Poster promoting High Heels In Low Places a theatre performance by legendary Irish drag performer Panti Bliss as part of Brighton Pride 2015 celebrations. The performance was produced by Marlborough Productions, formerly Pink Fringe and took place at The Spire, July 31st 2015.
The following items were donated to the archive by Dave Dale in 2022. The collection of 9 photos, taken by Dave Dale, depict a variety of marchers, musicians, artists and creatives walking along East Street in 1994. They were submitted via the Queer Heritage South website, with the following comment attached to each individual photo:
"In 1994, the Pride march came along East Street, heading south. I owned a couple of bookshops in East Street ('Read All About It', at Nos 69 and 10), and we were about to move them into one bigger unit at No. 68. As the procession passed the shops, I took a few photos, as I had my camera with me, taking photos of the new shop's fitting-out. It was a wonderful day, with colour, laughter, noise and celebration filling the air. A day I've never forgotten."
Context: Though originally described as a Pride march, these images are likely to depict the Children's Parade. The parade theme in 1994 was "Ship of Fools" If you recognise the parade and have any further details, please get in contact with us.
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."
A collection of images from Siren's show 'Bubbles'.
1. This shows Jane Boston in ‘Bubbles’, taken for a performance in Deptford, London.
2. This shows Hilary Ramsden inn ‘Bubbles’, taken for a performance in Deptford, London.
A collection of images from Siren's cabaret show 'Chic to Chic'. These images show Siren performing ‘Chic to Chic’ in the open air stage at the Vondelpark, Amsterdam.
A collection of images from Siren's cabaret show 'Chic to Chic', in London.
1. This shows Hilary Ramsden and Jude Winter performing in Siren’s cabaret, ‘Chic to Chic’. Photo taken by Alix Adams.
2. This shows Jude Winter and Hilary Ramsden and Jane Boston performing in Siren’s cabaret, ‘Chic to Chic’. Photo taken by Alix Adams.
3. This shows Tash Fairbanks and Hilary Ramsden in ‘Chic to Chic’. Photo taken by Alix Adams.
4. This shows Tash Fairbanks wearing her ‘Keep GLC Working for London’ badge. The Greater London Council was abolished in the month that this photo was taken, March 1986. Photo taken by Alix Adams. Siren wrote a song which they performed as a band called ‘GLC” about what the GLC had funded for women, especially for young women and girls - ‘Girls Nights’ at many youth clubs.
5. This shows Hilary Ramsden, Jude Winter, Jane Boston and Tash Fairbanks in ‘Chic to Chic’. Taken by Cherry Potts.
A collection of images from Siren's show 'Curfew'.
1. This shows a photo of Jane Boston as Charlene and Tasha Fairbanks as Tracey in ‘Curfew’.
2. This shows a photo of Jude Winter and Tasha Fairbanks in ‘Curfew’.
3. This shows a photo of Jude Winter, Tasha Fairbanks and Jane Boston in ‘Curfew’.
A collection of images from Siren's show 'From the Divine'.
1. This shows a photo of Tasha Fairbanks as Harry, together with the ventriloquist’s dummy, also called Harry. Tasha learnt ventriloquism from a book she took out of the library, leading up to the show. In most of the plays, it was mainly Tasha who cross-dressed to take the male parts.
2. This shows two photos from the contact sheet of photos of “From the Divine’. The first is of Jude Winter as Lily dancing with Tasha Fairbanks as Harry. The second is of Jane Boston as Ruby, with Tasha Fairbanks and Jude Winter. Although Siren always requested the return of their photos, this often did not happen, leaving the company without the original prints, hence the use of the contact sheet to show some of the images.
3. This shows a photo from the contact sheet of photos of ‘From the Divine’. It is over Jude Winter as Lily the ‘sweet good girl,’ dancing to the music of Jane Boston as Ruby, the ‘naughty bad girl’, as women were often portrayed during the war. Siren began embracing glamour for this play, leaving behind much of the agitprop look of the earlier shows.
A collection of images from Siren's play 'Hotel Destiny'.
1. This shows a photo of Jane Boston as ‘Blame’.
2. The photos show Siren members Jude Winter and Hilary Ramsden on-stage and off-stage. Both Hilary and Jude were prone to ‘corpsing’ on stage and off stage, enjoying each other’s performance rather too much! (Colour photo taken by unknown photographer).
3. This shows the full cast of ‘Hotel Destiny; Tash Fairbanks as Chance, Hilary Ramsden as Miss Evans, Jude Winter as Rough and Jane Boston as Blame.
4. This shows Jane Boston as Blame and Tash Fairbanks as Chance.
A collection of images from Siren's show 'Mama's Gone A'Hunting'.
1. This shows a photo of one of the first performances of Mama’s Gone A’Hunting, with Jane Boston, Jude Winter and Tash Fairbanks. Taken by Susy Taylor.
2. This shows a photo of Jude Winter, Jane Boston and Tash Fairbanks in Mama’s Gone A-Hunting. Taken by Dianne Ceresa.
3. This shows a photo of Jude Winter and Tash Fairbanks in Mama’s Gone A-Hunting. Taken by Dianne Ceresa.
4. This shows a photo of Tash Fairbanks in the foreground as Man, and Jane Boston behind her, as the Judge. Taken by Dianne Ceresa.
5. This is one of the few colour photos of Mama’s Gone A’Hunting, showing Jude Winter, Tash Fairbanks and Jane Boston, together with a life-size dummy of a man. Taken by Susy Taylor.
A collection of images from Siren's show 'Now Wash Your Hands Please'.
1. This shows a photo for ‘Now Wash Your Hands Please’. Pictured from left to right Jude Winter as P.R, Hilary Ramsden as Phyllis, and Tasha Fairbanks as Polly.
2. This shows a photo of Jude Winter as P.R and Tasha Fairbanks as Bert, dressed in a train conductor's uniform.
3. This shows a photo of Jude Winter as P.R. and Tash Fairbanks as Bert in a train conductor's uniform, wrapped in toilet roll.
A collection of images from Siren's show 'Pulp'.
1. This shows a photo of Hilary Ramsden as Kay in ‘Pulp”.
2. This shows a photo of Jane Boston as Magda and Jude Winter as Heddy in ‘Pulp’.
3. This shows a photo of the full cast of ‘Pulp’; Jude Winter as Heddy, Jane Boston as Magda, Hilary Ramsden as Kay, Tashha Fairbanks as Dolores.
A brochure of queer cultural events taking place from February 2014 - April 2014 in venues across Brighton & Hove supported by Arts Council England and Brighton & Hove City Council.
The programme features:
New Ways of Living by acclaimed choreographer Gary Clarke
The Tammy Show by Lois Weaver from legendary lesbian theatre company Split Britches
Women's House by Sh!t Theatre
If You Want Bigger Yorkshire Puddings You Need A Bigger Tin by Lucy Hutson
We Object by Figs in Wigs
Ruff by Peggy Shaw / Split Britches
Women's Day Spectacular co produced with Traumfrau
Quit Playing With Yourself featuring new work from Ginger Johnson and Jo Bannon
Hurt Me by David Hoyle
Performr a new digital commission from Marlborough Productions
Digital Reproduction of the centre pages and back page of the programme for the Siren Play 'From the Divine'.
1. This shows the people involved in the production, as well as a breakdown of scenes in Act 1 and Act 2 of the play.
The programme acknowledges funding (for the first time) for Siren from South East Arts Association and Eastern Arts Association.
2. This shows an advert from the GLC Women’s Committee welcoming Siren to London with its anti-war play, ‘From the Divine’. It has an image of the GLC Peace Statue from the South Bank in London.