House Proud
Expect the unexpected at a series of special events across the South East celebrating LGBTQ+ history and Pride season in stunning historical settings.
House Proud: Queerstory at Fenton House, London
Saturday 28 June, 6.30-8.30pm
Queerstory the Musical returns to Fenton House to share queer stories, old and new, to round out Pride month in style. Mercury and Professor Maxim invite you to come and join in an evening of celebration, reflection and rebellious revelry.
Last winter, Mercury and Professor Maxim joined us as part of Fenton House’s inaugural House Proud event and had the audience enthralled with excerpts from their musical Queerstory. We are delighted to have them back by popular demand to give us more.
“It was an incredible evening! Please do more!” – audience feedback from House Proud at Fenton House, November 2024.
Fenton House is home to the Major Benton Fletcher collection of early keyboard instruments. Professor Maxim will be playing a harpsichord made by Swiss harpsichord builder Burkat Shudi and Scottish cabinetmaker John Broadwood, dating from 1770, which is still kept in working order by the National Trust’s specialist advisors.
After sold out shows at Theatre Royal Stratford East, The Phoenix Arts Club, Vault Festival and as part of the Paines Plough Roundabout Festival, Queerstory continues to shine a light on the queer parts of history that were never taught about and the queer people who fought for what freedoms the LGBTQIA+ community experience today.
From Dietrich to Drag Queens, Shakespeare to ‘Shantay you stay’, Kushner to a good ol’ kiki, a night with Queerstory is a riot in stilettos.
The event is due to last around 90 minutes, with a short interval.
“Queerstory the Musical is a fantastic show that is both hilarious and informative. Mercury and Maxim do a wonderful job of combining humour and music while also remembering those who lived before us, fighting for queer rights and standing up for who they love.” – Broadway World
About the performers:
Professor Maxim
Accordionist, pianist, and lapsed academic, Professor Maxim is the supposed brains of the Queerstory duo, having found an outlet for their passion for queer history by deciding it was more educational to write a musical about it then to go into teaching. Outside of composing songs about queer history, Maxim is also the producer of the long-running Cabaret Roulette - last seen at a sold out Pleasance Theatre - as well as collaborating with cabaret superstars, including The French Brexit Song with Sarah-Louise Young and Amanda Palmer.
Mercury
The professional idiot of the duo behind Queerstory, Mercury’s career as an international clown and cabaret artist sets them up to be the perfect ‘other side of the coin’ to the academic Professor Maxim.
With performances at the Palladium, Cafe de Paris, the Wonderground, Edinburgh Fringe and more, Mercury has had the privilege to work alongside some of the top names in the business, including Julian Clary, Bill Bailey and Kerry Ellis.
Tickets
Adults £25, Student £22
House Proud: Away with the Faeries at Fenton House, London
Friday 8 August, 6.30-10pm
“Now, until the break of day, Through this house each fairy stray.”
– William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
After a sold-out event last winter, House Proud returns to Fenton House this summer.
On Friday 8 August, Fenton House will be taken over by all kinds of queer delights. Come visit a beautiful historic property but see it through a different lens. We are celebrating LGBTQ+ history and identity with a folkloric flourish this year, so expect an evening of magical drag, fantastical performances and immersive activities! With talks and performances happening at different times in different parts of the house and garden throughout the evening, you'll be free to explore and join in with the bits that most interest you. Join historian Sacha Coward, author of Queer as Folklore, who will take a look at the hidden queer history behind some of our favourite myths and legends…
“Queer communities have often sought refuge in the shadows, found kinship in the in-between and created safe spaces in underworlds; but these forgotten narratives tell stories of remarkable resilience that deserve to be heard.” – Queer as Folklore.
Watch this space for more performers to be announced soon. We can’t wait to welcome you.
About the performers:
Sacha Coward
Sacha is a historian, public speaker and author. He has run LGBTQ+ focused tours for museums, archives, and cities around the world. In 2024 he published his first book, Queer as Folklore, an exhilarating journey across centuries and continents which reveals the unsung heroes and villains of storytelling, magic and fantasy.
Tickets
£14 / £12 / £10
I’m really excited to hopefully bring some new audiences to Hatchlands, and share some stories that might otherwise have been forgotten about. Growing up in the era of Section 28, I had no real concept that people like me existed throughout history, so I think it’s really important that we’re able to explore aspects of our past that were previously brushed under the carpet.
House Proud at Hatchlands Park, Surrey
Friday 12 September 2025, 6.30pm - 10.00pm
We're rolling out the pink carpet to bring the LGBTQ+ history of this National Trust property to life, for one fun and immersive evening, where everyone is welcome.
House Proud returns to its home at Hatchlands Park for a fourth year for another fabulous evening of queer history! Revel in the queer ecology found in the park itself and enjoy an evening of music, song and performance, surrounded by historic instruments and art.
Take a walk with ecologist Connor Butler to learn what the emerging theory of queer ecology is all about, and join historian Sheldon K. Goodman to revisit some of the LGBTQ+ histories represented in the treasures you’ll find in the house. The Surrey Rainbow Choir will be back for their fourth year in a row, with more acts yet to be announced.
With talks and performances happening at different times in different parts of the house and garden throughout the evening, you'll be free to explore and join in with the bits that most interest you.
About the performers:
Sheldon K. Goodman
Sheldon is a public historian, tour guide and Queer historian. Specialising in truth-telling, LGBTQ+ and minority histories, Sheldon prides himself on making heritage accessible and engaging in museums, art galleries and cemeteries.
Surrey Rainbow Choir
Surrey’s only LGBTQ+ dedicated choir, who provide an inclusive and accessible space where people can get together and enjoy singing - judgement-free. They are made up of almost fifty members of all ages, gender expressions, sexualities and musical ability. Now for the first time in Surrey, LGBTQ+ people can feel free to belong and sing out in a safe space and all the while helping the community by representing LGBTQ+ people performing across Surrey and raising money for good causes with the funds raised at their concerts.
Connor Butler
Connor is a freelance entomologist and educator with a decade of experience connecting people with the natural world. He is the former Head of Learning at Chelsea Physic Garden and has spent the past year studying dung beetles in London’s parks. To date, Connor has encouraged over 8,000 people to take time to appreciate the smallest details in nature and to show love for the often unloved species on our planet.
Tickets
Adults £12, Student £10
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