Waterside Arts presents its first in-house production, ‘Clothes Swap’, a new play exploring refuge, resistance and radical self-expression set in a queer youth club

Waterside Arts in Trafford, Greater Manchester, is producing its first show in a move to spotlight and champion original homegrown narratives that define the region. This new vision supports new writing, expanding the theatrical canon of what stories appear on stages across the UK.

‘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.

‘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. 

Liam Mansfield, playwright, said: “I wanted to capture the joy of a clothes swap, where young people can try out new styles and explore identities in a way that might not be possible at home. The play shares these experiences of young queer people – highlighting the chaos, fun, and struggles of being a teenager. Just like in life, the characters are a little messy at times, nobody is perfect, and they’re all trying to find out how and where they fit in.”

Helping to shape the story so it felt authentic and local, Mansfield worked with young people in Trafford and Knowsley. They had a significant impact on the development of the story, with workshops in collaboration with Rainbow Reflections and the Proud Trust. Working closely with the original creative team, they helped refine the story, language, and nuances, ensuring it authentically brings the experiences of LGBTQ+ young people to life.

The cast has three youth club members, teenagers Tatum, Ash and Den played by Abel Hanson, David Carpenter and Naomi Ricci. The Youth club founder is played by Nicole Keri, with Lindsay Eavis playing Val, the retired ‘outsider’.

Liam Mansfield, playwright, said: “The play became a way to explore gender in a world that was appearing more and more binary and divided. By exploring this through a naturalistic setting, I hope that audiences can both enjoy themselves and learn a little something about the real people behind the debates. I also wanted the characters to feel real, not caricatures from the news, so that the story can leave a lasting impression on audiences.”

Waterside’s vision is that the stories told through the plays it presents are relevant, rooted in place and resonate with audiences. Stepping up as a producing venue and bringing the work of exciting new writers to the stage, Waterside is taking an important and ambitious next step, with plans to tour the shows nationally. With artists and new voices currently navigating an especially challenging creative landscape, it will champion a wide range of emerging talent through its commissioning scheme.

Darren Adams, Creative Producer and Waterside Venue Manager, said: “It’s an incredibly bold and exciting moment for us to be putting on Clothes Swap. We have a phenomenal creative team in place and a story shaped with care, love and community at its heart. Producing work in-house allows us to champion stories that matter, and Clothes Swap is a perfect example of why this step feels so important. At a time when debates around safe spaces for LGBTQ+ people are becoming increasingly divisive, ‘Clothes Swap’ offers something different. It doesn’t lean into culture wars or conflict; instead, it unfolds gently, sensitively and movingly, giving space for empathy and understanding. ”

Speaking about the director Nathaniel J Hall, Darren Adams said: “This is our second collaboration with Nathaniel J Hall. In 2018, Waterside Arts commissioned a play written and performed by Hall called ‘First Time’. It was a huge success that played a big part in inspiring our shift toward producing our own work. Nathaniel brings a huge amount of heart, insight and creativity to Clothes Swap.”

Nathaniel J Hall, Director, said: “I cut my teeth directing youth theatre shows, and Liam’s play mirrors my experiences watching young people’s joy as they discover their weird and wonderful tribe – the script is full of so much delicious energy and creative possibilities, I jumped at the chance to direct it! Clothing is the main metaphor and message; queer people often code-switch using clothes, toning down for safety or glamming up to express gender euphoria and joy – I’m definitely hoping to see plenty of fabulous queer fashion on display! The play is full of humour and heart too, sensitively exploring the impact of rising queer-phobia on LGBTQ+ lives, so it’s educating and destigmatising important issues as well as entertaining people. I hope queer audiences feel seen and feel joy, and I hope others gain empathy and insight.”

Clothes Swap’ plays at Waterside Wed 3 Jun to Sat 6 Jun. Tickets are available here.