Milk Presents is an LGBTQIA+ theatre company based in Derby in the United Kingdom.

Company

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The theatre company is an associate company of Derby Theatre.[1][2] In addition to producing theatrical works, the company also creates films, audio-plays, and photography, and organizes community residencies, workshops, club nights, symposiums, book groups, etc. Milk Presents tours its productions both nationally and globally.[1][3]

History

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Milk Presents was founded in 2010 by Leo Skilbeck, Ruby Glaskin, and Adam Robertson after they graduated from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama.[4][1]

Productions

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The company's very first theatre show was 454 Grams in 2010, a postdramatic retelling of Shakespeare’s play The Merchant of Venice.[5][6] Next, the company became an associate company of The Point in Eastleigh in 2011 and produced its first full-length shows: Bluebeard: A Fairytale for Adults and A Real Man’s Guide To Sainthood.[1][4][7][8] Bluebeard: A Fairytale for Adults was based on Charles Perrault’s French folktale Bluebeard.[9] A Real Man’s Guide To Sainthood was powered by bikes and used projectors, and was a retelling of the story of Saint George.[10][11][12][13][14][15]

It then produced Milk Presents: Self Service (2013 - 2014), which explored the meaning of "queer" with original music, animations, and comedy.[16][17][18] The company then became an associate company of Derby Theatre in 2015.[8] At Derby Theatre, the company produced JOAN and BULLISH. JOAN portrayed the story of Joan of Arc and was performed by LJ Parkinson.[19][1][20] BULLISH was a retelling of the Minotaur myth.[21][22][23] It was launched at the Camden People’s Theatre, who commissioned the production alongside the Jerwood Charitable Foundation.[24][25][26][27][22] Formerly named BODIY, BULLISH was the Camden People’s Theatre's first Home Run commission after an extensive period of selection process.[28][29]

Milk Presents then became an associate company of the Bush Theatre (2016-17).[8] Around the same time in April 2017, the company was commissioned to host a "Bromance Cabaret" at the Wellcome Collection as part of their "Macho?" late-night event.[1][30][31][32][33][34]

In August 2021, Milk Presents and Derby Theatre premiered co-production Marty and the Party, a show for young audiences.[35][36][37]

In December 2021, in partnership with Derby Theatre, the company launched a new audio cabaret, The Pervert’s Podcast.[38] This audio cabaret is presented by Milk Presents and co-produced by She Wants A Dog, a production company formed by a partnership between arts producers Pippa Frith and Kate Chapman that was focused on commissioning artists and producing creative work for podcasts.[39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47]

In 2023, Milk Presents co-produced Modest with theatre company Middle Child.[48][49][50][51]

Awards

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The theatre company's production JOAN won the Scotsman Fringe First Award, The Stage Award, and Spirit of the Fringe Award at the 2016 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.[52][53][20] The production also won the Off West End Award in 2018.[21][54]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f "About Milk Presents". Milk Presents. Retrieved 2023-07-22.
  2. ^ "Theatre news: Derby Theatre appoints associate companies". British Theatre Guide. Retrieved 2024-01-18.
  3. ^ "Milk Presents - Queer artist led company making performance, theatre and film". Milk Presents.
  4. ^ a b Gardner, Lyn (2011-08-11). "New Edinburgh act of the day: Milk Presents". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-01-17.
  5. ^ Hislop, Chris (2010-08-06). "454 Grams". FringeReview. Retrieved 2024-01-22.
  6. ^ "454 Grams | Milk Presents | Queer Theatre". Milk Presents. Retrieved 2024-01-22.
  7. ^ Orr, Jake (2012-08-05). "Edinburgh Fringe Review: A Real Man's Guide To Sainthood". A Younger Theatre. Retrieved 2024-01-22.
  8. ^ a b c "Milk Presents". www.bushtheatre.co.uk. Retrieved 2024-01-22.
  9. ^ "Bluebeard: A Fairytale for Adults | Milk Presents | Queer Theatre". Milk Presents. Retrieved 2024-01-22.
  10. ^ "A Real Man's Guide to Sainthood | Milk Presents | Queer Theatre". Milk Presents. Retrieved 2024-01-22.
  11. ^ "A Real Man's Guide to Sainthood". Time Out London. 2013-09-13. Retrieved 2024-01-22.
  12. ^ Sullivan, Hannah (2012-08-06). "A Real Man's Guide to Sainthood". FringeReview. Retrieved 2024-01-23.
  13. ^ Orr, Jake (2012-08-05). "Edinburgh Fringe Review: A Real Man's Guide To Sainthood". A Younger Theatre. Retrieved 2024-01-23.
  14. ^ "A saintly story - West Notts College". www.wnc.ac.uk. Retrieved 2024-01-23.
  15. ^ Gardner, Lyn (2012-07-20). "What to see: Lyn Gardner's theatre tips". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-01-23.
  16. ^ "Milk Presents: Self Service | Milk Presents | Queer Theatre". Milk Presents. Retrieved 2024-01-23.
  17. ^ "Milk Presents: Self Service". Fest Magazine. 2014-08-09. Retrieved 2024-01-23.
  18. ^ "Milk Presents: Self Service". theweereview.com. Retrieved 2024-01-23.
  19. ^ "Dreaming up Joan". Times of Malta. 2018-05-20.
  20. ^ a b Orme, Steve (11 September 2016). "Theatre news: Derby production lifts three Edinburgh Fringe awards". British Theatre Guide. Retrieved 2024-01-17.
  21. ^ a b Mason, Roberta (2018-11-20). "Bullish tour hits the Millennium Centre". jomec.co.uk/altcardiff. Retrieved 2024-01-18.
  22. ^ a b "BULLISH | Milk Presents | Queer Theatre". Milk Presents. Retrieved 2024-01-24.
  23. ^ Gardner, Lyn (2017-09-19). "Bullish review – gold horns and glitter beards in minotaur cabaret". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-01-24.
  24. ^ Stewart, Greg (2017-09-07). "Interview: Lucy J Skilbeck Co-Creator of Bullish". Theatre Weekly. Retrieved 2024-01-24.
  25. ^ "Milk Present and Camden People's Theatre present BULLISH, London". Disability Arts Online. Retrieved 2024-01-24.
  26. ^ Greenstreet, Hannah (September 18, 2017). "Review: Bullish at Camden People's Theatre". exeuntmagazine.com.
  27. ^ "Bullish". Camden People's Theatre. Retrieved 2024-01-24.
  28. ^ "Camden People's Theatre's first Home Run commission announced". Jerwood Arts. 2016-08-10. Archived from the original on January 28, 2023. Retrieved 2024-01-24.
  29. ^ Swain, Marianka. "Milk Presents Is First Recipient of Camden People's Theatre's Home Run Commission". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2024-01-24.
  30. ^ "Man! I feel like a....night at Wellcome Collection exploring masculinity". Wellcome Collection. Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved 2024-01-29.
  31. ^ "Bromance | LGTBQ+ Event". Milk Presents. Archived from the original on June 21, 2023. Retrieved 2024-01-29.
  32. ^ "One Tenth Human | Macho". Archived from the original on May 18, 2022. Retrieved 2024-01-29.
  33. ^ Haigh, Joshua (2017-03-29). "Wellcome Collection announces late night spectacular 'Macho?'". Attitude. Retrieved 2024-01-29.
  34. ^ "Macho? | Things to do in London". Time Out London. 2017-03-28. Retrieved 2024-01-29.
  35. ^ "Marty and the Party announced as new Milk Presents co-production for under 5s – Derby Theatre". Retrieved 2024-04-18.
  36. ^ "Marty and the Party | Milk Presents | Queer Theatre". Milk Presents. Retrieved 2024-04-18.
  37. ^ "Party show for little children at Derbyshire theatre". derbyshiretimes.co.uk. July 29, 2021.
  38. ^ "Leo Skilbeck talks 'The Pervert's Podcast': "It's wise to assume that 'progress' isn't linear"". First Night Magazine. 2022-05-09.
  39. ^ "Theatre news: New podcast series "unpicks complex topics"". British Theatre Guide. 30 October 2021.
  40. ^ "Milk Presents The Pervert's Podcast - queer audio cabaret from She Wants a Dog and Milk Presents". Milk Presents. Retrieved 2024-01-29.
  41. ^ "Perverts Podcast". Trans Creative. Retrieved 2024-01-30.
  42. ^ "Free things to do in Manchester this week FT Castle Fine Art, New Union Hotel and more". Manchester Wire. Retrieved 2024-01-30.
  43. ^ Rabinowitz, Chloe. "Listen: SHE WANTS A DOG Launches New Podcast Series THE PERVERT'S PODCAST". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2024-01-30.
  44. ^ "She Wants A Dog launches third brand new podcast series THE PERVERT'S PODCAST". CURTAINCALL. 2022-02-25. Retrieved 2024-01-30.
  45. ^ Stewart, Greg (2021-12-16). "Interview: Pippa Frith on She Wants A Dog's New Series of Podcasts". Theatre Weekly. Retrieved 2024-01-30.
  46. ^ "Pervert's Podcast at The New Union". Canal St Online. Retrieved 2024-01-30.
  47. ^ "She Wants A Dog". pippadoesproducing. Retrieved 2024-01-30.
  48. ^ Tripney, Natasha (18 April 2023). "'She was transgressing expectations': the Victorian war artist who inspired a drag show". The Guardian. Retrieved 2023-07-22.
  49. ^ "Kiln Theatre presents Modest". Culture Whisper. Retrieved 2024-01-17.
  50. ^ "Modest | Milk Presents | Queer Theatre". Milk Presents. Retrieved 2024-01-29.
  51. ^ "Modest". Visit Hull. Retrieved 2024-01-29.
  52. ^ "Preview: JOAN by Milk Presents". Theatre Weekly. 2017-02-21. Retrieved 2024-01-17.
  53. ^ "Milk Presents | Artists & Performers". Camden People's Theatre. Retrieved 2024-01-17.
  54. ^ "JOAN | Milk Presents | Queer Theatre". Milk Presents. Retrieved 2024-01-18.
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