KUNSTY: Experimental Evenings at the Southbank Centre
Image Credit: Sarah Walker, from Justin Talplacido Shoulder: ANITO
We may still be enjoying the breeze of summer, but meteorologically, autumn begins in a couple of weeks; time flies when you’re having fun! And come November, the Southbank Centre is transforming, ushering in four days of audacious, genre-bending performances that pulse with the electricity of the underground. KUNSTY is a bold series where dance, live art, and cabaret collide under one daring roof, spanning both afternoon and evening performances.
The Vibe
Picture stepping into the Queen Elizabeth Hall foyer: the lights are low and the stage is intimate. The KUNSTY Cabaret Lounge is more than a venue—it’s a secret backroom where rebellion and artistry meet. Glitter, drag, queer cabaret energy, rhythmic movement; it’s a space where the unexpected thrives, whether by day or night.
Image Credit: Matt Crockett
Line-Up & Dates
Mark your calendars; this surreal showcase plays for four unforgettable nights, 5–8 November 2025:
Wednesday 5 November
Tink and Abra Flaherty: Gen X Gen Z – A surreal exploration of parenting, identity, and growing up, with sharp humour and tender reflection.
Bullyache: WHO HURT YOU? – A dystopian drag-performance offering fierce theatricality and dark futurism, blending autobiographical material, character, and audience in a post-theatre world.
Thursday 6 November
Sung Im Her: 1 Degree Celsius – An urgent, climate-conscious dance meditation that moves both body and mind, exploring the consequences of our daily choices.
Jenny Moore: Wild Mix – A world premiere rooted in queer communal healing, combining singing, drumming, kickboxing, and an innovative hydrophone boxing bag instrument.
Cabrolé! – Flamenco-inspired queer cabaret from Patricia Langa, fusing music, dance, and joy while celebrating community and self-expression.
Friday 7 November
Courtney May Robertson: HUNTER – Horror, BDSM, and melodrama collide in a life-affirming tragedy of self-discovery, performed alongside a life-size doppelganger.
Cabrolé! – Encore performance of the flamenco queer cabaret, inviting audiences to dance and revel in rhythm and rebellion.
Justin Talplacido Shoulder: ANITO – A UK premiere of this bold fusion of folklore, puppetry, and diasporic club culture, imagining a queer Filipino future through myth and movement.
Saturday 8 November
Justin Talplacido Shoulder: ANITO – Afternoon performance at 2pm, continuing the immersive folkloric and club-culture exploration.
Adam Russell-Jones: Release the Hounds – A UK premiere tracing dance as escape, survival, and ecstatic endurance, inspired by historical dance marathons and rave culture.
Harry Clayton-Wright: Mr Blackpool's Seaside Spectacular – Glitter-soaked storytelling that dazzles the senses, bringing Blackpool’s end-of-the-pier entertainment to life in technicolor spectacle.
A Season of Bold Statements
KUNSTY sits as the beating heart of the Southbank Centre’s Autumn/Winter Performance & Dance programme; an invitation to embrace the unclassifiable:
17–18 September: CADELA FORÇA TRILOGY – Chapter I: The Bride and the Goodnight Cinderella by Carolina Bianchi, a haunting exploration of trauma and memory.
15–16 October: VOICE NOISE by Jan Martens – A visceral confrontation of patriarchal silence through movement.
5–7 March: Ballet de Lorraine: Acid Gems and a Folia by Marco da Silva Ferreira – A kaleidoscopic reimagining of Portuguese festivity in dance.
28–29 November: Wet Mess: TESTO – Surreal movement and dykey desires collide in a choreography of guttural sexuality.
9–31 December: Sh!t Theatre: EVITA TOO – A mega-musical exploring populism, loss, and disco dictatorship, created with Sh!t Theatre’s signature DIY aesthetic.
Why It Matters
KUNSTY is an invitation to lean closer, immerse yourself, and experience art that doesn’t fit tidy categories. The Southbank Centre offers a sanctuary for those craving spectacle that disturbs, dialogues that sparkle, and rhythm that reframes; whether in the afternoon glow or under the midnight lights.
Tickets & How to Attend
Tickets are on sale now via the Southbank Centre’s website. Multi-show bundles come with discounts—perfect if you're planning to immerse yourself in the full breadth of this bold new season.
Although locking in plans three months in advance is always difficult, if your ideal escape is performance stripped of predictability and pulsing with possibility, it’s worth circling those dates.
