Waterside Arts presents its very first in-house production, Clothes Swap, a new play exploring refuge, resistance and radical self-expression set in a queer youth club.
Clothes Swap is written by Liam Mansfield and is set in a queer youth club. It was inspired by a real clothes swap at an LGBTQ+ young persons' charity in Trafford, where emerging playwright Mansfield volunteered.
Clothes Swap is directed by Nathaniel J Hall (First Time, It’s a Sin C4) and produced by Waterside Arts. It was originally developed by Green Carnation Theatre.
The Clothes Swap cast is:
Ash - David Carpenter
Chris - Nicole Keri,
Den - Naomi Ricci
Tatum - Abel Hanson
Val - Lindsay Eavis
Clothes Swap follows a group of queer young people navigating identity, belonging and the beautiful chaos of becoming themselves. Set in October 2025 under the shadow of growing anti-trans and anti-queer rhetoric, alongside the burden of austerity, the story captures and spotlights the joy of young people and the connections they make in a queer youth club.
At its heart is their fiercely protective but emotionally drained youth leader, alongside an outsider whose suspicion threatens the fragile safety of the group. When the future of the youth group looks to be in jeopardy, they come together to try to navigate a path to resolution and find new members.
The story and themes give a voice to the lives of queer young people. Written with honesty, humour, and deep compassion, the play explores what it means to be seen, supported and held by community. Clothes Swap celebrates the vital importance of spaces where queer young people can exist without explanation, while confronting the tensions that arise when those spaces are misunderstood or challenged.
Liam Mansfield's first play, it highlights the fun and struggles of being a queer teenager, exploring the nuances of gender and how society responds and reacts.