Tales From Your Queer Elder
★★★☆☆ Embodied
Greenside @ George Street (Venue 236): Fri 1 – Sat 16 Aug 2025
Review by Rebecca Mahar
Lucia August returns to the Fringe with Tales From Your Queer Elder, a three-act reflection on her journey through life, dance, and existing outside societal norms and expectations.
Taking the form of a solo dance concert, the programme is composed of three distinct pieces: Consistent Paradox, They Never Really Leave, and Eldering, the last of which received its world premiere here at the Fringe on 1 August.
Lucia August, Tales From Your Queer Elder. Pic supplied
Although August has had a long career as a dancer and dance therapist, these pieces are not based solely in movement, including spoken word, sound, audience interaction, and elements of mime.
In Consistent Paradox, August appears as Ocean Moneybags, a name evoking drag, whose life is “expansive” but lives trapped in the invisible box of gender and hiding their truth.
They Never Really Leaves is by far the longest piece, relating the real-life story of Kristy, the first woman August ever kissed, the eight magical months they shared, her unsolved disappearance in 1983. Prompted by the discovery of forty year old cassette tapes from their time together, August lingers in deep thought and reflection in this piece, pausing to perform a tarot reading for the audience, and read excerpts from the final letter she received from Kristy.
Eldering is a fitting closing for this programme, with August embodying herself, now, reflecting on what it means to be an elder, and what messages she has to share.
Lucia August, Tales From Your Queer Elder. Pic: Lynne Fried.
Tales From Your Queer Elder is a raw production, both in the truth and frankness of its content, and its presentation. It’s clearly not trying to be especially slick, with pauses of several minutes between each piece for set and costume changes, and August’s interactions with the tech desk (whose occupant she addresses as “maestro,” a fitting title for some of the unsung heroes of the Fringe). This show has the feeling of an invited performance in August’s living room, something she’s gathered a group of friends together to share it with.
It also invites a reflection on what is “polished,” and does something have to be that to be ready to share? August’s messaging is that of acceptance: of one’s body, identity, ability, age; of the wholeness of oneself, the journeys you have been on, those you have yet to take, and the path you are walking now.
There’s something for everyone in Tales From Your Queer Elder, and August’s tales are for everyone willing to step into her salon to hear them.
Running time: 50 minutes (no interval).
Greenside @ George Street (Lime Studio), 22-26 George Street EH2 2PQ (Venue 236).
Friday 1 – Saturday 16 August 2025.
Daily (not Tue, Thur, Sun): 4.10pm.
Tickets and details: Book here on EdFringe.com.
Lucia August website: www.luciaaugustdance.com/
Instagram: @luciaaugust
Linktree: @LuciaAugust
Lucia August, Tales From Your Queer Elder. Pic: Lynne Fried.
ENDS
