Following acclaimed runs at the Melbourne, Adelaide and Edinburgh Fringe Festivals, Ryan Stewart (Bacon, Melbourne Fringe 2023; Single Out, Melbourne Queer Film Festival 2022) brings a newly imagined version of their smash-hit debut, finding poetry in panic and comedy in chaos, when a library reading hour completely derails. With sharp wit and surprising tenderness, KINDER riotously explores childhood, gender ideology and the global rise of reactionary politics, revealing how stories and language can be misinterpreted and weaponised.
Chaos ensues when barely digestible (and wholly intolerable) drag-clown Goody Prostate learns the ‘reading' they've been booked for is actually a children's storytime hour. Forced to improvise a new act for an unimpressed audience of unruly children and bewildered parents, Goody spirals into a chaotic interrogation of nostalgia and the truth of ‘growing up'. Blending monologue, fierce lip-syncing and wild costume changes, KINDER is as silly as it is serious, using drag as both a disguise and a magnifying glass to question memory, storytelling and the experience of coming of age.
Writer and Performer of KINDER, Ryan Stewart, comments, "We're incredibly excited to finally be touring our newly reimagined production of KINDER, following an incredibly successful award-winning Edinburgh Fringe debut in 2025. Since first premiering this show in 2024, the world has become a far more hostile place to navigate and live freely as a queer person, and we are seeing history beginning to repeat itself through the fascistic leanings of what used to be proudly democratic governments."
This is a work that is centred on forgotten stories, memory, and childhood, and it invites us all to imagine a queer futurity for generations to come that is centred on community, rather than a rugged individualism that has fostered division for so long.
KINDER is rooted in Stewart’s own experiences growing up as a queer person with undiagnosed neurodivergence, finding refuge in books, stories and imagined worlds. Inspired by ongoing debates around drag storytimes, the production examines how language, stories and the very act of reading can be misinterpreted and weaponised in today’s political climate. Shifting between drag, clowning and cabaret, KINDER turns a chaotic children’s storytime hour into a riotous yet timely theatrical meltdown.
Hotels near The Lantern Theatre
Staying overnight in Brighton?
Wondering where to stay that's close to The Lantern Theatre? We've teamed up with Booking.com to provide the best room rates for hotels, guesthouses and B&Bs near the Kinder event in Brighton.
LimeHouse
Situated in the vibrant seaside city of Brighton, the LimeHouse offers free Wi-Fi and stunning ocean views. Brighton Pier is just 5 minutes walk away and the sandy Brighton Beach is just 200 metres away..
Marine Cottage
Situated 500 metres from Brighton Pier and 600 metres from The Royal Pavilion, Marine Cottage offers accommodation in Brighton & Hove. Marine Cottage boasts views of the sea and is 600 metres from Brighton Dome..
Marine View
This family-run hotel is situated in fashionable Kemptown in Brighton and offers quality accommodation in a grade 2 listed Regency building with sea and pier views..
New Steine Apartment
New Steine Apartment offers accommodation in Brighton & Hove, 500 metres from The Royal Pavilion. New Steine Apartment features views of the sea and is 500 metres from Brighton Pier. The kitchen has a dishwasher and an oven, as well as a kettle.
Sea Spray
Centrally located on Brightons seafront square, this luxury boutique hotel has stylish rooms with free Wi-Fi, excellent personal service and a varied breakfast menu. Sea Spray is contemporary, comfortable and impeccably clean..
Alston House Hotel
Situated just 2 minutes walk from Brightons seafront, Alston House Hotel offers free WiFi access for all guests. Sea Life Brighton Centre and Brighton Pier are both a 7-minute walk away. Each room features a TV and a seating area.
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VenueThe Lantern Theatre
Address77 St James's Street, Brighton, Sussex,
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