Milk Presents is an LGBTQIA+ theatre company based in Derby in the United Kingdom.
Company
The theatre company is an associate company of Derby Theatre. 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.
History
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.
Productions
The company's very first theatre show was 454 Grams in 2010, a postdramatic retelling of Shakespeare’s play The Merchant of Venice. 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. Bluebeard: A Fairytale for Adults was based on Charles Perrault’s French folktale Bluebeard. A Real Man’s Guide To Sainthood was powered by bikes and used projectors, and was a retelling of the story of Saint George.
It then produced Milk Presents: Self Service (2013 - 2014), which explored the meaning of "queer" with original music, animations, and comedy. The company then became an associate company of Derby Theatre in 2015. At Derby Theatre, the company produced JOAN and BULLISH. JOAN portrayed the story of Joan of Arc and was performed by LJ Parkinson. BULLISH was a retelling of the Minotaur myth. It was launched at the Camden People’s Theatre, who commissioned the production alongside the Jerwood Charitable Foundation. Formerly named BODIY, BULLISH was the Camden People’s Theatre's first Home Run commission after an extensive period of selection process.
Milk Presents then became an associate company of the Bush Theatre (2016-17). 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.
In August 2021, Milk Presents and Derby Theatre premiered co-production Marty and the Party, a show for young audiences.
In December 2021, in partnership with Derby Theatre, the company launched a new audio cabaret, The Pervert’s Podcast. 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.
In 2023, Milk Presents co-produced Modest with theatre company Middle Child.
Awards
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. The production also won the Off West End Award in 2018.
Summer Summit
Milk Presents also organizes Summer Summit, a paid weekend-long retreat for early-career LGBTQIA+ artists.
References
- ^ "About Milk Presents". Milk Presents. Retrieved 2023-07-22.
- "Theatre news: Derby Theatre appoints associate companies". British Theatre Guide. Retrieved 2024-01-18.
- "Milk Presents - Queer artist led company making performance, theatre and film". Milk Presents.
- ^ Gardner, Lyn (2011-08-11). "New Edinburgh act of the day: Milk Presents". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-01-17.
- Hislop, Chris (2010-08-06). "454 Grams". FringeReview. Retrieved 2024-01-22.
- "454 Grams | Milk Presents | Queer Theatre". Milk Presents. Retrieved 2024-01-22.
- Orr, Jake (2012-08-05). "Edinburgh Fringe Review: A Real Man's Guide To Sainthood". A Younger Theatre. Retrieved 2024-01-22.
- ^ "Milk Presents". www.bushtheatre.co.uk. Retrieved 2024-01-22.
- "Bluebeard: A Fairytale for Adults | Milk Presents | Queer Theatre". Milk Presents. Retrieved 2024-01-22.
- "A Real Man's Guide to Sainthood | Milk Presents | Queer Theatre". Milk Presents. Retrieved 2024-01-22.
- "A Real Man's Guide to Sainthood". Time Out London. 2013-09-13. Retrieved 2024-01-22.
- Sullivan, Hannah (2012-08-06). "A Real Man's Guide to Sainthood". FringeReview. Retrieved 2024-01-23.
- Orr, Jake (2012-08-05). "Edinburgh Fringe Review: A Real Man's Guide To Sainthood". A Younger Theatre. Retrieved 2024-01-23.
- "A saintly story - West Notts College". www.wnc.ac.uk. Retrieved 2024-01-23.
- Gardner, Lyn (2012-07-20). "What to see: Lyn Gardner's theatre tips". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-01-23.
- "Milk Presents: Self Service | Milk Presents | Queer Theatre". Milk Presents. Retrieved 2024-01-23.
- "Milk Presents: Self Service". Fest Magazine. 2014-08-09. Retrieved 2024-01-23.
- "Milk Presents: Self Service". theweereview.com. Retrieved 2024-01-23.
- "Dreaming up Joan". Times of Malta. 2018-05-20.
- ^ Orme, Steve (11 September 2016). "Theatre news: Derby production lifts three Edinburgh Fringe awards". British Theatre Guide. Retrieved 2024-01-17.
- ^ Mason, Roberta (2018-11-20). "Bullish tour hits the Millennium Centre". jomec.co.uk/altcardiff. Retrieved 2024-01-18.
- ^ "BULLISH | Milk Presents | Queer Theatre". Milk Presents. Retrieved 2024-01-24.
- Gardner, Lyn (2017-09-19). "Bullish review – gold horns and glitter beards in minotaur cabaret". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-01-24.
- Stewart, Greg (2017-09-07). "Interview: Lucy J Skilbeck Co-Creator of Bullish". Theatre Weekly. Retrieved 2024-01-24.
- "Milk Present and Camden People's Theatre present BULLISH, London". Disability Arts Online. Retrieved 2024-01-24.
- Greenstreet, Hannah (September 18, 2017). "Review: Bullish at Camden People's Theatre". exeuntmagazine.com.
- "Bullish". Camden People's Theatre. Retrieved 2024-01-24.
- "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.
- Swain, Marianka. "Milk Presents Is First Recipient of Camden People's Theatre's Home Run Commission". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2024-01-24.
- "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.
- "Bromance | LGTBQ+ Event". Milk Presents. Archived from the original on June 21, 2023. Retrieved 2024-01-29.
- "One Tenth Human | Macho". Archived from the original on May 18, 2022. Retrieved 2024-01-29.
- Haigh, Joshua (2017-03-29). "Wellcome Collection announces late night spectacular 'Macho?'". Attitude. Retrieved 2024-01-29.
- "Macho? | Things to do in London". Time Out London. 2017-03-28. Retrieved 2024-01-29.
- "Marty and the Party announced as new Milk Presents co-production for under 5s – Derby Theatre". Retrieved 2024-04-18.
- "Marty and the Party | Milk Presents | Queer Theatre". Milk Presents. Retrieved 2024-04-18.
- "Party show for little children at Derbyshire theatre". derbyshiretimes.co.uk. July 29, 2021.
- "Leo Skilbeck talks 'The Pervert's Podcast': "It's wise to assume that 'progress' isn't linear"". First Night Magazine. 2022-05-09.
- "Theatre news: New podcast series "unpicks complex topics"". British Theatre Guide. 30 October 2021.
- "Milk Presents The Pervert's Podcast - queer audio cabaret from She Wants a Dog and Milk Presents". Milk Presents. Retrieved 2024-01-29.
- "Perverts Podcast". Trans Creative. Retrieved 2024-01-30.
- "Free things to do in Manchester this week FT Castle Fine Art, New Union Hotel and more". Manchester Wire. Retrieved 2024-01-30.
- Rabinowitz, Chloe. "Listen: SHE WANTS A DOG Launches New Podcast Series THE PERVERT'S PODCAST". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2024-01-30.
- "She Wants A Dog launches third brand new podcast series THE PERVERT'S PODCAST". CURTAINCALL. 2022-02-25. Retrieved 2024-01-30.
- Stewart, Greg (2021-12-16). "Interview: Pippa Frith on She Wants A Dog's New Series of Podcasts". Theatre Weekly. Retrieved 2024-01-30.
- "Pervert's Podcast at The New Union". Canal St Online. Retrieved 2024-01-30.
- "She Wants A Dog". pippadoesproducing. Retrieved 2024-01-30.
- Tripney, Natasha (18 April 2023). "'She was transgressing expectations': the Victorian war artist who inspired a drag show". The Guardian. Retrieved 2023-07-22.
- "Kiln Theatre presents Modest". Culture Whisper. Retrieved 2024-01-17.
- "Modest | Milk Presents | Queer Theatre". Milk Presents. Retrieved 2024-01-29.
- "Modest". Visit Hull. Retrieved 2024-01-29.
- "Preview: JOAN by Milk Presents". Theatre Weekly. 2017-02-21. Retrieved 2024-01-17.
- "Milk Presents | Artists & Performers". Camden People's Theatre. Retrieved 2024-01-17.
- "JOAN | Milk Presents | Queer Theatre". Milk Presents. Retrieved 2024-01-18.
- "Milk Presents: Summer Summit for early-career LGBTQIA+ artists - YTAS". ytas.org.uk. Retrieved 2024-12-16.
- "A weekend-long summer retreat for early-career LGBTQIA+ artists with special guests. It's camp(ing)!". Milk Presents. Archived from the original on February 4, 2024.
- "IGC Partner with Milk Presents on their Project Making An Entrance – In Good Company". Retrieved 2024-12-16.
External links
- Official website Archived August 16, 2024, at the Wayback Machine