Butch Mermaid

Butch Mermaid presents work by, for, and telling the stories of LGBTQIA+ people. We believe that theatre is more than a physical building, and in reimagining the live experience for ordinary and extraordinary times.

Upcoming projects:

 Jester, a clown and cabaret storytelling show about Mathurine, the cross-dressing, gender-defying female jester to three French kings in the early modern period.

St. Marinos, a clown, puppetry and physical theater show about a transgender monk and his connection to St. Joan of Arc.

Deviant, a physical theater piece about Dutch lesbians tried for sodomy in the early 1600s.

Current projects:

Taste the Rainbow: A Queer Clown Cabaret
Audiences are invited to dive right into Pride Month with Taste the Rainbow, a Queer Clown Cabaret on the first Saturday of June! Our cornucopia of talented queer artists will serve you a heaping plate of silliness to tantalize your taste buds. Come early to whet your appetite with a beverage or a snack at Brooklyn Art Haus! Hosted by Ania Upstill (Butch Mermaid) and featuring acts including Mariko Isawa, Gagarin, Ched R Cheese and more!  

Antonio! 

A queer Shakepearean musical, Antonio! asks what if The Bard wasn’t just reusing a character name, but was instead inspired by one hopelessly romantic pirate looking for love in all the wrong places? This pirate punk musical reframes - and reclaims! - characters named Antonio from Twelfth Night, Much Ado About Nothing, and The Merchant of Venice, reimagining them all as a proudly queer pirate stealing hearts and booty on the high seas. (The Tank NYC, Edinburgh Fringe 2023)

Past Projects:

Gender euphoric musical chaos. Developed over dinner parties with the trans and gender diverse community in Aotearoa New Zealand, Too Much Hair is a cabaret of original songs and stories about gender euphoria and the joys of living as your authentic self. The show also includes a series of music videos, many featuring members of the community who shared their stories during the development process. (BATS Theater 2022, Dixon Place NYC 2023, Edinburgh Fringe 2023)

One clown’s surreal journey across the landscape of gender as they playful explore what it means to be a trans human. (Austin 2019, NZ Fringe 2020, Adelaide Fringe 2020, Edinburgh Fringe 2022, Dixon Place, Queerly Festival, Clown Gym, 2023, Philly Fringe 2023)