THU 10 - SAT 12 JULY
In Good Company and Derby Theatre
DEPARTURE LOUNGE FESTIVAL 2025
DERBY’S FRINGE
THEATRE FESTIVAL
WELCOME
TO DEPARTURE LOUNGE 2025
Every summer, Departure Lounge Festival is a labour of love; curated with care and shaped by our ongoing commitment to the freelance artistic community of the Midlands and beyond. This year is no different. Beginning with the theme of PLAY, we’ve built a bold, joyful and subversive programme that we hope will provoke, inspire and uplift.
We’ve got moments to meet and network, plus chances to see fresh new work across the weekend. To kick things off on Thursday evening, we are thrilled that Drag King, Tito Bone will host FROM SCRATCH... followed by our official launch party.
Catch playful work like High Tea (With a Twist) by Levantes Dance Theatre, presented outside the theatre in Derbion, and explore performance that plays on powerful themes like in Jamal Harewood’s The Privileged. Across performances, workshops, discussions and DJ Paint Parties, our line-up features voices from across the Midlands and beyond including a double bill of works in progress by Sinead Brady & AK Golding, Sh*t Life Crisis by Silent Uproar, Afronaught by Cocoa Butter Club and C*ck of Ages by Send in The Clowns.
Alongside the imaginative and the unexpected, we’ve carved out space to confront pressing questions and real-world challenges facing artists today — through events like our ever-popular Industry Panel Discussion, exploring the importance of investing in artists, and the powerful DEFIANT Symposium, led by Graeae.
As ever, Derby Theatre provides the perfect home for the festival; a place to meet, share ideas and celebrate new work together. We can’t wait to welcome you.
Jen Sullivan (In Good Company Executive Producer)
Each pass gives you all-access to every show and discussion on your chosen day(s) – no need to book individual events. Just show your pass and take your seat!
What’s included:
• Entry to all performances/events on your pass day(s)
• Guaranteed seat at every show
• Plus a reserved space for the Industry Panel Discussion and Welcome Lunch (for Friday pass holders)
• Plus a reserved space for FROM SCRATCH at the festival launch on Thursday (for full Festival Pass holders)
Workshops are not included in any pass.
Buy once. See it all.
Your seat is secured for the whole day – hassle-free.
FESTIVAL PASS
IN GOOD COMPANY
FROM SCRATCH!
Thu 10 July, 7pm – 9pm
Plus launch party after the show
Join us for a night of raucous, vibrant new performances from local theatre makers.
We’re kicking off Departure Lounge Festival 2025 in true festival style — with bold new ideas, big energy and our much-loved scratch night, FROM SCRATCH!
Grab your ticket and be part of the official launch of Departure Lounge 2025 — an exciting night where you’ll witness bold new performances in the making, share your feedback, and become part of the hottest new work emerging from the Midlands.
FROM SCRATCH! will be hosted by the fabulous Drag King, Tito Bone — bringing charisma, chaos, and charm to the stage.
GARDEN STAGE PAY WHAT YOU CAN
AND THE FUN DOESN’T STOP THERE…
We’re kicking off this year’s festival with our Launch Party, right after the FROM SCRATCH! scratch night extravaganza!
Join us in the foyer for drinks, mingling, and exclusive announcements about what’s in store for Departure Lounge 2025. Expect a buzzing atmosphere as artists, audiences, and industry peers come together to raise a glass and officially launch the festival.
COMPLICITÉ
PLAYING WITH PURPOSE WORKSHOP
Fri 11 July, 9am – 12pm
Play is at the heart of Complicité’s process — in this playful workshop, discover how games spark creativity, build connection and unlock theatrical possibility.
Complicité’s devising process always begins with playing games. As well as being funny, playful and, sometimes, competitive, they are key to exploring impulse, space and collaboration. They form the foundation for building a connected ensemble and sparking collective imagination. Playing well is essential for improvisation, creativity and theatre‑making.
Join Catherine Alexander — theatre director, writer, and long‑time Complicité collaborator, trained at L’École Jacques Lecoq — for a fun and interactive workshop, where we’ll explore games used in many Complicité rehearsals, and discover how they ignite the imagination and bring joy and immersion. We’ll also begin to explore how a game can be played with an audience in mind — offering a path toward dramatic structure.
THEATRE MAKER WORKSHOP
Fri 11 July, 4pm – 5.15pm
In this practical workshop members of our show team will introduce participants to the Wise Children method. You will play games, learn choreography and devise. You will experience first-hand how Wise Children builds an ensemble and creates their critically acclaimed shows.
Actors, singers, musicians, dancers, directors, acrobats, clowns, and theatre-makers are all invited to apply. You don’t need loads of experience, but you do need to be a confident performer.
Wise Children is one of the UK’s leading ensemble theatre companies, and our performing ensemble is a vital, professional and playful part of the family. Our Training Programme runs workshops and courses to inspire the next generation of theatre makers.
£6.00
QUEER CAF É
Fri 11 July, 10am – 11.45am
An informal Queer-centred space for the LGBTQIA+ community and allies to meet and discuss the joys and challenges of Queerness and creativity. Embracing the light and shade of the varied LGBTQIA+ experiences. Including informal conversations and making activities, such as, badge making, and making pocket protest placards whilst responding to creative prompts.
The facilitators, Dan and Evie, will hold space for a number of thought-provoking conversation starters, including:
• What is your favourite Queer media you have experienced recently?
• What does ‘Queering a space’ mean?
• How can we better include Queer people in conversations, events and shows?
Dan Webber (he/him) is from The Derby and Derbyshire Queer Arts Collective, and Evie Osbon (they/them) is from QUEERDOs, Mind Out Theatre.
The Queer Café provides a space for all (Departure Lounge attendees and anyone in the area) to come together, socialise, disrupt and connect.
LEVANTES DANCE THEATRE
HIGH TEA (WITH A TWIST)
Fri 11 July, 11am & 4pm; Sat 12 July 12.30pm & 4.30pm
Under the direction of Eleni Edipidi, Levantes Dance Theatre creates contemporary circus performances which are witty, inclusive and visually strong.
High Tea (With A Twist) features two performers in matching costumes who dance and perform acrobatics above a beautifully set tea table. Expect glittery cakes, bright colours and lots of fun.
The production uses aerial circus, contemporary dance, and theatre to tell a story and has no language, so is internationally accessible.
DERBION
SHOPPING CENTRE FREE
IN GOOD COMPANY INDUSTRY PANEL DISCUSSION 2025
Fri 11 July, 12pm – 1.30pm
Make yourself part of the conversation at this year’s panel discussion which focuses on artist development and the importance of investment in artists for our industry. If artists are denied resources to play, test, fail and grow, where does that leave us?
This year’s panellists are Sarah Brigham (Artistic Director & CEO, Derby Theatre), Madeleine Kludje (Deputy Artistic Director, Birmingham Rep) Tim Bell (Senior Creative Producer Complicité) and Angie Fullman (General Manager, Shakespeare’s Globe) and the conversation will be chaired by writer and broadcaster, Nick Ahad.
Join us for an in-depth discussion about how we make artist development a priority for our industry, don’t forget to stick around to carry on the conversation over our free lunch!
This event is free but booking is essential to secure your place.
Sarah Brigham
Tim Bell
Angie Fullman
Madeleine Kludje
Nick Ahad
FESTIVAL PASS
WELCOME LUNCH
Fri 11 July, 1.30pm – 2.30pm
Immediately after the Panel Discussion we’ll continue the conversation over a free lunch. Join us for Iona’s iconic homecooked classics as we welcome everyone and spill the latest tea from In Good Company!
Join us for the Welcome Lunch with your Panel Discussion Ticket.
UPPER FOYER FREE
Felix, Jermaine, Idris. Best friends, brothers, mandem.
In the heart of the city; Felix is trying to live up to his golden boy online persona, Jermaine is forever chasing his mum’s non-existent approval, and Idris just wants to get rich. As these three each take on the transition from boys to men, they soon realise the bridge between the verse and the chorus isn’t as harmonious as they were led to believe. They’re up against the world, but mostly – they’re up against themselves.
Oh…and they LOVE board games.
AMELIA MICHEAL’S
THE COCOA BUTTER CLUB
Fri 11 July, 5.30pm – 7.15pm with interval
Join us for this unforgettable night of cabaret, where rhythm meets resistance.
The Cocoa Butter Club are heading somewhere unknown… Home. The noise was noted, the opinions were obtuse, and the debates about who gets to belong on this island… dry and dusty…
The only answer… being brave enough to build the world we want to experience –Black, Queer, and unapologetically Cocoa Butter, of course. This isn’t escape. It’s elevation...
GARDEN STAGE £12.00
AGE GUIDANCE 16+
SEND IN THE CLOWNS
Fri 11 July, 8pm – 10.20pm
Send in the Clowns is a raucous, wild and tantalising drag revue show celebrating the magic and madness of musical theatre.
This time, the Clowns are taking on the ROCK (and sometimes roll) MUSICAL, with a celebration-cum-assassination of the hardcore rockin’ world of musical theatre, in their most outrageous show yet, COCK OF AGES. Expect unique takes on RENT, Rock Of Ages, The Rocky Horror Show, Jesus Christ Superstar, We Will Rock You, Hair & Grease amongst others. AGE GUIDANCE
£12.00
“IT’S VULGAR, IT’S AUDACIOUS, IT’S BORDERING ON LIBEL AT TIMES, BUT MY GOD IS IT A RIOT!” – Theatre & Tonic
Join your host cabaret superstar, winner of Drag Idol UK, and “incredible vocal powerhouse” (West End Best Friend) Fatt Butcher alongside a stellar line-up of the Midlands’ finest drag and cabaret talents including Dahliah Rivers, Blü Romantic and Alanna Boden.
18+ STUDIO
FESTIVAL PASS
IN GOOD COMPANY & GRAEAE
DEFIANT SYMPOSIUM
HOW DO WE DEFEND OUR RIGHTS TO WORK AND BE CRUCIAL PART OF THE CREATIVE INDUSTRIES?
Sat 12 July, 10am – 11.30am
An open discussion about Access To Work, Personal Independent Payment and the impact of potential cuts on disabled communities.
The government’s new cost-cutting drive targeting the Welfare System is a direct threat to the livelihoods of disabled people across the UK –and it affects us all.
Leaked information suggests that the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is planning cuts that will make it significantly harder for disabled artists to secure the vital support they rely on. This move could force many disabled artists out of their careers whilst pushing the responsibility of access costs to venues and employers.
The cuts jeopardise diversity, strength and vibrancy of our sector… So what are we going to do about it?
Facilitated by Graeae Theatre Company, and with wellbeing support, this symposium is a chance for disabled and non-disabled arts workers to come together and advocate for upholding the human rights of disabled people in the sector. We’ll also look at how funded arts organisations can ensure they continue to support their disabled artists, staff, and audiences in the face of these cuts.
This is a critical moment for the arts community. Join us for a proactive, creative and empowering conversation on how we can unite to defend the rights, dignity, and access of disabled artists. Because an arts sector that thrives is one that centres justice.
FOYER ONLINE FREE REQUIRED)
FESTIVAL PASS
SEPONDMENT & INTO THE PIT
DOUBLE BILL
Sat 12 July, 2.30pm – 4pm
SEPONDMENT
Feeling sweaty and overwhelmed surviving summer in the big Smoke? Wade in with lifeguard Nikki for an evening of cabaret as she cracks the secret to surviving London life, pondlife that is.
Swimmers/sweaty city-folks assemble for an evening of pondside comedy, clowning and cabaret. Get ready to learn some vital pond etiquette before taking that well-earned plunge.
Sepondment is a heart-warming and very silly work in progress show written and performed by Sinéad Brady, directed by Rosa Bowden and produced by Charlotte McShane. It’s about class, nature, loneliness, trying to find your place in London and obviously, Sisqo.
INTO THE PIT
It’s all getting a bit much up here, isn’t it, on top of the world?
What do we do when the grass is no longer green on either side? Instead of putting your head in the ground.. why not join spooky entity, Coal Minor, and jump Into the Pit?
Slip down through the hands of time in Coal Minor’s whistle stop tour of the history of coal mining in the UK. Unearth the stories of the mining industry and the people that made it. Help Coal find a little light in the dark in this surreal, immersive underground coal mining cabaret.
IN GOOD COMPANY LONELY ARTS CLUB
Sat 12 July, 11.45am – 1.30pm
Searching for a director? Need a writer for an upcoming project? Looking for a Producer but just not found ‘the one’? Enter IGC’s matchmaking service for likeminded artists!
In this very informal networking mixer you can share your ideas and find your people without the pressure of cold calling or elevator pitches. Opt in (or out) of sharing your info and we’ll take care of the rest.
UPPER FOYER
(BOOKING REQUIRED)
THE FEAST
(DERBY THEATRE CAR PARK) FREE FREE
v Sat 12 July, 1.30pm – 2.30pm
Come and join us for this delicious break from our jam-packed festival. Either bring your own feast or purchase our special offer meal at the Derby Theatre Cafe Bar and join in on a celebration in our specially kitted out Derbados.
JAMAL HAREWOOD
Sat 12 July, 4.30pm – 5.30pm plus post-show discussion
“Sometimes there’s a kind of bubble of safety wrapped round live performance. You can expect to be challenged, yes, but there’s a culture of niceness too …‘The Privileged’ exists outside this bubble” - Exeunt Magazine
Have you ever seen a polar bear in the flesh? Been close enough to notice just how white these magnificent mammals are? Here is your chance to get up close and personal!
Remove your shoes, coats and bags, as you are about to encounter the Arctic’s whitest predator, with black skin.
Led by the audience themselves, every performance of The Privileged is different, exposing and exploring deeply confronting themes including racism, power and the dangers of compliance.
ADVISORIES:
May contain distressing scenes, full-frontal nudity and food consumption. Some previous audience members have experienced emotional distress and ethical discomfort during this performance. Throughout the performance, you will be free to leave whenever you wish to. A quiet space will be provided during the performance, and trained facilitators will be present after the show in a space to decompress, reflect and discuss the experience in a supportive environment.
SHAHARUDDIN
STUMBLING
Sat 12 July, 5pm – 8pm
Stumbling creates a space for us to get messy and play, fuelling your creative spirit with rave beats and one massive blank canvas.
Created by South Korean mural artist Woosun Choi and Singaporean theatre practitioner Syania Shaharuddin, Stumbling is all about embracing the chaos and challenges of adulthood, from the everyday struggles to the big life transitions. It’s a playful and cathartic exploration of those moments when everything feels impossible – like tax claims or the inevitable awkwardness of navigating new spaces. But guess what? We’re in this together!
DERBADOS FREE WOOSUN CHOI AND SYANIA
Laugh, dance, and express yourself through vibrant splashes of colour as we turn frustration into a work of art.
This is a celebration of togetherness, community, and the power of shared experiences. Together, we’ll stumble, we’ll laugh, and we’ll create something unforgettable.
DERBADOS FREE
THE BANQUET
Sat 12 July, 7pm – 8pm
As evening descends on the festival, we’re throwing a banquet – bring your own feast or purchase our special offer meal at the Derby Theatre Cafe Bar. Spill out into the night in our specially kitted out Derbados, and grab a drink from our Rum Bar.
SILENT
UPROAR
SH*T LIFE CRISIS
Sat 12 July, 8pm – 9.30pm
including half an hour of karaoke after the show
Sh*t Life Crisis is a hilarious new karaoke play by Olivia Hannah about how no one tells you that survival turns your life inside out, especially when everyone seems to be so much better at living than you.
Life. It’s raw, it’s real, and there’s karaoke.
Grace smashed cancer with the constant support from her ride-or-die Abbie, but victory has since started to feel like a bad joke. She tried, like really tried, to climb out of a pit of streaming and scrolling, following Abbie’s the 100 step plan to being alive, but no one ever tells you about the fear of it all.
This darkly hilarious karaoke theatre show cranks up sing-along-bops that weave between Grace’s broken pieces as she throws a personal memorial for her full-of-life chemo buddy.
Raw and real, join us to belt along together to the soundtrack of life. It’s the most fun you’ll have questioning life, death, and everything in between.
HAPPY HOUR
Fri 11 July, 7pm – 8pm; Sat 12 July, 1.30pm – 2.30pm & 7pm – 8pm
Across the festival we’re running a fresh hot menu at Derby Theatre’s Cafe and Bars where there’s 20% off during Happy Hours for THE FEAST and THE BANQUET. We’ve got famous one-pot wonders, and a bustling Rum Bar soaking up the sun and sounds and bringing the party outside. Stay and play with us across the festival with food and drink, to meet and mingle, and keep the good vibes flowing.
DJ ODDISH AFTERPARTY
Sat 12 July, 9.30pm – 12am
DJ Omar is back again to send us out for this year’s Departure Lounge, to round up the festival with good music, good times, and good people.
This is a free event following the last show, with the bar open and the dance tunes flowing!
UPPER FOYER FREE
FESTIVAL AT A GLANCE
THUR 10 JULY
