Midgitte Bardot To Present SHOOTING FROM BELOW At Southbank Centre

Artist and performer Midgitte Bardot, the alter ego of Tamm Reynolds, will present SHOOTING FROM BELOW at the Southbank Centre’s Purcell Room on April 9, 10, and 11 at 7:45 p.m.

Written and performed by Reynolds, Shooting From Below is an hour-long live performance work incorporating musical theatre, movement, drag, and live art. The piece examines the historic and contemporary positioning of people with dwarfism within performance culture and interrogates power dynamics, representation, and institutional framing.

“Not all people without dwarfism are under the presumption that people with dwarfism are there for entertainment as pets, toys, fetishes, dream sequences, musical numbers… just most,” Bardot said.

The work explores what happens when a performer is pushed to a breaking point, questioning ideas of violence, agency, and reversal of power. Through satire and subversion, the production considers alternate worlds shaped by different physical and social hierarchies. The name Midgitte is pronounced “midge-eat,” a deliberate reclamation distinct from language historically used as a slur against people with dwarfism.

Reynolds began performing as Midgitte Bardot in 2017 and has since presented work across the UK and internationally. Their practice focuses on text-based performance, music, and social commentary, often addressing themes of power, visibility, and absurdity. Their work has been supported by organizations including LADA, Artsadmin, BAC, and Unlimited UK, and they have appeared in British Vogue and performed in productions at The Royal Court Theatre. A sold-out work-in-progress version of Shooting From Below was previously shown at Southbank Centre in 2024.

The creative team for Shooting From Below includes co-writer and musician Nicol Parkinson, director Izzy Rabey, producer Cassie Catchpole, set designer Maisie Frater, assistant director Femi Tiwo, movement director Annie Edwards, stage manager Beck Gray, Costume Designer Lambdog 1066, and lighting designer Marty Langthorne. The production is an Unlimited UK Partner Award 2025 commission with Southbank Centre, supported by Arts Council England.

All performances will be presented as Relaxed Performances. Audience members may move freely during the show, with access to a chill-out space and noise-cancelling headphones. Sound and lighting levels will not be adjusted, and the final five minutes of the performance include loud noise.

Content note: Descriptions of violence, ableist rhetoric, strong language, nudity, and the use of haze. Age guidance: 16+