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Modest 2023

Opened: June 29, 2023
Closing: July 15, 2023

Modest - 2023 West End History , Info & More

Kiln Theatre
269 Kilburn High Road London NW6 7JR, London
“Cause here she comes. She’s the baddest, bitchin’ babe of art”

In 1874 Elizabeth Thompson stuns the Royal Academy with her painting, Roll Call. Five years later, she falls two votes short of becoming the first woman elected to the academy.

In between, she must shoulder the hopes and dreams of women across the country – including her suffragette sister – while fighting for her place at a table full of top hats, ties and mutton chop beards.

Theatre, music hall and drag king swagger collide as Modest brings you a Victorian art scene superstar.

Performed by a cast featuring the UK's hottest drag talent, this electrifying new play will break your heart and start a revolution.

Written by Ellen Brammar (I Hate Alone) with music by Rachel Barnes, set design by QianEr Jin and costume design by Terry Herfield, Modest is co-directed by Luke Skilbeck (Milk Presents) and Paul Smith (Middle Child).

__Assisted Performances__

Audio Described: Thursday 13 July, 7.30pm

Captioned: Monday 10 July, 7.30pm

Relaxed: Wednesday 12 July, 2.30pm

Touch Tour: Thursday 13 July, 6pm

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Jack Wolfe Joins MANHATTAN FOR THE HOLIDAYS Benefit Concert
by Rachel Stone - Oct 13, 2026


Jack Wolfe will perform at the Rufus & Martha Wainwright benefit concert at Town Hall, featuring Cyndi Lauper, Alice Phoebe Lou, and family members. Proceeds support Folk Cancer: The Kate McGarrigle Project.

ZOMBIE OPERA to Return for 7th Annual Concert in Jersey City
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Oct 9, 2026


Undead Arts will present the seventh annual ZOMBIE OPERA concert featuring opera singers performing repertoire from Faust, Romeo et Juliette, Don Giovanni and other works, followed by a Party in the Park with DJ George Soul. Free admission.

Wakelee Releases UNDER CONSTRUCTION FOREVER LP
by Rachel Stone - Oct 9, 2026


Brooklyn band Wakelee released their new album UNDER CONSTRUCTION FOREVER via Wax Bodega, drawing influences from Jimmy Eat World, Hotline TNT, and This Is Lorelei.

Photos: David Benoit to Conduct Vince Guaraldi Holiday Symphony 2026 Tour
by Rachel Stone - Oct 9, 2026


Jazz pianist David Benoit announced a new album featuring orchestral arrangements of Vince Guaraldi's Peanuts scores, with 2026 tour stops in Los Angeles, Washington D.C., New York, and additional cities.

Review: PRIMARY TRUST at Austin Playhouse
by Joni Lorraine - Oct 1, 2026


What did our critic think of PRIMARY TRUST at Austin Playhouse?

Wakelee Shares 'Statue' From Upcoming LP Under Construction Forever
by Rachel Stone - Sep 17, 2026


Brooklyn indie rock band Wakelee released the single 'Statue,' the latest preview of their upcoming album. The track explores the moment empathy reaches its breaking point amid familial strain.

Tui Hirv and Páll Ragnar Pálsson to Release LAYERS on Sono Luminus
by Rachel Stone - Sep 8, 2026


Estonian vocalist Tui Hirv and Icelandic composer-guitarist Páll Ragnar Pálsson will release LAYERS, an album of ambient interpretations of Nordic folk songs and hymns, on Sono Luminus.

BINGE FRINGE FESTIVAL to Open at Santa Monica Playhouse
by A.A. Cristi - Aug 28, 2026


Santa Monica Playhouse will present its Eleventh Annual Binge Fringe Festival, six weeks of free performances, workshops and music featuring local and visiting artists from across the country.

Jo Koy's New Netflix Special Gets 2026 Release Date
by Rachel Stone - Aug 19, 2026


Jo Koy: Blue in the Face, filmed before a sold-out Stockton, CA crowd, premieres globally on Netflix September 2026. Here's what to know.

WAKELEE Announces UNDER CONSTRUCTION FOREVER LP, Shares New Song
by Rachel Stone - Aug 18, 2026


Brooklyn band WAKELEE announced a new album, UNDER CONSTRUCTION FOREVER, on Wax Bodega and released a new single and video, Joyce Kilmer Service Area.

SELMA THE MUSICAL: THE UNTOLD STORIES Launches 10-Year Anniversary Initiative With National Tour and Expanded Programming
by A.A. Cristi - Aug 4, 2026


Selma the Musical: The Untold Stories has unveiled a yearlong 10th anniversary initiative featuring a national tour, expanded educational programming, and new partnerships as the acclaimed musical enters its second decade.

Review: THE HEART SELLERS at Penguin Rep Theatre
by Pia Haas - Jul 16, 2026


What a treat to return to one of my favorite theaters. Whenever I visit Penguin Rep, I know I can expect a production that is thoughtful, engaging and impeccably staged. Their seasons are consistently filled with fresh, compelling works, making every visit a rewarding theatrical experience. 

ONCE Writer Glen Hansard Unveils Release Date for Volume 2 of New Live Album
by Josh Sharpe - May 27, 2026


Glen Hansard, co-writer of the musical Once, has set the release of Don+t Settle - Transmissions West, the second volume of his new album. Listen to a new single now.

Dima Slobodeniouk Proposed as Principal Conductor of Finnish National Opera and Ballet
by Stephi Wild - May 26, 2026


The Finnish National Opera and Ballet Foundation's board proposed Dima Slobodeniouk as Principal Conductor, while extending Thomas de Mallet Burgess's tenure as Artistic Director through 2030.

Segal Center's WORLD VOICES Festival Will Host Free Readings of International Plays
by Stephi Wild - Apr 30, 2026


The Martin E. Segal Theatre Center at CUNY will present WORLD VOICES, a four-day festival featuring staged readings of new plays in translation by playwrights from Tuscarora/Canada, Austria, France, Senegal, and Germany.

Eastern Grace on a Western Stage: Lily’s Poetic Resonance in Angela Fantine Wan’s The Garden
by Team BWW - Apr 13, 2026


In 2025, London welcomed a new musical, The Garden, created by Angela Fantine Wan, offering theatre lovers a deeply evocative reimagining of a timeless story. Adapted from the classic children’s novel The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett, the production invites audiences into a poetic landscape where memory, loss, and renewal intertwine.

Edinburgh International Festival Reveals Programme Highlights
by Stephi Wild - Mar 11, 2026


Running from 7-30 August 2026, this year's Edinburgh International Festival will present 24 days of world-class performances selected for their artistic and cultural resonance across opera, theatre, music and dance.  

The 5th Avenue Theatre To Cut Staff Positions Amid $7.5 Million Deficit
by A.A. Cristi - Mar 6, 2026


The 5th Avenue Theatre has announced plans to eliminate approximately 14 staff positions and pause some education programming as the organization addresses a significant budget deficit.

Glen Hansard Sets Release of New Live Album and Tour
by Josh Sharpe - Feb 17, 2026


Glen Hansard, co-writer of the musical Once, has set the release of his sixth solo album Don+t Settle - Transmissions East & West. Hansard has also announced a run of tour dates in the U.S and Canada.

Review: KIMBERLY AKIMBO at Kauffman Center
by Alan Portner - Jan 22, 2026


“Kimberly Akimbo” is a tiny, idiosyncratic musical with a cast of only nine actors that somehow manages to share the full Broadway experience with its opening night audience at Kansas City’s Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. 

Comedian Jo Koy To Bring New Tour To The North Charleston Performing Arts Center In April
by A.A. Cristi - Jan 12, 2026


Comedian Jo Koy will return to the stage at the North Charleston Performing Arts Center on April 10, 2026. Tickets for the event are now on sale offering fans a chance to see the popular comedian live.

Did You Know These Broadway Revivals Started As Flops?
by Jennifer Ashley Tepper - Jan 11, 2026


It wasn’t until later on in theatre history that revivals began including shows that weren’t initially well received or financially successful in their initial engagements. As musical theatre continued to evolve, and more shows entered the canon, a consensus began to grow about shows being worthy of additional exploration even if they hadn’t been hits the first time around. What about musicals that had been ahead of their time, musicals that had fallen prey to circumstances, early works by writers who became successful later on, and of course, shows that found an audience after closing via their cast recordings?

BALLET NIGHTS DECADANCE Celebrates 10th Show in London
by Stephi Wild - Dec 22, 2025


Ballet Nights has announced its tenth London programme with the specially titled DECADANCE at Cadogan Hall on Wednesday February 4th 2026. Learn more here!

FROM THE OTHER SIDE Begins At La MaMa In December
by A.A. Cristi - Nov 26, 2025


From December 3-14, 2025, FROM THE OTHER SIDE transforms La MaMa into a home for an incredible group of Balkan artists, on Wednesday, December 3, 2025 at 1PM.

Broadway Streaming Guide: December 2025 - Where to Watch PERCY JACKSON, New KNIVES OUT & More
by Josh Sharpe - Dec 17, 2025


As 2025 comes to a close, find out what to stream this December, including the new season of Percy Jackson & the Olympians, the third Knives Out movie, Noah Baumbach's Jay Kelly, Season 5 of Emily and Paris, and more.


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