Fixing: Launch Event 2026
When Matt was little, their dad bought a classic car. A 1952 Sunbeam Talbot Mark II. Dad had ideas that he and Matt would do it up, repair, rebuild together. They never did, and the car festered in a garage.
I mean, Dad had just been through a divorce.
Now in their 30’s, Matt would like to learn how to fix a car engine. They’d like to learn a bit more about Dad, and that time, when Dad and Mum split up. The time when Matt and Dad were closest.
Matt can’t do this alone, which is tricky for a solo show. That’s where Matt’s drag alter-ego Natalie Spanner comes in. She knows all about things that girls like Natalie know about. Like how to build an engine. About maintenance, care and repair.
Together, Matt and Natalie will try to ask, in an increasingly broken world, how might we repair ourselves, together?
A drag show about family break ups, car breakdowns, and how to get over them.
“Delightful . . . a novel collision between queer culture and mechanics” – The Guardian
“Charming and often very funny look at fractured family life” – The Stage
Presented to launch the 2026 Ripon Theatre Festival. Tickets include a glass of bubbly, information about forthcoming festival events and refreshments courtesy of Valentino’s.
Friday 27 March. Doors and refreshments from 7pm, event starts 7.30pm.
