"Gender Blinder"
12/10/19
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.
"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."
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.
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