Bullring Techno Makeout Jamz at the Royal Exchange Theatre
Kristy Stott, Theatre Editor
Winner of the Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting 2022, Nathan Queeley-Dennis’ debut play – Bullring Techno Makeout Jamz – was a huge hit at the 2023 Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Following its success up north, the show opened to rave reviews in London – it now returns to Manchester’s Royal Exchange Theatre where it was awarded the Bruntwood Prize in 2022.
Billed as a “love letter to Birmingham”, this intelligent and charming show explores Black masculinity through Beyoncé lyrics, techno raves and the deep connection between a man and his barber.
Directed by Dermot Daly, Bullring Techno Makeout Jamz is a short and comically sweet one-man show. Throughout its 60-minute running time, writer and performer Nathan Queeley-Dennis gives the audience a snapshot of life on the dating scene as a young, Black Brummie, trying to find love and his place in the world. Relatable with plenty of laugh-out-loud moments, this deep dive into modern dating will lift hearts and entertain (disclaimer: you don’t need to be from Birmingham to appreciate it either).
Of the show, Nathan Queeley-Dennis told us, “I’m thrilled to bring Bullring Techno Makeout Jamz to the Royal Exchange Theatre. Our journey began here with the Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting in 2022. Though I’m not from Manchester, this feels like a homecoming for the play. An extract was performed at the ceremony, and the feeling in the room was electric, you could really feel it living in the space. I’ll never forget that moment or feeling, and I can’t wait to bring that electricity back to that room, bringing the 0121 to the 0161.”
Bullring Techno Makeout Jamz runs at the Royal Exchange Theatre for just four performances this October. Don’t miss the chance to see this sharply performed, award-winning play in Manchester.
