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LJ Parkinson

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Lucy Jane Parkinson or LJ Parkinson[1] is a British actor and drag king better known by the stage name LoUis CYfer.

Education

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Parkinson studied performing arts at Rotherham College of Arts and Technology in South Yorkshire and contemporary theatre and performance at Manchester Metropolitan University before gaining an MA in contemporary performance making[2] at Brunel University London.[3]

Career

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Parkinson played the central character Joan of Arc and all the other, male, characters in Joan, written and directed by Leo Skillbeck for the Milk Presents company.[4] Performances included Camden People's Theatre in 2015,[5] the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2016 (winning a Scotsman Fringe First award[6] and The Stage award[7]) and 2017,[8][9] the Oval House Theatre, Brixton, in 2017[10] and Spazju Kreattiv in Malta in 2018.[11]

In 2017 they were one of the cast of four in Milk Presents' production Bullish, a retelling of the myth of the minotaur, at Camden People's Theatre.[12]

In Summer 2018 they played D'Artagnan in The Dukes' promenade production of The Three Musketeers, adapted by Hattie Naylor from Alexandre Dumas' novel, in Williamson Park, Lancaster. In this version D'Artagnan was a young woman aspiring to become a musketeer.[13][14]

In 2019 Parkinson toured the UK as the lead role of Fiona/Adrian in the Olivier winning production of Rotterdam. The play follows a couple Alice and Fiona at the point in their relationship when Fiona reveals he has always identified as a male and now wants to start living as a man called Adrian.[15][16]

Parkinson has since played a sellout run as Mrs Bedlam and Squire Wouldbe with The Young Vic Theatre as part of the Young Vic Unpacked season in She Ventures and He Wins.[17]

References

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  1. ^ "LJ Parkinson". The Production Exchange. Archived from the original on 9 April 2021. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  2. ^ "Contemporary Performance Making MA" (PDF). Brunel University London. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 July 2018. Retrieved 26 July 2018.
  3. ^ Taylor, Amie (28 April 2017). "Interview: Lucy Jane Parkinson". The LGBTQ Arts Review. Retrieved 26 July 2018.
  4. ^ "Joan: Production pack" (PDF). Milk Presents. Retrieved 26 July 2018.
  5. ^ Gardner, Lyn (9 October 2015). "Joan review – magical transformations of a heretical heroine". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 July 2018.
  6. ^ "Final Fringe First 2016 winners announced". The Scotsman. 26 August 2016. Retrieved 26 July 2018.
  7. ^ Hemley, Matthew (22 August 2016). "The Stage Edinburgh Awards 2016 anoints third set of winners". The Stage. Retrieved 26 July 2018.
  8. ^ "14 returning Edinburgh Festival shows that are must-sees". The Scotsman. 5 August 2017. Retrieved 26 July 2018.
  9. ^ Diamond, Judy (24 August 2017). "Joan". Edinburgh Festivals Magazine. Archived from the original on 26 July 2018. Retrieved 26 July 2018.
  10. ^ Mustarde, Danielle (19 April 2017). "Talking drag with Lucy Jane Parkinson". Diva. Archived from the original on 26 July 2018. Retrieved 26 July 2018.
  11. ^ Camilleri, Jes (24 June 2018). "To be or not to be... a man". Times of Malta. Retrieved 26 July 2018.
  12. ^ Gardner, Lyn (19 September 2017). "Bullish review – gold horns and glitter beards in minotaur cabaret". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 July 2018.
  13. ^ Bartlett, Chris (24 July 2018). "The Three Musketeers review at Williamson Park, Lancaster – 'slick and inclusive open-air theatre'". The Stage. Archived from the original on 26 July 2018. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
  14. ^ Brennan, Clare (22 July 2018). "The Three Musketeers review - a joyful twist on the classic swashbuckler". The Observer. Retrieved 26 July 2018.
  15. ^ Hutchinson, Charles (9 April 2019). "How theatre is transitioning in Jon Brittain's Rotterdam". York Press. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  16. ^ Jupp, Emily (25 February 2019). "Drag King Lucy Jane Parkinson / LoUis CYfer on starring in Jon Brittain's Rotterdam: 'We have removed the shackles from defining what is an entertaining narrative'". Visionary Arts Organisation. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  17. ^ "She Ventures and He Wins". Young Vic website. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
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