‘Section 28 and Me’ is the culmination of a project with the University of Bristol’s Brigstow Institute where Tom worked closely with academics to investigate the topic and run a series of workshops across the UK to provide inspiration for the show.
During 2023 Tom held a number of ‘tea parties’ and then cohosted a ‘salon’ with the University of Bristol team, meeting with people in the LGBTQI+ community to share stories and discuss Section 28 and its legacy.
In the show Tom reflects on these stories while considering his own lived experience as a 15-year-old in 1988 and whether his instinct to ‘over-share’ in his performances might by seen as a by-product of this era.
During the project, Tom worked with two research assistants as well as academics from the University of Bristol with backgrounds in the arts and humanities, social sciences and law. Together they interrogated existing research, delved into relevant archives, and explored anecdotal stories from the LGBTQI+ community.
Section 28 of the Local Government Act 1988 stipulated that local authorities should not ‘intentionally promote homosexuality’ or promote ‘the teaching of the acceptability of homosexuality as a pretended family relationship’ and was borne of a time when HIV/AIDS was sometimes not only linked to but also blamed on gay men.
“Though the section was repealed in the early twenty-first century, its legacy has been long-lasting,” says Professor Lois Bibbings, Professor of Law, Gender and History.
“This project has emphasised how important it is to share, hear, perform, and reflect upon queer stories not just because they are important in themselves but also because hard-won rights are never entirely secure - and the future is uncertain.”
Tom Marshman added: “As Ian McKellen said in a Manchester rally Clause 28 was designed to put us in our place but it didn’t work with me. This is a fun show for anyone age 16+ with an interest in lost histories.”
Tom will be performing ‘Section 28 and Me’ across the South West this summer – full details can be found below.
The performance on 3 July at the Watershed in Bristol will be followed by a post-show discussion with the artist and Professor Bibbings. This is an opportunity to talk about the show as well as the work Tom did with academics via the Brigstow Institute.
You can hear about the project in a podcast series exploring the impact of Section 28: https://soundcloud.com/user-208705622/section-28-me-pod-1-peter-dunn
The ‘Section 28 and Me’ show has been commissioned by Unlimited & Bristol Ideas (part of Bristol 650), a Bit of a Do, and Brigstow institute.
Tour dates
June 26 Hay Pride
June 29-30 Chapter, Cardiff
July 3-4 Watershed, Bristol
July 18-19 Key Theatre, Peterborough
July 19 Metal, Peterborough
Aug 8 Tom Thumb, Margate
Sept 5 Globe Theatre, Hay,
Sept 14, Front Room, Weston Super Mare
Sept 17 Gloucester Guildhall
Sept 22 The Marlborough, Brighton