MANLEY STANLEY'S PROJECTS 2016-17
Manley Stanley has two short acts: Designer Vagina and Where's My Steak? And has collaborated on two short films, Manley Stanley Takes New York, directed by Shelby Coley and My Muma a Man directed by Helena Middleton.
MANLEY STANLEY TAKES NEW YORK (2017)
Manley Stanley Takes New York was made in Brooklyn and Harlem Summer 2017.
Directed by Shelby Coley.
"London-born drag king Edythe Woolley – a.k.a. Manly Stanley – walks us through their cabaret performance set, which utilises misogynistic images from old Hollywood films, footage from “designer vagina” surgery documentaries, and genuine online vagina contests to offer a queer, feminist take on drag performance."
*WON AUDIENCE AWARD FOR BEST WOMEN'S SHORT AT THE 2017 PHILADELPHIA QFLIX
*NOMINATED FOR 2017 IRIS PRIZE (CARDIFF WHALES, UK)
"I fell in love with this film and I fell in love with Manly Stanley. The beginning was all nice and fluffy but once that music kicked in and the scene for the performance was set that was it, I was completely captivated."
- audience member and blogger Rhian
WHERE'S MY STEAK?
Where's My Steak? placed 2nd in The Glory's Man Up competition in 2016. Where's My Steak? is a subversive take on rebel boy icons from old Hollywood films, such as Marlon Brando and James Dean who inspired Manly Stanley's own bad boy attitude (in fact, Manley was named after Marlon Brando's character Stanley Kowalski from A Street Car Named Desire.) These icons are sexy and dangerous. What gives them this dangerous edge? Often their dangerous edge is a hot-temperedness which quickly turns into hyper macho aggression directed towards women. These men want perfectly cooked steaks and perfect looking women at their demand, or else they get mad. Where's My Steak? problematizes the treatment of women by rebel boy icons.
DESIGNER VAGINA
Designer Vagina was made in residence at Duckie Homosexualist Summer School with the mentoring of Ursula Martinez.
MY MUMA A MAN
"This is a story about a mum... a mum who wrote a list of 60 things she wanted to do before turning 60. Number one on her list was to be a man for the day.
MY MAMA, A MAN will be a stylised documentary following the journey of Director Helena Middleton's mum Julie, as she explores her identity through drag.
With the assistance of MAN UP 2017 Winner Manly Stanley, we will capture Julie's introduction to drag and the day she spends in drag."
Photos by Shelby Coley
“BRILLIANTLY SUBVERTS EXTREME MASCULINITY... SO MACHO HE ATE RAW STEAK ON STAGE”
WINNER OF MAN UP 2017!
The Glory London
MANLY STANLEY IS A QUEER FEMINIST KING INVESTED IN MAKING SUBVERSIVE DRAG ART WITH HIGH ENERGY, SEXY AND ENTERTAINING SHOWS. HE LIPSYNCS TO CHALLENGE HYPER MASCULINITY AND PATRIARCHAL STRUCTURES.
Manley Stanley has performed at Duckie, Brighton Pride with The Marlborough Theatre, Latitude Festival, The Chelsea Theatre, And What Queer Arts' Festival Hackney Showrooms, SHOUT Festival, Knickerbocker The Yard, The Glory, Affordable Pride LimeWarf, Thorny, COIL, Butch. Please!, Live Art Bistro, Carnesky’s Finishing School, Rad Festa Vogue Fabrics, Kings of Clubs Royal Vauxhall Tavern, Metropolitan Bar NYC, This n’ That NYC, Bushwig Opening Party NYC among other venues. He features in Shelby Coley’s documentary Manley Stanley Takes New York. And is collaborating with Helena Middleton on the documentary My Muma A Man.