{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"The Variety Show","title":"Rhys' Pieces on Politics in performance, genderf*ck, and teaching Adam how to twerk!","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":2755,"description":"To stay updated on future episodes, follow us on:TikTokInstagramYouTubeIf you have any comments about the podcast or are a performer who wants advice please do email info@thevarietyshowpodcast.co.ukArtist bioRhys’ Pieces is an East London cabaret performer, drag artist, and host known for high-energy, genre-blending performances that combine lip sync, spoken word, movement, comedy, and political commentary. Born in Romford and raised in Hackney by a single mother, Rhys grew up navigating intersecting identities as a mixed-race, queer, working-class performer who also attended a more privileged school environment. Beginning with spoken word and rap performance before moving into drag and cabaret, Rhys became part of London’s alternative queer performance scene through institutions such as Duckie, the Royal Vauxhall Tavern, and The Glory. Over more than a decade on stage, they have performed across cabaret clubs, theatre venues, drag competitions, and community events, developing a distinctive style that plays with gender, identity, satire, and audience interaction.Episode summaryIn this episode of The Variety Show, Adam Sternberg talks with cabaret performer and drag artist Rhys’s Pieces about identity, performance, and finding a creative voice in London’s queer nightlife scene. Rhys shares their upbringing in East London, growing up mixed-race with a white mother and absent father, and how early interests in drama, literature, and performance helped shape their artistic outlook.The conversation traces Rhys’s unconventional journey into cabaret. After early ambitions in acting, struggles with auditions, and a period of feeling lost during university, a workshop with the legendary queer club night Duckie introduced them to the world of cabaret performance. From there Rhys began developing acts that mixed spoken word, rap, lip sync, dance, and performance art, eventually creating the persona Rhys’s Pieces as a way to express the many parts of their identity.They...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/JHRDqil-H1p__PcBxkFKeWgvmzANKXqZzhsKiqUP0gc/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9mODc5/NmZkY2I4Nzk5OWNi/MjFiNDFhNzY5MTNi/NzI1Ni5qcGc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}