About Us
Drunken Chorus make contemporary theatre, and curate inclusive and accessible festivals, events and creative experiences.
Drunken Chorus is led by Chris Williams and Sheena Holliday - two friends from Yorkshire, who once went to the same youth theatre.
The company was founded in the late 2000’s, to make and tour live performance. Our early shows were supported by venues like Greenroom in Manchester, The Nuffield Theatre / Lancaster Arts and Junction in Yorkshire, and we soon began securing funding from Arts Council England.
We made shows about mental health, Jarvis Cocker, and bad weather at sea. Shows about dead comedians; forgotten comedians; every comedian that’s ever been and will be. We made a wordless horror that half the audience hated and the rest loved. We made a show about a truck driver taking to the skies on a patio chair tied to a load of balloons. We made shows about things that inspired and moved us. We haven’t done this in a long time. But… we recently started developing our first new show in 7 years! You can read more about our past performances here.
Our work has evolved and developed over the years, to include artist support, live events in pubs, major arts festivals, participatory work, and a focus on making art and culture more inclusive and accessible.
From 2012 to 2015 our DRUNKEN NIGHTS project showcased the work of hundreds of artists, through a series of free performance events in pubs. We provided bespoke support for 12 artists / companies, including space, a bursary, and mentoring from high profile artists like Franko B, David Rosenberg, Cathy Naden (Forced Entertainment), Louise Mari (SHUNT), Jon Haynes (Ridiculusmus) and Third Angel.
Other artist support programmes have included It’s All In Your Head, which provided support for female artists to create new solo performances about mental health, alongside our show Love and then Lighthouses; and A Glimmer - supporting artists to create work and sustain a career in the wake of the COVID pandemic.
In 2015 we became a registered charity, and two years later launched A Bit Of A Do - our annual inclusive arts festival in Croydon, South London. Since then, we’ve presented the festival six times, with exciting performance by world-class artists, alongside new and emerging work. Past performers include: Touretteshero, Forced Entertainment, Ellen Renton, Jo Fong & George Orange, Ursula Martinez, Don Biswas, Thick & Tight, Edy Hurst, Aby Watson and Joe Kent-Walters.
In 2023, we were commissioned to produce Liberty - the Mayor of London’s flagship festival of work by Deaf, Disabled and Neurodivergent artists, as part of This Is Croydon: London Borough of Culture.
As a neurodivergent-led company, we are committed to creating, supporting and promoting live performance that is accessible and inclusive. Whether we’re supporting artists; running workshops; making and touring our own shows; or producing festivals and events - access and inclusion is always at heart of everything we do.
Latest News
Drunken Chorus is registered charity 1161841, and is currently supported by Arts Council England, Didymus, City Bridge Trust and Garfield Weston Foundation.
