Queer Diary

Queer Diary: LGBTQIA+ adults read from their REAL Teenage Diaries, plus Poetry, Fanfic, and more...

After gaining a cult-following in London & online, Queer Diary is touring the UK, including a limited number of pop-up shows at Edinburgh Fringe!

Hosted by Beth Watson since 2020, a different line-up at every event keeps queer crowds coming back for more!

Expect: angsty teenage diary entries, long-lost love letters, fabulous fan-fiction, terrible Tumblr posts, and possibly the odd bit of cringey poetry 👀

Audiences say:

“It’s like that ‘Mortified’ podcast - but all QUEER!”

“A joy to be part of”

“I’ve been 3 times! It’s always so affirming”

"I haven't laughed this much in a long time!"

Edinburgh Fringe

Friday 18th: 14:10 - Pleasance Courtyard (Beside)

Friday 25th: 14:10 - Pleasance Courtyard (Beside)

We have a different line-up of Queer performers at EVERY show!

Can't get enough of hearing your fave LGBTQIA+ performers share their teenage diaries?

Wanna spend an hour immersed in queer memories?

Totally addicted to cringe?

Come see us whenever you need a dose of nostalgia, solidarity & joy 🌈📖

Stay in touch!

Find us on insta, twitter, and facebook and contact us via hasbianshow@gmail.com

Subscribe to our linktree to get updates when new events go on sale.

Queer Diary is created and hosted by performer Beth Watson (who's currently writing a teenage-diary themed show, called Hasbian).

The creative producer is Josephine Shipp.

Interested in sharing something from your youth?

Limited spots may be available at Edinburgh shows - fill out our Edinburgh Fringe form to express interest!

Please use this form if you'd like to share something another time, outside of EdFringe.

Want us to bring Queer Diary to your area?

Contact Josie & Beth via hasbianshow@gmail.com - we're looking for more places to pop-up in future, so if you know a (queer, accessible) space that might suit Queer Diary, we'd love to hear from you!

The audience at Queer Diary in Omnibus theatre. Daylight streams through the windows of the high-ceilinged room. We can see the backs of people's heads, a table full of brightly coloured teenage pictures and notebooks, in the distance Beth gives a thumbs up from the stage.

Belito laughing on stage under pink lights, with shaved blonde hair wearing an baggy black hoodie and baggy black shorts. In the background is a neon sign in the shape of a house outline.

Amandeep reading into the mic at queer diary at Omnibus Theatre. Amandeep is a South Asian woman with hair hair tied back wearing a grey checked shirt in front of a turquoise velvet curtain.

Angbeen laughing on stage under pink lights, with curly dark shoulder-length hair wearing a cream cardigan and jeans. In the background is a neon sign in the shape of a house outline.

Sophie reading into the mic at queer diary at Omnibus Theatre. Sophie is a white woman with light blonde hair wearing a black dress in front of a turquoise velvet curtain.

Kestral on stage reading from a diary under pink lights, with pink straight shoulder-length hair wearing a denim shirt and jeans. In the background is a neon sign in the shape of a house outline.

Saxon reading into the mic at queer diary at Omnibus Theatre. Saxon is a white non-binary person with short brown hair wearing glasses and a denim shirt in front of a turquoise velvet curtain.

Laura laughing on stage under pink lights, with short curly dark hair wearing a navy jumper and trousers. In the background is a neon sign in the shape of a house outline.

Sarah reading a diary on stage under pink lights, with blonde shoulder-length hair wearing a denim shirt and jeans. In the background is a neon sign in the shape of a house outline.

H on stage reading from a phone under pink lights, with curly shoulder-length hair wearing an orange jumper, black leather shorts, and pink knee-high boots. In the background is a neon sign in the shape of a house outline.

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Rori on stage with their arms spread wide under pink lights, with short dark hair, wearing a short sleeved shirt and jeans. In the background is a neon sign in the shape of a house outline.

💸

For every Queer Diary show, we make a donation to a charity or organisation supporting

LGBTQIA+ youth, education, or community.

Buying your ticket helps us do our bit to support young queer people having a better time growing up than we did!

For UK summer 2023 dates, we'll be donating to Just Like Us.

Please let us know if you want to come to Queer Diary but cannot afford it

ACCESS:

Level Access to Pleasance Beside is via gentle ramp in backstage area, this area is non-public so please speak to venue staff or Info Shed for access.

All guest diary-readers are asked to Audio Describe their own physical appearance and anything they're wearing/holding when they arrive on stage.

Relaxed Show policies:

Audience are welcome to move around and make noise

Re-entry is welcome at any time.

There are no bright/flashing lights or full black-outs, and no sudden noises, special effects, or haze.

Stage lights will be on the performers, with the audience dimly lit (not in complete darkness).

The audience as a whole is directly addressed, in a stand-up/storytelling style.
This includes being invited to take part in light interactions.
For example:
Everyone's encouraged to cheer loudly to welcome performers stage, and react vocally to their material.

The audience may be offered a moment to talk to each other, or invited to voluntarily answer open questions from a performer.
All forms of interaction are gently offered, entirely optional, and participation is not required to enjoy the show fully.
No one will be "picked on"!

For full information, including transport and seating options, please see The Pleasance's Venue Access Guide

Beth holding an open diary with a page of teenage writing