Joyful comedy drama ‘Mixed Sex', from emerging writer/performer Samuel Normington, is coming to Lion & Unicorn Theatre in March.
Taking place from Monday 17th to Friday 21st March 2025, the show catapults audiences back to a time when the girlband Eternal were charting supreme, and playground dance routines and Sunday School prayers were a vital form of self expression. In this world of shell-suits and Care Bears, where parents still believe that a stern talk from the pastor can fix anything, one young lad called Sam is about to discover that being ‘fabulous’ isn't always as simple as knowing all the right moves.
‘Mixed Sex', set in mid-1990s Britain, explores changing social attitudes towards identity. Sam, an adoringly unique soul clashes with the expectations of his more conservative Christian community, and increasingly, his mates. When faced with the prospect of an all-boys secondary school and enforced rugby practice, Sam hatches an ambitious plan to convince his parents to send him to the local mixed-sex comprehensive school… though his journey will teach him that being true to yourself isn't always as simple as learning the right moves.
This production transforms familiar coming-of-age struggles with the period's underlying tensions of gay identity and acceptance, and its backdrop of AIDS and evolving equality. Through Sam's eyes, we experience both the joys and challenges of growing up different in an era that wasn't quite ready for that difference.
Talking about the show Normington says, “‘Mixed Sex' is based on my own childhood – growing up in a strict Christian family and starting to become aware that my love for dancing to girl bands and carrying a pink Care Bear everywhere wasn’t exactly seen as “normal” “I wanted to create something that captures both the joy and the fear of being different – but mostly the joy. While the world has changed a lot since the 90s, that feeling of trying to figure out who you are while everyone else seems to have it sorted – that's still just as relevant today. “This play is about finding your own voice, even when everyone else is telling you to sing a different tune… and yes, there might be a few Eternal songs along the way”
For tickets and more information, head over to https://www.thelionandunicorntheatre.com/.
