Tim McArthur [www.timmcarthur.com]

NEW lunchtime theatre performances in Angel are tackling isolation among Islington’s older LGBTQ+ residents.

The Old Queens Club, at the King’s Head Theatre in Upper Street, will be an opportunity for over-50s to watch the latest shows while mingling with people they might not otherwise have the chance to meet.

Theatre CEO Sofi Berenger told the Tribune: “There is a lack of opportunities for people to come together and make new friends as they get older, so we have thought about what we can do to change that. Being told to just ‘make friends’ can be really daunting, but we have the benefit of a medium that already gives someone a shared connection and some­thing to talk about.”

The idea is for a cast member to pop out and chat to the group after they have watched a matinée, giving further fodder for chit-chat.

Sofi Berenger

While the Old Queens will be open to anyone, its initial members will come from pre-existing over-50s groups at charities like Islington Mind, Whittington Community Centre and London Friend. And though the club may primarily attract gay men by virtue of its name, it is for the “whole community”, Ms Berenger said, adding: “It’s about offering a safe space, but it’s not an exclusive group – that defeats the entire purpose of it. It’s designed to be inclusive. It’s an openly queer space, but allies can come as well.”

The get-togethers – which will be held whenever there’s a new show at the KHT – will also be “hosted” by director Tim McArthur, to add more structure and minimise the anxiety that can inevitably come from meeting new people.

Ms Berenger added: “The purpose of having a four-walls theatre is for it to be a community space. That shifted a bit over the pandemic, but people are craving it more and more – I just want people to be able to make use of it.”

• The first Old Queens Club will be on March 11, for the show Blink. Tickets cost £10 and include complimentary tea and biscuits.