The Queer Play Reading Club is a space to share new Queer writing, read a Queer play with its author and explore its themes and the craft of writing Queer stories. This month’s play is Tender by Eleanor Tindall
Held in partnership with Nick Hern Books, our monthly club celebrates LGBTQIA+ playwriting in an encouraging and thoughtful Queer-run space. And everyone gets to take home a copy of the published play and build their own Queer library.
Afterwards, join us for a drink and a chat, these eventings are a chance to connect with fellow queer creatives and theatre lovers. And many of our members have found lasting friendships and creative collaborators through our events.
This month’s play: Tender by Eleanor Tindall
“You might say that my life is perfect”
Ivy has life sorted; she's got a flat, a boyfriend and she knows exactly where it's all headed. Except there is this thing that she tries not to think about. The thing she left in her childhood bedroom.
Ash is having the time of her life. Fresh from leaving a bad relationship, she's got no idea what's next. But there's something about her new flat. The wallpaper pulses and sometimes it sounds like a heartbeat.
Two women. A chance meeting. Giddy kisses they never should have shared. Eleanor Tindall's play Tender is the story of two people who find each other without even knowing they were looking. It was first performed at the Bush Theatre, London, in 2024, directed by Emily Aboud and produced by Broccoli Arts and Jessie Anand Productions. It was revived at the Bush Theatre in 2026.
Press Quotes
'Eleanor Tindall's drama [is] a queer romance, a haunted house story and a horror. It is all of these things, twisting and springing surprises, glinting with dangerous promise... a gripping ride' - Guardian
'A thrilling, genre-bending two-hander romance that's as sweet as it is unsettling... a breathtaking dramatic experience' - Theatre Weekly
'A lovely story of two women finding romantic connection with each other... easy to root for' - The Stage
Special Guest: Eleanor Tindall
Eleanor is a playwright & screenwriter from London. Theatre credits include; Before I Was A Bear (Soho Theatre); Macbeth: Something Wicked (Donmar Warehouse Schools Tour); Tender (Bush Theatre); I Am Asking You To Touch Me (National Youth Theatre). Recently, Eleanor’s play What If Orpheus Was Four Sad Women was shortlisted for the 2024 Verity Bargate Award, longlisted for the 2025 Bruntwood Prize and commissioned by Soho Theatre as part of their ReDraft scheme. Eleanor has been a member of various writers’ programmes, including Soho Theatre Writers Lab, and was part of the BBC Voices cohort in 2024. They were nominated for Best Writer at the Stage Debut Awards in 2020 for their first play Before I Was A Bear, and Tender was a finalist for the Ambassador Theatre Group’s Playwriting Prize in association with Platform Presents. Tender premiered in the Bush Theatre studio in 2024 before transferring to the main house in 2026.
Itinerary
- Doors Open from 6:30pm: For complimentary tea, coffee and snacks (other drinks available from the bar downstaris)
- 7pm: Meet and greet, share new writing and offer feedback.
- Later: Table-read this month’s play together, followed by a discussion facilitated by Queer Theatre’s Artistic Director, Andrew Keates.
- Afterwards: Drinks and socialising until approximately 10:30pm/11pm.
The Railway, Clapham
18 Clapham High Street, London SW4 7UR
Nearest Tube: Clapham North, on the Northern line, or Clapham Common is also a short walk away.
Nearest Overground: Clapham High Street, directly opposite the venue.
Accessibility: The event takes place upstairs, in a space accessible only by stairs. If you have access questions, please contact us before booking so we can discuss your needs.
Sharing your writing
If you’d like us to read your work during the opening section, please bring an extract lasting no more than 5 - 10 minutes, allowing time for others to share. If you need copies of your excerpts printed, please email us in advance at info@queertheatre.co.uk and we’ll happily print for you. Please do not be offended if we may not have time to include everyone’s work on the night.
Important information
This is an informal table-read, rather than a staged performance. Members who wish to participate will share the reading, and roles may be read across gender, race, age, sexuality and lived experience. We approach the text and its characters with care and respect, and particularly welcome readers whose lived experiences reflect those of the characters to volunteer for those roles. By attending, you consent to Queer Theatre taking and using photography and video from the event for archive, press, marketing, website and social media purposes.
About Queer Theatre
We create spaces to tell Queer stories and nurture Queer talent - and our mission is to ensure no Queer creative need ever spend a week alone again.
We do this with our weekly Acting Classes For LGBTQIA+ People, London’s OutCast Showcase of Queer Actors and Writing, monthly Queer Play Reading Club, The Show People Podcast LIVE, Luvvie: The Party for Queer People in the Performing Arts, industry workshops, masterclasses, and many trips and adventures.
Make sure you visit our What’s On page to see everything available for you to join.
Queer Theatre welcomes experienced professionals to enthusiastic beginners. We seek what connects us rather than what divides us. Our work may challenge us as artists, but our spaces will always be founded on mutual respect, care, love and support.
Contact Us
If you have any questions or queries, please Contact Us.