George and the Drag Queen @ Beggars Theatre, Millom – Arts Out West

19th November 2026 7:30pm (Doors open at 7:00 pm)

The Beggars Theatre

Maddy has a story to tell: a former St. John Ambulance volunteer, she recollects the strange encounter she once witnessed between George, a fellow volunteer, and Usman, a refugee, at a village summer fete.George and Maddy are a frequent double-act at such events. George – bluff, ex military, a fount of old-school, wise-cracking banter (and St. John Ambulance trivia), now close to retirement, and a self-appointed mentor to Maddy – asthmatic, unlucky in love, but with more than enough wit to outsmart George. They make a sweet, if nerdy, team. The fete is what you’d expect: outsized veg, primary school art display, scruffiest dog competition, rosettes, cream teas, bunting. An out-of-time vision of England; a safe harbour, where the roiling seas of division and desperation shouldn’t intrude. Bar the odd wasp sting, George and Maddy are expecting a quiet day. Except – half an hour before kick-off, a stranger appears in their gazebo. This is Usman – cheerful, gentle, quiet-spoken. Apparently the tent has been allocated to him as a makeshift dressing room. For his ‘Special Performance’. So far, so unexpected. But then it gets weirder: it turns out Usman and George know each other from a former, almost unrecognisable life. A twist of ‘fete’, as George might say. But when the penny drops, the fallout will turn this into a fete like no other…Pipeline Theatre uses comedy, heartbreak, music, a transmogrifying set, pin-sharp dialogue and indelible characters, to show that when caught in the riptide of history, you never know who might just save your life…

Please note: This performance takes place at Beggars Theatre, booking is available throughhttps://beggarstheatre.com/event/george-and-the-drag-queen/or by calling 01229 775677

BYOB is not allowed.