North American Premiere
The Faggots and Their Friends Between Revolutions
Philip Venables
Ted Huffman
December 2, 2025 - December 14, 2025
Wade Thompson Drill Hall
“It’s been a long time since the last revolutions and the faggots and their friends are still not free.” Published in 1977, this passage from Larry Mitchell and Ned Asta‘s The Faggots and Their Friends Between Revolutions sets the scene for a radically reimagined history of the world told through a queer lens where fantasy meets liberation. Having become unavailable and reissued on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the Stonewall riots because of its enduring relevance, this cult book of fables and myths serves as the starting point for a new music theater adaptation from the creative minds of composer Philip Venables and director Ted Huffman.
Together they conjure up a world that takes the original text on a kaleidoscopic journey that ignores boundaries just like the characters on stage do, drawing on theater, dance, and song from the Baroque to Broadway and beyond. The performers serve as actors, storytellers, and musicians all rolled into one, continually swapping roles while doing away with gender and genre norms and replacing them with unapologetic individuality and a lust for life. Their deeply personal stories prove both comforting and healing when shared through community in a colorful, madcap, and profound patchwork. The resulting cabaret-like spectacle is both vulnerable and daring, a fantastic parable hiding a political manifesto for survival that gives voice to the marginalized and oppressed everywhere.
Run Time
This performance is approximately 1 hour and 40 minutes with no intermission.
Production Advisory
This performance includes strobe and flashing light effects.
Content Advisory
The makers of this work recognize that “faggot” is a provocative word—one that for many isn’t easy to read or hear. When Larry Mitchell wrote and published the book in 1977, he sought to reclaim the word in a loving, supportive and positive way. This follows a long process of reclamation by parts of the LGBTQIA+ community of words that have previously been seen as only negative—including using the word queer as a collective term.
The inclusion of the word in this production marks that intention and is a deliberate choice by the creative team. Since the book was published in 1977, conversations about gender diversity within the queer community have also evolved, and this is reflected in both the language the show uses and the casting.
The Faggots and Their Friends Between Revolutions deals with sexual liberation in an explicit way. The production also refers to discrimination and violence against the LGBTQIA+ community.
“a show that somehow manages to be both grittily DIY and sensuously extravagant … served up with such raw energy and panache, it’s also irresistibly, unforgettably compelling”
The Guardian (UK)
“a genuinely fresh and distinctive new work that gladdens the heart”
The Stage (UK)
Dates & Tickets
Ticket Information
Tickets start at $30 (plus fees)
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In the News
The New York Times
A Utopian Story That Became a Queer Cult Classic Debuts in New York
“The Faggots and Their Friends Between Revolutions” is a music theater piece based on Larry Mitchell and Ned Asta’s 1970s book.
The New York Times
It’s a Homophobic Slur. What’s It Doing in So Much Theater?
“Prince Faggot,” “Figaro/Faggots” and other productions use the word to shock, provoke, reclaim it for gay men or all of the above. Does that make it OK?
Creative Team
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Music
Philip Venables
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Direction and Text
Ted Huffman
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Music Direction
Yshani Perinpanayagam
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Choreography, Costume Design
Theo Clinkard
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Set Design
Rosie Elnile
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Lighting Design
Bertrand Couderc
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Sound Design
Simon Hendry
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Dramaturgy
Scottee
Production Credits
Produced by Factory International (Manchester) and Park Avenue Armory
Commissioned by Factory International, Manchester; Festival d’Aix-En Provence; Bregenzer Festspiele; Ruhrtriennale; The Southbank Centre; and NYU Skirball in association with Holland Festival.
Under exclusive licence and courtesy by Nightboat Books, New York
Related Event
Making Space at the Armory
Artist Talk: Philip Venables & Ted Huffman
The Faggots and Their Friends Between Revolutions creators Philip Venables and Ted Huffman are joined in conversation with comedian, musician, and writer Morgan Bassichis and original book illustrator Ned Asta.
Friday, December 5 | Post Performance
Armory After Hours: Four Letter Words
Be a part of a special Armory After Hours where Kit Green and Yshani Perinpanayagam from the cast perform a set of songs from Green's upcoming album Four Letter Words, a wry, musically diverse collection of songs about survival, love, joy, sex, and finding a way through a complex life with humor and passion.
Support
The Faggots and Their Friends Between Revolutions is made possible with the support of Andrew Martin-Weber and Beejan Land, and Joan Granlund. Additional support is provided by Helen Little.