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Transient and Trifling is bringing the kink scene to Jacksons Lane for the first time. What inspired you to create this show?

Love inspired the show. Kink is an invitation to find deep connections, and I owe the community immensely for the acceptance they’ve shown me. It’s given me an all-consuming drive to give back, and this show is the first step.

The contrast between the thoughtful discussions I had with community members about their relationship to the lifestyle, and how pop culture simultaneously portrays those same people as cold, sex-crazed, and often abusive, left me feeling so pained — and not in the fun way. There’s extensive misinformation, accepted prejudice, and a lack of credit where credit is due.

It’s not just mainstream culture, either. Within the kink scene, there’s a gap in what we see on stage: shows tend to centre around an aesthetic display of latex and leather or things designed to shock, like wax pours and needles. Don’t get me wrong, these are wonderful things that have their place — but what about the other kinks? What about community values like consent and aftercare? Why don’t we create shows that reflect the full kink experience?

Another thing that bugged me was how I could see kink-themed shows, but only in kink-themed spaces. These spaces, often due to a lack of funding, are rarely accessible. In a community like BDSM — which can include any adult regardless of gender, ethnicity, disability, or other characteristic — it’s unfortunate that events can’t always be fully inclusive. What’s more, we become hidden from the public, often finding our performances pigeonholed into specific venues and events.

My vision was to create a show built for a mainstream theatre — a show that bridges the gap between kink performance and the mainstream. I wanted to make something that theatregoers might stumble upon and, hopefully, shift their perception of BDSM. I wanted to create a show where kinky artists could have more choice in how they present themselves.

So yes — love inspired the event, mixed with a healthy dose of frustration at how things are currently.

How do circus and kink intersect, and what makes this combination so compelling on stage?

There is definitely an overlap between kink and circus. Circus involves a lot of discipline and — let’s be honest — a lot of pain! It’s also a very physical form of storytelling, and kink often is too, so the overlap makes a lot of sense in terms of performance art.

Circus and kink are viscerally compelling for an audience because they clearly showcase an overcoming of fear — whether that’s from the height of an aerial act or the force of impact, for example. In both contexts, you have to be in control of your body and mind, and acutely aware of your surroundings. Pole dance also intersects with kink, since both worlds have ties to the sex work community.

The first time I told a kink story through pole dance was one night on my home pole. After a long work day, I like to get experimental instead of conditioning tricks… or resting… anyway, a song I heavily associate with my kink experience was playing, and I found myself reliving memories through movement. It flowed so easily, and the act that came from that grew into the idea for this show.

The one thing that always gets me hooked in circus performances is when the tricks don’t take away from the concept, but instead elevate it. Strippers are masters at this, and another master is Sadiq Ali, whose show The Chosen Haram really proved that tricks and narrative can seamlessly work together in contemporary circus. We’re lucky enough to have Sadiq in the show, and I cannot wait!

How did you approach curating the lineup of artists for the night?

It was important that the lineup reflected the community as best it could. The community is diverse — there are so many roles people take on in BDSM relationships that often aren’t talked about. It’s not as simple as dominant/submissive. Even within those dynamics, there’s a huge spectrum. The community is also diverse in terms of identities such as gender and ethnicity. I’d say the only two rules for joining are that you’re a consenting adult and a respectful human being willing to learn!

When I put out the casting call, I asked the artists to express what their act — and kink in general — meant to them. This show isn’t about my idea of what kink is; I wanted there to be as much nuance as possible. When you go to BDSM events, the most asked question is “What are you into?” and the second one, if you’re lucky, is “Why?”. It’s the same with performance: the act you see on stage is one thing, but the intention is everything.

When I hear people’s reasons for practising BDSM, I have to hold back tears because it’s so moving to witness that level of self-awareness — and how it immediately connects us. Every story on the lineup is so personal, while also being relatable through its storytelling. Without giving too much away, we’ve made some choices in how the acts are introduced to give the audience more insight into the performances — you won’t see a host, that’s all I’ll say for now!

It’s hard enough being vulnerable on stage, let alone being vulnerable about your kink life, so I’m incredibly grateful to each artist for putting themselves forward. I have no doubt the audience will see on the night exactly why this lineup was chosen.

The show moves beyond fetish fashion and shock value. What do you hope audiences take away from this reimagining of performance?

The show has moments that are funny, emotional, and downright absurd, with some activism layered in. It’s going to be an exciting rollercoaster of emotions. BDSM means a variety of things to a variety of people, but above all, it means consent. I hope audiences see that we are people—not a trend, an underground cult, or the punchline of a joke.

I hope more producers see this and decide to book more sex- and kink-positive shows. Just because it’s not what people are used to seeing doesn’t mean they shouldn’t see it. The kink community, and related communities, have historically been pushed underground. We’ve created our culture in those spaces and should continue to do so—but we shouldn’t always feel like we need to stay in the shadows in order to express ourselves.

Adult lifestyles remain demonised in the UK, while mainstream culture borrows from our aesthetics for fashion, books, and film. If we exist in pop culture, then we should also be able to bring our culture—vulnerable and radical as it is—into the same spaces. I think more people need to see who we are, what we represent, to know our history, and to understand the legal and societal battles we face—of which there are many. This goes for any marginalised community, and the laws and prejudices historically held against kink are closely tied to those faced by queer and sex work communities, to name just a few.

As for the kinky people in the audience—I hope you feel seen. You are loved, and you deserve to see art that reflects who you are. Hopefully, you’ll leave with a new kink or two!

You can catch Transient and Trifling: A Night of Disciplined Performance on Friday 09 May at 7:30pm. Book your tickets here.