminism, and capitalism - whilst being (we hope) very funny, silly and absurd! Inspired by the greats John Waters, Leigh Bowery, all of the amazing queer cabaret performers across the UK drag scene, clowning and alternative comedy styles!
Our company is responding to the swathe of queer venues closing down (more than half of London's LGBTQ+ venues since 2006) and we want to ensure that we are creating space for queer audiences to have their stories shared and celebrated, as well as working with incredible queer creatives in the process.
WHAT WE NEED THE MONEY FOR
Building on the success of the self funded initial R&D for DYKE Systems Ltd, which resulted in two sell-out cabarets at The Divine and Shoreditch Town Hall, we want to work with a creative team to fully realise the show, developing it into a full-length piece of theatre!
We are so excited to be bringing our mix of camp madness to the Pleasance in Edinburgh and we have been lucky to work with some lovely partners who have helped us put our show on its feet with in kind rehearsal space, advice and direction.
BUT!
Although we have been lucky to rely on our pals and partners, we still need to fundraise to make the show of our dreams and hire amazing queer creatives!
Your money will go toward:
Technical equipment: helping us hire the butch tech of our dreams and ensure we have the right tech equipment to keep the SHOW ON THE ROAD!
Props, set and costume - support us to hire queer designers that will help bring the costumes and set to life! We want to ensure Sally and Susan have the "best" 90s inspired BIZNESS suits to really SELL Dykes Systems Ltd. This means hiring costume designers to help us and WIGS don't forget WIGs.
So far, we could only dream of having a set that enhances the world and helps you the audience INVEST in the dyke dream... is it a dream... is it reality? We want to hire the best in the business and help us to create the world on stage we have been hoping for! Think PINK, think Mess, Think BIG
The creative team - It is important to us that we work with queer creatives to support our vision for the show whilst using their incredible skills. Your money will allow us to pay creatives a fair wage to help us to build the Dyke System LTD world - think lighting & sound design, costume, movement, direction etc.. this will bring our full vision to life
Edinburgh costs - Your money will also support some of the costs we need for Edinburgh including travel, accommodation and so we can eat (although that bit really isn't as important)
WHATS IN IT FOR YOU?
We have already had a staggering amount of support from some amazing people, places and things! It has shown to us there is something to keep going with this show and something that people seem keen to help us achieve! We are so grateful for everyone that has helped give advice, time, support and more and we WANT TO KEEP GOING!
If you can spare some cash to help us get there it would be amazing and for your donation you will receive a gift! Check out our rewards page AWOOGA (sexy surprise a GO GO)
If you cant spare cash but can reach out to rich dykes, share this page or spread the word via our Instagram page we will be and are internally grateful.
Neither of us have ever performed at the fringe and a couple of years ago would not have though this even possible!
MASSIVE THANK YOU SO FAR TO:
Shoreditch town hall for all your support and ongoing care and mentorship
The pleasance and all the amazing people in it supporting us to get to Edinburgh
The Divine for letting us be silly billies in your basement
The Komedia for believing in us
Lucy Allan for being a badass director and supporting us through it all
Ben Burrata for mentorship and keeping our heads to the ground
The Queer community, everyone who has come seen the show or been a part of our cabarets, given us a shout out or kind message!
LOVE YOU ALL <3
LETS GET THESE DYKES TO EDINBURGH