Putting audiences in the shoes of a trans woman

A bold new play in Brighton promises to put audiences in the shoes of a trans woman.

You’ve Gone Quiet – written and produced by trans playwright Cerys Duffy and directed by Andy McLeod – tours to London, Bristol and Brighton this June.

It comes from Open Handed Theatre, a Brighton-based theatre company which uses stories “to transform the suppressed into the spectacular.”

Cerys said: “You’ve Gone Quiet is a hilarious and immersive new play that places you – the audience – directly inside the life of a trans woman. Told in the second person, it is the only show this year that doesn’t ask you to watch a trans story, but live one.

“Featuring Shane Convery (BBC’s Privileged & Blue Lights) and Gennifer Becouarn (BBC’s The Gold), the story follows Beth, a journalist whose best friend asks her to help conceive a baby. As Beth pursues this, and the media begins to share her words, we see how an innocent story can be turned into a sinister cultural meme.”

Past audiences have said “I didn’t know what it means to be trans until someone started speaking to me like that.”

Cerys added: “The production arrives more than a year after the EHRC’s interim guidance that changed the way trans people are treated in public life. 97 per cent of trans people in the UK have experienced transphobia (TransActual, Trans Lives 2025), and 99 per cent reported that hostile media coverage had directly harmed their mental health. You’ve Gone Quiet puts a face to these statistics.

“With a cast and crew made up of trans and cis creatives, You’ve Gone Quiet demonstrates the importance of inclusive media consumption in a world of toxic debate and media bias.”

Cerys added: “I started writing You’ve Gone Quiet back in 2020, but in recent years the story is now more important than ever. Whether it’s sports, youth groups or even using the toilets at our jobs, trans people’s voices have been pushed further into the margins. I truly believe that these new imposed rules hurt everyone, trans or not. This play lets us show we aren’t a group of monsters, but people who deserve to be loved and respected like any other.”

Artistic director Andy McLeod added: “Since Cerys first asked me to direct this wonderful play, I’ve been in such a privileged position to uplift the talented trans people near and dear to us. Truly great theatre can only happen when the people who make it can live safely and with dignity. The theatre world must stand unequivocally alongside the trans community, and this production is proof of what magic can be created when that happens.”

In Brighton it plays Lantern Theatre from June 18-20.

Writer & Producer: Cerys Duffy. Director: Andy McLeod. Technical director: Katy Matthews

Cast: Beth – Shane Convery (they/them); Tara – Gennifer Becouarn (she/her); Samantha – Sophia Vi (she/her); Rory – Matt Vickery (he/him); Gaz – Oliver Redpath (he/him); and Ian – Matt Roberts (he/him).