|
|
Barbara Brownskirt is the comic creation of Karen McLeod. The character first began as an improvisation at the alternative arty-party club MOONA, a night for gay ladies (and their friends). A night for experimental performance art, MOONA encouraged FUN and was co-hosted by Karen along with artist Jane Dinmore. Karen trained in performance art at Cardiff Art School, and soon became inspired to perform as a drag queen, impersonating men impersonating women.
Barbara Brownskirt sprung from the idea of being the opposite of 'mainstream' drag. Hiding her hair, wearing pop socks and a shapeless cagoule, Barbara is the antithesis of glamour and rejects signifiers of her sex. Barbara soon became established at MOONA, and quickly began performing across the London gay cabaret and comedy circuit. |
Crystal Palace Festival
photo: Pawel Gawronski
As Writer-in-Residence at the 197 bus stop on Croydon Road in south-east London, Barbara is anorak wearing and unlucky-in-love. Writing and performing unintentionally appalling poetry, Barbara is highly prolific, yet hugely unsuccessful. Barbara has been described as ‘affecting, sad and touchingly unaware’ to the extent that her poetry becomes genuinely moving.
Barbara Brownskirt regularly works with Polari LGBTQ+ literary salon at London’s Southbank Centre and its accompanying ACE funded national tours. She can be found at Duckie, the live art co-operative at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern, and cabaret nights at London’s The Glory. In the year 2018, Brighton Festival, Camden People's Theatre, Liverpool’s Homotopia and Birmingham’s SHOUT Festival all hosted her first full length sell-out show Who Do You Think You Are? Barbara Brownskirt. The show went on to a successful run at the Assembly Theatre for the
Edinburgh Festival Fringe. In 2019 and early 2020 Barbara performed with performance collective 'Mothers Ruin' at Manchester’s Turn On Fest, and artists Tom Marshman. Over the years she has been commissioned by Liverpool Pride, London Pride and performed at Latitude and
Wilderness Festivals working alongside artists such as Scottee and Ursula Martinez.
Upcoming performance dates here.
The Sunday Times “Rik Mayall meets performance art.”
Carol Ann Duffy "I loved it!"
VICE Magazine "Indefatigable, prolific and utterly unpublishable, Barbara is rubbish, but she doesn't know it."
Barbara Brownskirt regularly works with Polari LGBTQ+ literary salon at London’s Southbank Centre and its accompanying ACE funded national tours. She can be found at Duckie, the live art co-operative at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern, and cabaret nights at London’s The Glory. In the year 2018, Brighton Festival, Camden People's Theatre, Liverpool’s Homotopia and Birmingham’s SHOUT Festival all hosted her first full length sell-out show Who Do You Think You Are? Barbara Brownskirt. The show went on to a successful run at the Assembly Theatre for the
Edinburgh Festival Fringe. In 2019 and early 2020 Barbara performed with performance collective 'Mothers Ruin' at Manchester’s Turn On Fest, and artists Tom Marshman. Over the years she has been commissioned by Liverpool Pride, London Pride and performed at Latitude and
Wilderness Festivals working alongside artists such as Scottee and Ursula Martinez.
Upcoming performance dates here.
The Sunday Times “Rik Mayall meets performance art.”
Carol Ann Duffy "I loved it!"
VICE Magazine "Indefatigable, prolific and utterly unpublishable, Barbara is rubbish, but she doesn't know it."
