my name is Rhys Williams, a 20 year old British, transgender, Artist - based in the UK and Berlin. I am freshly graduated with a BA in screen acting from Catalyst Institute in Berlin. I previously studied acting and theatre production in Liverpool (LIPA) and London (National Youth theatre) - I created my show "The Queen's Head." for a final university project, having in mind that I wanted to do so much more with it after uni.
After a few performances in Berlin, I knew even more the potential of my work and pushed myself to send it to festivals and make it into a product that I can use as a booster to commence my career officially as an actress: perform and promote my own work everyday for new audiences, embody my characters fully, gain experience, create opportunities for more work, connect and network on a huge scale, find agency representation in the UK and EU for Theatre and Film and most importantly show the Fringe how much this generation of trans artists are capable of. To make all this happen, I'm afraid I need your help!!
Genre of my show: Comedic, Period drama, Cabaret.
Important themes in my show: Transness, The erasure of Queer and Trans history, Sex, Gender.
I wish to normalise and centre narratives about sex and gender from marginalised perspectives through a lens of celebration and entertainment that is designed to amuse, provoke, anger, seduce and educate audiences all around the world. A wave of trans-centered art and true representation. I wish for society to prioritise and platform this generation of young trans/Q*T BIPOC artists! They exist and deserve to thrive.
My show is unique because I am bringing Victorian-era trans and queer people back to life for a modern audience and I do it all by myself! Jumping from character to character in an absurd manner, forcing the audiences to give in to the reality of "The Queen's Head."
Simply existing as trans on a stage as large as the fringe is political. The rawness of presenting a performer with a trans body, ambiguous to sex and gender, to an audience, whilst that performer is defying many "laws" of gender, whilst playing all the roles, represents the range of gender expression and therefore opens minds/conversations and breaks down stigmas that are actively dangerous towards trans people. I will remind the UK how necessary trans people are to world of Art and Theatre.
My show is running for over three weeks at Edinburgh fringe which excites me a lot in terms of performance. However, I want to ensure that ,prior to the beginning of my show run, I have done as much as I can in my power to get the word out and be prepared in every sense of the word.
I am very lucky to have reached this point in the process. A percentage of my venue and accommodation fees have been paid with the keep it fringe fund which I applied for and luckily won a few months ago.
With any money raised from now until the fringe - it will mainly be for marketing: paying for promo packages, printing thousands of leaflets and posters during my run, contacting possible sponsors etc. this costs a lot of money that I do not have.
I need to travel to the fringe and I need to live in Edinburgh for a month, I can do this as cheaply as possible but there are some large costs that are inevitable.
I have my own costume, makeup and minimal set/props but a few new accessories and products of these are necessary in order to eliminate future mishaps when performing day after day and to raise my production standard as the fringe goes on.
Please consider sharing my work and this crowd funding page as I am grateful for any exposure and I know this will benefit me in the long term.
Thank you so much in advance for any donations made. from 10p to £10 this is GOING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE!!!
thank you for reading.
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Rhysy Williams x
the creator and performer of "The Queen's Head."
