Image Credit: Tamm Reynolds as Midgitte Bardot, photographed by Holly Revell.

There’s a through-line in Tamm Reynolds’ work that starts early – somewhere between Gloucestershire and a Drama Club stage, aged nine, playing Clarence the Seahorse in The Water Babies, already knowing everyone else’s lines. From there: the Mad Hatter, a Liverpool open mic, and the addictive pull of holding a room. It’s a trajectory that feels less like a career path and more like an inevitability.

Fast forward, and that instinct has evolved into Midgitte Bardot – a drag alter-ego that allows Reynolds to sharpen, soften, and weaponise lived experience in equal measure. Midgitte is both shield and amplifier: playful, cutting, and often both at once.

This April, Reynolds brings Shooting From Below to the Southbank Centre (9-11 April), transforming rage, satire and musical theatre into what they describe as a “fully formed… hilarious tantrum”. It’s a show that flips the gaze, challenges power, and refuses to be neatly contained.

Elsewhere, Reynolds points us towards the spaces shaping London’s cultural edge right now: CRIPtic, Chisenhale Dance, and Duckie – communities where radical, queer and disability-led work continues to push through.

Let’s rewind before Midgitte Bardot stepped into the spotlight. Where did you grow up, and what were the earliest moments – performances, provocations, or eureka scenes – that first made you want to take to the stage?

I grew up in Gloucestershire. I played Clarence the Seahorse in the Water Babies when I was about 9 years old at Drama Club. I knew all my lines before anyone else. I’d sometimes say other people’s lines for them. Played the Mad Hatter in the Guides’ Alice in Wonderland, making the audience howl gave me life. I hosted a spoken word open mic in Liverpool in my last year of uni, holding a room between people’s attempts at stand-up comedy or poetry about dead grandmas was addictive. However the first time I performed as Midgitte was in Liverpool around 2017, that solidified my stage-bound trajectory.

Shooting From Below arrives at the Southbank Centre’s Purcell Room this week, following a sold-out work-in-progress in 2024. What shifted between that earlier outing and this full production – emotionally, politically or theatrically?

There’s a set this time! Costumes! New Songs! We’ve killed some darlings and birthed some nightmares. It’s feeling like a very proper show which scares me. It’s gone from being a sloppy baby to fully formed titillating and hilarious tantrum. Emotionally, it’s truly honed my relationship with my rage. The world is intensely cruel and wild towards people of my stature so as an artist who is very curious, analytical and playful it’s so meaningful to see what I’ve made with the fabric of my lived-experience. Yes, the show is based on my own lived experiences and the history of others like me, but as a living embodiment of the ‘little guy’ it feels extremely universal and speaks to the vile actions of big power that we witness on a daily basis. Personally, this is for everyone with dwarfism or restricted growth. Politically, this is for everyone.

Image Credit: Tamm Reynolds as Midgitte Bardot, photographed by Holly Revell.

The show asks “who is really dwarfing who” – flipping the gaze back onto institutions and audiences. When you step into a space like the Southbank Centre, does it feel like infiltration, reclamation, revenge… or something more mischievous or powerful?

As a queer freak of culture I’m always infiltrating and vengeance is often on the wind… however it feels surprisingly humble. I think Midgitte has inflated my sense of entitlement as a coping mechanism for the constant lack of consideration that comes with architecture in general. I’m always dwarfed by my surroundings, so my response is to make myself as comfortable and as at home as possible. I’m certainly getting double takes and that’s what I’m used to.

How do you balance rage, satire and musical theatre without losing the audience – or yourself – in the flames?

It’s a bold statement to make but I’m extremely funny. I don’t know where I get my sense of humour from because my dad’s Australian and my mum’s from Essex. I think having a charming and disarming drag alter-ego makes me and the audience feel safer to experience discomfort. It creates a layer between reality. We know delusion comes from a place of painful truth but when it’s on stage it feels creative and playful. If I didn’t have Midgitte I don’t think I’d feel confident in writing, performing and embodying my authentic and difficult fury. Also songs are fun aren’t they?

Image Credit: Tamm Reynolds as Midgitte Bardot, photographed by Holly Revell.

Your work is described as live art, drag, text-based performance and unapologetic “piss-taking”. How do you know when Midgitte Bardot is being playful – and when she’s cutting straight to the bone?

Ha! I don’t think I do. I think Midgitte’s fun is cutting to the bone. When friends hang out with Midgitte after a show they’ve told me later that they weren’t sure whether I was going to be kind like Tamm or cruel like Midgitte at any moment. I think my lived experience of interacting with the general public leaves me with whiplash. Often I leave the house and nothing happens, sometimes it’s even pleasant, sometimes I get special treatment! At the same time, I often leave the house and experience some of my worst hate crimes yet. You get what you get with Midgitte. Tamm’s pretty sound most of the time…

Run Riot readers are always looking to expand their cultural circle. In 2026, which three London culture spaces or communities feel vital to you right now – places or collectives where something urgent, strange or beautiful is happening?

CRIPtic is an amazing disability arts organisation making radical work and funding and supporting disabled artists in radical ways. Recently they did a great show in the Barbican and got some Offie nominations etc. Supporting disabled art is the most radical and meaningful thing one can do. It will change your life and it will enable us to keep platforming our work. Go and see ANYTHING they put on.

Chisenhale Dance have been supporting me and a collective of others to put on DIY scratch night events – the nights are brilliant and they’re helping us form queer and radical ways to keep showcasing work which fall between the gaps of convention. Go see whatever they do. Their space isn’t the most accessible but they do put things on elsewhere! I’m doing something in May (This is a Threat) at Piehouse Co-Op (another GREAT queer culture venue/org/space).

Duckie have been going for yonks and continue to, I’m sure your readers are aware of the nights they used to have on at Royal Vauxhall Tavern (boo!) but they continue to host and run fantastic queer performance party events around London so do keep up.

Find Tamm Reynolds at @midgittebardot

Midgitte Bardot’s Shooting from Below
Thu 9 Apr – Sat 11 Apr 2026
Purcell Room, Southbank Centre
southbankcentre.co.uk