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"Gender Blinder"

12/10/19

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Notorious turn-of-the-century fictional Birmingham crime boss, Thomas Shelby, has traveled in time to a student house party in present-day Manchester in search of a more accepting audience to whom he can confide his, up until now, intensely repressed feminine urges.

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"Hello... everyone, my names Tommy. I'm a Peaky Blinder. How did I get here? Can I tell you something? Something I trust you won't repeat. It's hard to explain. But I think if I can explain it to anyone - it's you. Strangers.  Not from my time. Not from Birmingham. It's a delicate subject. But id like to tell you. Due to the delicate nature of this subject and the partial nudity within this routine you are about it see I kindly ask you - to put away your phones. No filming, no filming, no fucking filming. 

You see I'm a man. But sometimes I don't feel like a man... sometimes I feel like I'm pretending... it's funny... I feel like I'm pretending right now. 

I have to show you. I can't explain it with words... Can I show you? 

Thank you."

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Materials: 

Authentic 1940's three-piece woollen suit - generously loaned by Kate Woodiwiss, wool scarf, linen shirt, cufflinks, tie pin, woollen baker boy hat, 7 sellotapes covered razor blades, red lipstick, nylon stocking, lace nightie, foil confetti, men's underwear, and skin-tight man's body illusion leotard. 

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The video above shows the first performance of this routine that took place at "ANGELA WILLAMEN HAS 6 TOES" - a performance event at Wimbledon College of Art organised by Kyran Gilbert, Rachel Lonsdale, and myself. Hosted by Kyran Gilbert - 11/10/19