A staged reading of Joelle Taylor's new poetry collection, performing a poetic excavation of 50 years of lesbian counterculture and butch identity.
The 60th edition of the Brighton Festival has just announced its full line-up, and among the hundred-plus events, Joelle Taylor is bringing a staged reading of her new work, Maryville, to the Brighton Dome Studio Theatre. Scheduled for 8 and 9 May 2026, this performance is an adaptation of her poetry collection published by Bloomsbury in November 2025. Taylor, who has previously picked up both the T.S. Eliot and Polari prizes, uses this piece to conduct what she describes as a poetic excavation of fifty years of lesbian counterculture. It isn't a traditional reading; the production is directed by Neil Bartlett and features integrated visuals by the filmmaker Sweatmother, creating a more immersive atmosphere for the text.
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The narrative of Maryville centres on an emblematic bar of the same name, serving as a focal point for the stories of four butch lesbians navigating London’s queer underworld. It functions as a hybrid chronicle, blending personal history with a broader look at community and resistance over the decades. For those who follow the local literary scene, this is a chance to see how the 128-page book translates to a physical space. Beyond these two nights in the Studio Theatre, Taylor is also set to appear on 18 May at the Brighton Dome Corn Exchange as part of an event called STATUS FLO, which adds another layer to her involvement in this year's festival programme.
Regarding the practical side of things, tickets for the festival go on sale in stages. As of today, 19 February, booking is open for members, while the general public will be able to buy theirs starting 26 February. Since the Studio Theatre is a relatively intimate venue, it’s worth keeping those dates in mind if you want to attend. The event is aimed at adults with an interest in LGBTQ+ history and poetry, focusing specifically on the nuances of butch identity and the social spaces that have defined it. It’s one of the more specific historical explorations in the programme, moving away from generalisations to look at a very particular part of London's cultural map.
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