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Kiss Marry Kill

Dante or Die’s Artistic Directors Daphna Attias & Terry O’Donovan have been developing this new project since 2017, in collaboration with James Baldwin and with support from Synergy Theatre. The project is inspired by the first same-sex marriage in a UK prison - both men are serving life sentences for homophobic murders. This fascinating story inspires our new production in which audiences will experience a show that fuses music, movement and Dante or Die’s trademark up-close-and-personal storytelling.

It will be a bold and ambitious production that combines

  • Sited in chapels or churches
  • Audience sit on prison beds donated by HMP Holloway
  • An ensemble of male ex-prisoners performing movement, music and dialogue surround the audience for intimate moments
  • Embedded captioning

Our production will provoke discussions and debate about sexuality, the purpose of prison and the contradictions inherent within ‘equality’. There are strong underlying themes of masculinity and sexuality, society and repression. We are excited about the complexities of the narrative and the questions it provokes:

Is it a story of redemption, self-acceptance or rehabilitation?

Is it about power and coercion?

Should this marriage have been allowed? Should sex in prison be allowed? Is sex a human right?

We've had brilliant support from sector specialists Synergy Theatre, Geese Theatre & Clean Break.

The production is currently in development, with full production to be in 2024 co-commissioned by The Lowry & Ideas Test with funding from Cockayne Foundation, Awards for All & PRS Foundation. R&D has been supported by National Theatre New Work Dept, South Street Reading, York Theatre Royal, Stone Nest and funded by Arts Council England.

2020 & Ongoing R&D: We gratefully acknowledge the support from PRS for Music Foundation

2019 R&D supported by IGNITE - York Theatre Royal, and funded by Arts Council England.

2018 R&D seed funded by South Street & University of Reading’s Film, Theatre & Television Dept and funded by Arts Council England.

Arts Council England