Unique and Powerful Musical Queerway To Play Wales Millennium Centre.

Thomas Howells previews Queerway, a new musical for LGBTQ+ month at Wales Millennium Centre.

QueerWay is a unique and powerful musical about LGBTQ+ people from the South Wales Valleys, it will be performed in February 2023, to celebrate LGBTQ+ History Month.

QueerWay has a wide variety of popular songs from the LGBTQ+ community. Some of the songs in the mix are about parental love for transgender children, anthems referencing songs by legendary performers like Judy Garland and Sister Sledge, and a song about a trans person’s coming out.

The politics of organising Rhondda Pride are also important to QueerWay, as director Luke Hereford has written and performed the Edinburgh Fringe show Grandmother’s Closet, which won five stars from the Edinburgh Fringe review website, The Times. Composer Geraint Owen is the Associate Musical Director for the UK tour of QueerWay, and he is from Broadway.

This song cycle celebrates the strength of LGBTQ+ people, who refuse to be limited by traditional notions of what is “normal.” Written, directed, and devised by Luke Hereford, the music was composed with the help of multi-instrumentalist Branwen Munn.

Director Luke Hereford is a highly accomplished writer and performer who has directed and written a highly successful show in Edinburgh called Wales. He is also the associate musical director for a UK tour of the London Coliseum/ENO production of My Fair Lady. Connor Fogol is a highly accomplished musician who has worked with some of the world’s most famous artists, like Madonna and Lady Miss Keir.

QueerWay theater company represents LGBTQ+ performers from the South Valleys and they are all doing excellent work. Up-and-coming drag king Ren Simons performs as Justin King and he has appeared in the night Transition at Cardiff’s The Queer Emporium. Anne-Maria Piazza has performed in Beauty Parade at Wales Millennium Centre and played the lead role of Laura in Brief Encounter (co-produced by the Stephen Joseph Theatre, Theatre by the Lake, and Bolton Octagon). At each venue, QueerWay has BSL interpretation by Sami Dunn. Leeway also has developed the QueerWay Collective, a group of young LGBTQ+ people and their allies exploring the LGBTQ+ culture of the Valleys and their own identity through musical theater and other art forms. The QueerWay Collective is led by Hannah Ladd, Leeway’s creative engagement facilitator.

• Queerway will be in the Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff at 8.30pm on Friday 3^rd February and 3pm & 8.30pm on Saturday 4^th February.