A rectangle with 5 equal sections. The first section is the A Bit Of A Do logo, white text on a dark background with pink and purple neon stripes in the bottom corner. In the next 4 sections are performers from the festival.

A Bit Of A Do is an inclusive festival of theatre, dance and cabaret, produced by Drunken Chorus, celebrating the work of disabled and non-disabled artists!

A Bit Of A Do 2023 took place 18th - 28th October at The Front Room and Stanley Arts in Croydon.

Now in its sixth year, A Bit Of A Do is Drunken Chorus’s flagship annual festival. The event features a lineup of world-class professional artists, alongside emerging performers.

This year, A Bit Of A Do featured performances by three artists who Drunken Chorus supported to make work for the festival: Jack Boal, Sophie Halstead and Tom Marshman.

All events at A Bit Of A Do were Pay What You Can, with free tickets available.

All performances and events were relaxed. All performances included British Sign Language or were performed in BSL, with voiceover in spoken English. Some performances had live audio description, touch tours, pre-recorded audio description or integrated audio description.

Drunken Chorus and A Bit Of A Do are supported by Arts Council England, City Bridge Foundation, Didymus, Garfield Weston Foundation, Shanly Foundation, The Arts Society, The Foyle Foundation and The Spectacle Makers’ Charity.

Jordan is a fierce black man with bright blonde braids and a beard that connects. Jordan is in full face today, honey. His eyeshadow is glowing, the highlight is popping and he’s paired the beard with a juicy lip tint...get into it! Jordan is wearing
A white man stands on stage in a blue skirt suit, short, blonde wig, white gloves and black handbag. He resembles Margaret Thatcher. A billowing cloud of smoke rises behind him.
A woman in a pink wig and light pink and silver dress is throwing blue, shimmering confetti out of a black cauldron into the audience. Someone in the audience is attempting to grab pieces of the confetti.
In black and white. A white woman stands on stage in silver, sparkly underwear with fairy lights wound around her torso. She stands with one leg crossed slightly in front of the other and her arms rest on the back of her head as she leans back and lo
In black and white. Four people dressed in black stand on stage side by side, dancing. They are all doing different movements and have different expressions on their faces.
In black and white. A white performer is sitting in a wheelchair and singing into a microphone, smiling with one arm outstretched to the side of him. The performer is dressed as Elvis and is wearing a white jumpsuit with star-shaped gems all over it.
A performer stands on stage wearing a turban and glasses with a brown velour tracksuit. On her head she wears a headband with the comb of a cockerel on it. She signs the letter ‘e’ in British Sign Language.
Jordan is a fierce black man with bright blonde braids and a beard that connects. Jordan is in full face today, honey. His eyeshadow is glowing, the highlight is popping and he’s paired the beard with a juicy lip tint...get into it! He is standing on
A white performer sits on a red chair. They wear a white t-shirt, blue, denim dungarees and a short, blonde wig. Their white powdered face, blushed cheeks and red nose resembles that of a clown. The performer holds up a baby’s pair of blue, denim dun
A man dressed in grey is lifting up a woman dressed in a purple floral dress. He looks serious whilst she is smiling. Behind them sat in a line, audience members are watching and laughing.
A white drag performer is crouched on stage. They wear a black, sequin blazer and holding a gift bag which has written on it: ‘Gender by the cis-het norm. In partnership with the patriarchy’. They are looking to the side with a confused expression on
A woman with brown hair is wearing a hat resembling a woolly animal, with ears and horns. She also wears a green dress with a green and pink jacket on top. Her hands are gesturing in front of her as she speaks to the audience with exaggerated facial
In black and white. A white woman in a black vest and shiny, black, ruffled material around her arms and legs, with slits down each side. Her hands are crossing in front of her face. Audience members are in the foreground, watching.
In black and white. One performer is standing whilst the other has their legs twisted around their waist so that they are lifted off the floor. Both performers are looking at the audience and pointing in different directions.
In black and white. A white female performer in a white shirt and black trousers holds a life-size puppet of a child in front of her. The performer looks down at the puppet and smiles as the puppet’s hand stretches out towards the audience.
A white bald man in a white shirt and black jacket stands behind a bright yellow microphone. In the blurred background there is a BSL interpreter with blonde hair wearing a black dress.
Jordan is a fierce black man with bright blonde braids and a beard that connects. Jordan is in full face today, honey. His eyeshadow is glowing, the highlight is popping and he’s paired the beard with a juicy lip tint...get into it! He is leaning bac
A close-up shot of a white comedian with short, blonde, curly hair and red lipstick. They are wearing a white shirt with a black waistcoat. On the waistcoat is a pink badge which says ‘I am non-verbal’. The comedian is smiling as they look to the sid
Lachlan, a boy with a bowl-cut, is dressed in a black and red blazer and shorts. He is holding Brew, a witch puppet dressed in the same colours. They are standing among the audience and Lachlan is holding an orange pumpkin bucket.
A white female performer is standing on stage holding a bright red, mesh, ruffled material in front of their body. They have exaggerated silver and black eye make-up on and red lipstick. They are pouting their lips and looking out to the audience.
A white, female performer with long brown hair sits on a stool playing an acoustic guitar. Behind her is a silver shimmer curtain and to her side is a BSL interpreter and a screen with a clock being displayed.
A large, white, bald drag queen in a blue chequered suit with large, bold, blue makeup is standing on stage and gesturing towards the audience. They are also wearing a large blue hat in the shape of an arm and hand.
Two performers in silver, purple and yellow space suits stand on stage. They have silver disco helmets on. Both are standing with bent knees and arms extend out to the sides, as they look out at the audience and smile.
A white comedian with brown and grey hair is standing on stage holding a microphone in one hand and pointing at someone in the audience with the other. He is wearing a blue t-shirt. In the background green lights shine on the stage curtain.
In black and white. A woman wearing a glamorous wig and sparkly dress is standing at a microphone and looking to the side whilst sticking her tongue out.
In black and white. Two performers stand on stage smiling. One holds a microphone and gestures slightly to the side. The other is standing behind a microphone holding an acoustic guitar and laughing.
In black and white. A white comedian with glasses and a moustache holds a microphone and looks to the side with one hand placed on his chest. He is wearing a white shirt.
A South Asian drag performer stands on stage singing into a microphone and smiling. She has long black hair and wears a purple crop top with silver details on it, including strings of pearls extending from the bottom of it and matching ‘lehenga’ purp
MOONFACE, a drag creature with a Moon for a head stands on a ladder with one leg extended through two of the steps. They are holding onto the ladder with one arm, whilst the other is extended to the side with a splayed hand. MOONFACE is smiling as th
A South Asian comedian is standing behind a microphone, smiling with both arms gesturing upwards and to the side. He has short black hair and a black beard and moustache. He is wearing a black top with a yellow jacket. In the background green lights
A white comedian with short, strawberry blonde hair stands behind a microphone playing the accordion. He is wearing a green, blue and yellow plaid shirt.
A white woman with blonde hair is wearing a silk blue shirt and smiling. Next to her is a Middle Eastern man with black hair in a pink jacket. He is touching his hand to his chin as if thinking. In the foreground are audience members who the actors a
A side profile shot of a white drag performer singing into a microphone. They are wearing a short, black wig and a white t-shirt with a blue sparkly overshirt. They have a black beard and moustache drawn on their face and are looking up as they sing.

Photos by Paul Fuller

Line up

FlawBored: It's a Motherf*****g Pleasure

18th October 2023

Hot off the back of their smash-hit run at Edinburgh Fringe Festival, multi-award winning. disability-led theatre company FlawBored present It’s a Motherf**king Pleasure; ‘a smart, scathing satire’ on the monetisation of identity politics that spares no-one.

Rinkoo Barpaga: Made In (India) Britain

19th October 2023

Since leaving home in Birmingham, Rinkoo Barpaga has been determined to find somewhere to settle. Along the way, he's encountered racism and discrimination, and has begun asking himself: “Where do I belong?” Made In (India) Britain is an insight into one man’s life, as he tries to work out exactly who he is.

A Little Bit Of A Do: Family Cabaret

21st October 2023

An afternoon of performance and cabaret for children ages 6+ and their adults featuring Shar Cooterie, Bernadette Russell, Shelf, Sahera Khan and LYNNEBEC.

Queer Stage Revolution's Cabaret of Curiosities

21st October 2023

Drag! The Wheel Elvis! Hosted by the lip-syncing, cock-wielding, crip drag thing, George the Dragon, Cabaret of Curiosities shines a spotlight on queer, disabled and marginalised performers and their phenomenal talent. Prepare to be served drag, comedy, and live music. The revolution will be accessible - and fabulous!

Jo Fong & George Orange: The Rest of Our Lives

22nd October 2023

Jo is an old dancer, George an old clown. International artists with 100 years of life experience between them, armed with a soundtrack of floor-fillers, a book of raffle tickets and a sprinkling of eco-friendly optimism. Joyful, celebratory and hilarious.

Laugh-Able Comedy Night

25th October 2023

Laugh-Able Comedy Night is an Award-Winning, Accessible and Hilariously Heart-Warming Comedy Night Showcasing the best and most up and coming Disabled Comedians on the Circuit. Hosted by Mark Nicholas and featuring David Eagle, Alex Gibbon and headline act, Don Biswas.

Triple-Bill: Meg Hodgson, Sophie Halstead and Tom Marshman

26th October 2023

A three-in-one Thursday treat - featuring two brand new performances by Tom Marshman and Sophie Halstead, both co-commissioned for this year’s A Bit Of A Do Festival, alongside guest artist Meg Hodgson.

Small Acts: Future Pub

27th October 2023

If you could time travel to the pub of the future what would you like to see? Robot bar staff, instant nostalgia or a new social Inn-vention? Future Pub draws on interviews with pub-goers, brewers and campaigners to explore the enduring role of pubs in our lives at a time when the future of so many hangs in the balance.

Jack Boal: The Children are Leaving

28th October 2023

The Children are Leaving is an equally surreal & sincere whirlwind exploring the desire and tensions of wanting to have a family on a dying planet. Through clown and puppetry, Jack Boal and Robyn Olivia present a raucous variety of scenes through humour and a sprinkle of puppets thrown in for good measure.

A Bit Of A Knees Up: Closing Cabaret

28th October 2023

A night of cabaret and comedy to mark the closing of A Bit Of A Do festival 2023! Your host for the night, Pride’s Got Talent winner Jordan Charles, will guide you through an evening of eclectic performances: from cabaret and comedy to poetry and ventriloquism.

Next

Liberty Festival