BURGERZ by Travis Alabanza was a sell-out sensation in 2018 and returned to the stage in summer 2019, winning a Total Theatre award at the Edinburgh Fringe. BURGERZ toured internationally in 2021 and 2022 and had its final performances at The Southbank Centre in 2023.
“There aren’t enough stars in the universe to put on this review of Burgerz by Travis Alabanza at London’s Southbank” PinkNews
WINNER TOTAL THEATRE AWARD 2019
SHORTLISTED FOR THE CAROL TAMBOR BEST OF EDINBURGH AWARD 2019
“Alabanza takes an act of violence and transforms it into something both beautiful and brutal” Lyn Gardner, Edinburgh Festivals Magazine
“Humane and heart-rending…Alabanza is sassy and witty, feeding off the audience like a seasoned cabaret star” The Guardian
★★★★ The Stage ★★★★ The Guardian ★★★★ Financial Times
★★★★ Across The Arts ★★★★ Arthur’s Seat ★★★★ The List
★★★★★ The Reviews Hub ★★★★★ Edinburgh Festivals Magazine
★★★★★ LGBTQ Arts Review ★★★★★ British Theatre
★★★★★ LondonTheatre ★★★★★ Somewhere EDI
Hurled words. Thrown objects. Dodged Burgers.
After someone threw a burger at them and shouted a transphobic slur, performance artist Travis Alabanza became obsessed with burgers. How they are made, how they feel, and smell. How they travel through the air. How the mayonnaise feels on your skin. This show is the climax of their obsession – exploring how trans bodies survive and how, by them reclaiming an act of violence, we can address our own complicity.
Carving out a place for themselves as one of the UK’s prominent trans voices, Alabanza presents a performance that is timely, unsettling and powerful.
Directed by Sam Curtis Lindsay
Designer Soutra Gilmour
Associate Designer Isabella Van Braeckel
Lighting Design Lee Curran & Lauren Woodhead
Sound Design XANA
Movement Nando Messias
Dramaturg Nina Lyndon
Running time approx 1hr | Suitable for ages 14+
BURGERZ first premiered at Hackney Showroom in 2018. It has toured across the UK, Ireland, Europe, Australia, Brazil and the USA.
TRANZ TALKZ
Alongside BURGERZ we delivered Tranz Talkz, a series of community meals with trans and gender non conforming people in 6 cities across the UK, exploring how they encounter the world outside their front door. These conversations were recorded and are archived at Bishopsgate Institute.
See HERE for more info.
For booking enquiries please contact molly@hackneyshowroom.com
Developed in association with Ovalhouse & Marlborough Theatre
Supported by Arts Council England, Heritage Lottery Fund & Bishopsgate Institute
BURGERZ at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe was part of the British Council Edinburgh Showcase 2019