Rhys' Pieces on Politics in performance, genderf*ck, and teaching Adam how to twerk!

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Artist bio
Rhys’ 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 summary
In 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 discuss the history and meaning of cabaret as an art form rooted in satire, community, and audience interaction, as well as the importance of spaces like the Royal Vauxhall Tavern in nurturing alternative performance scenes. The conversation also explores wider topics including class and opportunity in the arts, the impact of drag culture and shows like Drag Race, and how live performance remains uniquely human in a world increasingly shaped by technology and AI.

Timestamps

00:00 Intro and meeting Rhys’s Pieces
00:01:24 Growing up in East London and early performance interests
00:03:25 Identity, school life, and navigating race, class, and queerness
00:05:22 Early cultural influences from Riverdance to pop music
00:07:43 From acting ambitions to spoken word and rap performance
00:12:49 Discovering cabaret through Duckie and London’s queer nightlife
00:15:02 What cabaret means and its roots in satire and audience interaction
00:18:18 The drag journey and creating the persona Rhys’s Pieces
00:26:36 Class, identity, and opportunities in the arts
00:32:01 Twerking lesson and advice for young performers