Fairlight

Join us on the courts for a new electropop musical that sheds light on the untold queer history of tennis.

Alexandra Taylor and Michael Wolters’s Fairlight straddles art and activism, retelling the origin story of lawn tennis as an opposites-attract queer love story.

The name Fairlight refers to the house in Edgbaston, Birmingham where Augurio Perera lived and where he and Harry Gem invented lawn tennis in the 1860s. Their relationship - a blend of friendship and potential romance - forms a central thread in the musical, which aims to give a voice to those unheard and unseen by shining a light on the stories that history left out.

With music inspired by the sounds of the Fairlight CMI, the world’s first commercially available sampler, the songs are interwoven with accounts of Victorian prosecutions of gay men, demonstrations of the rules of lawn tennis and interviews with current LGBT+ tennis professionals.

Please note, we have changed the venue to The Old Library in Digbeth due to the potential for inclement weather during the performance. 

This event launches a tour of Fairlight around the UK, visit http://www.fairlightmusical.co.uk/ for more details.

For more information or to discuss any access needs, feel free to email us at info@flatpackfestival.org.uk or call us on 0121 771 1509.

See the whole festival programme here: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/flatpack

What are Solidarity tickets?

We recognise that not everyone has equal access to live events and that the cost of entry is a barrier to some people. Solidarity tickets are free tickets available for anyone who needs it. If you're not sure whether that's you, refer to our guide below (thank you to Matchbox Cineclub for sharing this guide).

Solidarity tickets are for you if you agree with any of the following statements:

• I frequently stress about meeting basic needs (including food, clothing, housing and transportation) and don’t always achieve them.
• I have debt and it sometimes prohibits me from meeting my basic needs.
• I rent lower-end properties or have unstable housing.
• I sometimes can’t afford public or private transport. If I own a car/have access to a car, I am not always able to afford petrol.
• I am unemployed or underemployed.
• I qualify for government and/or voluntary assistance including: food banks and benefits.
• I have no access to savings.
• I have no or very limited expendable income (expendable income might mean you are able to buy tea or coffee at a shop, go to the cinema or a concert, buy new clothes, books and similar items each month etc.)
• I rarely buy new items because I am unable to afford them.
• I cannot afford a holiday or have the ability to take time off without financial burden.