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When Rob was twelve, they attempted a full-blown Disney parade in their house for their Grandma. As Rob donned wigs and played Mary Poppins, Ariel, Mickey Mouse and Belle, their Dad doubled as Stage Manager, Sound Technician and Goofy.
Unfortunately, Dad missed all his cues and pushed all the floats in the wrong direction. Mum mistook Aladdin for Ursula. The costumes went awry. And Ariel's bubble gun didn't work properly. Grandma had a nice time, though.
My Son's a Queer (But What Can You Do?) is the joyous, chaotic, autobiographical story of actor, writer and social-media sensation Rob Madge as they set out to recreate that parade – and this time, nobody, no, nobody is gonna rain on it.
It was first performed at London's Turbine Theatre in June 2021, directed by Luke Sheppard, with music by Pippa Cleary – and starring Rob Madge as Rob Madge, alongside hilarious home movies of the Madge family (plus Granny Grimble).
This edition features the complete text of the play, including links to and transcriptions of the video footage, colour photographs and extra bonus content from the RDM* Productions Archive. It concludes with an afterword by Mum and Dad about the joys to be found in championing the creativity of children – and why playing Tinkerbell, with a smile, might be the best thing you can do for your kids, and for yourselves.
* Robert Dennis Madge
"An affectionate, uplifting story with a strong, surprisingly universal message about pride, self-esteem and acceptance... a hilarious and deeply moving love-letter to the parents who embraced [Madge's] choices from an early age and encouraged them to soar."
Rob Madge is an actor and playwright whose debut play, My Son’s a Queer (But What Can You Do?), premiered at London’s Turbine Theatre in 2021, was a critical and commercial hit at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2022, and transferred to the West End later that year. It won Best Off-West End Production at the 2022 WhatsOnStage Awards, the Theatre Award at the 2023 Virgin Atlantic Attitude Awards, and was nominated for Best Entertainment or Comedy Play at the Olivier Awards. Madge was joint winner of Best Creative West End Debut at the Stage Debut Awards in 2023. Madge has also adapted Brandon Thomas’s farce Charley’s Aunt (Watermill Theatre, 2025).