Fairlight

PLEASE NOTE:
There is NO parking at the event venue. See details below.

2025 marks the 160th anniversary of the first ever recorded match of lawn tennis.
We are celebrating this landmark historical event by exploring one of the biggest issues in the modern game - queer invisibility.

'Fairlight' sets the origin story of lawn tennis in a queer context, shining a light on the absence of any openly LGBT+ professional male players. It contrasts historic and current stories, inviting audiences to form their own interpretation of tennis's seemingly straight history.

'Fairlight' takes place on a tennis court and brings together:

• The story of the invention of lawn tennis by Harry Gem and Auguro Perera, at Perera's home 'Fairlight' in Edgbaston in the 1860s.
• Newspaper reports of prosecutions of gay men in the Victorian era.
• The laws of lawn tennis, written by Harry Gem in the 1870s.
• Demonstrations of tennis play.
• Interviews with current tennis players about the challenges faced by LGBT+ players today.
• Music based on the unmistakable sounds of the Fairlight CMI, the first commercially available sampler.

This is a 'work in progress' performance, taking place at Edgbaston Archery and Lawn Tennis Society, the oldest lawn tennis club in the world. The club house bar will be open for drinks from 5pm to 10pm.

Visit our website for more information: fairlightmusical.co.uk
If you have any questions, please email: [email protected]
ACCESSIBILITY
While the performance is wheelchair-accessible, the toilet facilities at the club house are not. If you have specific access needs, please email us to discuss them.

PARKING
There is no parking at the venue. We recommend coming by public transport - bus numbers 23 and 24 from Birmingham city centre stop right by the club. Alternatively, there are two car parks on Highfield Road (B15) which cost around £1 per hour and are 20 minutes walk from the club.

CONTENT WARNING
The performance contains strong material including the historic defamation and prosecution of LGBT+ people, and references to suicide and discrimination.

SUPPORTED BY:
- Arts Council England
- The LTA
- Pride in Tennis
- Edgbaston Archery and Lawn Tennis Society
- Birmingham City University

Host or Publisher Fairlight