Marlborough Pub and Theatre Archive

For twelve vibrant years, we called The Marlborough Pub & Theatre (affectionately known as “The Marly”) our home. This historic venue, with its deep-rooted connection to the LGBTQIA+ community, provided a sanctuary for innovative and daring performances.

Between 2008 and 2020, Marlborough Productions supported hundreds of LGBTQ+ artists, including Sh!t Theatre, Travis Alabanza, Emma Frankland, Lucy McCormick, Harry Clayton-Wright, Lucy Hutson, and Rachael Young. International and established artists who graced our stage included Justin Vivian Bond, Big Freedia, Mykki Blanco, Bette Bourne, David Hoyle, Le Gateau Chocolat, Scottee, KUCHENGA, Lorraine Bowen, Ridiculusmus, Liz Aggiss, and Kate Bornstein.

In 2010, Bella Todd, writing in The Guardian, welcomed the theatre’s new direction: ‘A great opening programme of new performance art and theatre includes the debut of The Marlborough Madams, a new lesbian company formed in the guise and spirit – and under the wing – of the famous Drill Hall Darlings. It also sees increasing activity from Neil Bartlett in his home city. His gender-bending Brighton Festival cabaret The Girl I Left Behind Me is preceded by his appearance at Pink Fringe alongside Bette Bourne. It’s all taking place at the Marlborough Theatre, a volunteer-run venue above a well-established lesbian pub, one of the early meeting places of the modern gay rights movement in Sussex.’

In 2016, the pub hosted the first-ever Museum of Transology, showcasing artefacts collected by E-J Scott ‘as a form of curatorial direct action designed to halt the erasure of transcestry.’ Theexpanded collection was later exhibited in Brighton Museum, whose website declared, ‘This bold, brave and profound collection of artefacts and photographic portraiture began with donations from Brighton’s vibrant trans community. It is now the largest collection representing trans people in the UK – if not the world.’

This collection includes ephemera such as posters, brochures, flyers and photos for LGBTQIA+ events and performances at the Marlborough Pub and Theatre.