Queer Diary CIC

Our Story

2020

• The first Queer Diary reading nights happened monthly throughout 2020 as part of the QAFSpace zoom events programme.

• The idea for Queer Diary was born from a desire to connect with queer community during lockdown, and memories of the Dear Diary reading nights, where Beth had fun sharing teenage diary extracts on stage in 2018-19.

2021

• The first in-person Queer Diary night happened at Omnibus Theatre in Clapham.

• The first work-in-progress performance of Hasbian was produced at Camden People's Theatre.

2022

• We began hosting monthly open-mic style Queer Diary nights in London at The Common Press

• Our first zine-making workshop at Stanley Arts. 

• Hasbian had a short run at Pleasance, as part of the VAULT 2022 transfer season. 

2023-24 

• We became a company! 

• We began hosting 'pop-up' Queer Diary events across the UK, in collaboration with local venues and community organisations, including: Gala Theatre (Durham, with Durham Pride), Tom Thumb Theatre (Margate), Bank Vault (Aberystwyth, with Aberration), DINA (Sheffield), Social Refuge (Manchester), The Actors (Brighton), and at Edinburgh Fringe (at The Pleasance and Blundagardens Yurt). 

• We began running monthly London zine-making sessions in Southwark and Greenwich. We also held zine-making workshops in Oxford (at The Old Fire Station), High Wycombe (Wycombe Arts Centre), Fenland (with Prickwillow ArtSpace and Oasis Wisbech), and Darlington (with The Queerish Bookshop). 

• We started publishing collaborative zines made with workshop participants and Queer Diary readers.

• A full production of Hasbian ran for a week at Omnibus Theatre. 

• We held the biggest ever Queer Diary reading night (with an audience of 160+ and a School Disco after-party) at Rich Mix in London. 

2025-26 

• Hasbian begins touring, alongside Queer Diary events. 

• We've run pop-up shows, zine workshops, and diary-reading nights in Newcastle (Alphabetti Theatre), Exeter (Phoenix), Norwich (Stage Two), Leeds (Carriageworks Theatre, Hyde Park Book Club),  Basingstoke (Proteus Theatre), and Worcester (Swan Studio).

The Team