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Hey Hey ShayShay!

I am an Irish-Japanese-American non-binary writer, director and drag artist with eight years experience of writing for theatre and live performance.  I am co-founder of The Bitten Peach, a Pan-Asian, queer artist collective.

My work explores Trans & Non-Binary Identities, Experiences of the Asian Diaspora, and the Intersections of Race & Queerness. I subvert stereotypes, creating outrageous yet relatable characters, and transform underrepresented narratives into fast-paced, colourful stories that remain accessible to a wide audience.

Currently, I am developing my screenwriting skills with the aim to bring my unique queer performance sensibility from the stage to the screen to write for TV comedy. 

Accolades & Professional Development

2023                  Finalist                     Golden Script Competition - TV Pilot ("Ninja Kween")

2023                  Longlist                    South Of The River Pictures’ Screenshot

2023                                                        New Earth Theatre Writers Academy Plus

2023                                                        Criterion Theatre New Writing

2023                    Shortlist                 New Writers Collective, Edinburgh TV Festival

2022                                                        The Witches of Oz, The Stages Top 50 Shows of the Year

2022                    Runner-up           The Witches of Oz, Best Immersive Production, BroadwayWorld UK Awards 

2022                    Nominee               The Witches of Oz, Best IDEA Production, Off West End Awards (“The Offies”)

2022 - 2023                                         The Network, Edinburgh TV Festival

2022 - 2024                                         London Associate Artist at The Pleasance Theatre

2021 - 2022                                          Soho Theatre Writers Lab

2021                                                         The Yard Theatre’s Live Lab with Katie Mitchell

About Me

Born in California’s San Francisco Bay Area to mixed Irish and Japanese heritage, I moved to London in my early 20s. I immediately began performing in drag, quickly became a pillar of the East London queer scene, hosting cabaret shows and club nights. As the producer and host of The ShayShay Show, I platformed new work from emerging artists and helped bolster the careers of many prominent London performers. In 2019, I founded The Bitten Peach, a queer Pan-Asian artist collective, alongside Lilly SnatchDragon and Evelyn Carnate. Our mission is to mission is to diversify Asian representation, provide safe spaces, and empower the queer Asian community.

I am the star of the Iris prize-nominated documentary ‘Peach Paradise’ (Netflix, 2022), which focuses on my work with The Bitten Peach and my Japanese-American ancestry. As a descendent of World War II Japanese Internment, I am dedicated to honouring that legacy, and regularly create work to shine light on this shamefully overlooked piece of history.

As a writer and director, I make explicitly queer work that champions trans joy. Working with The Vaults, I have created three original works that combine drag, cabaret, and panto into semi-immersive plays.

I’ve taken part in The Yard Theatre’s Live Lab (2021), Soho Theatre Writers Lab (2022), Edinburgh TV Festival’s The Network (2022), and Criterion New Writing (upcoming 2023). 

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Clients & Partners

Absolut

Attitude Magazine

Batsu

Benefit Cosmetics

Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club

Blend Festival

Brighton Ironworks

British Summer Time Festival

Cabaret at the Kit Kat club

Charli XCX

Gamesys

Garrick Theatre

Glastonbury

Google

Gunnersby Park Museum

Hayward Gallery

Honey Dijon

HSBC

Lambrini

Mighty Hoopla

Museum of Transology

National Maritime Museum

Netflix

Olly Alexander

Pangaia

Pleasance Theatre

Revenge, Brighton

Rimmel London

Royal Vauxhall Tavern

Slush Festival

Smirnoff

Soho House

Soho Theatre

Southbank Centre

Taylor Mac

The Glory

The Posh Club

The Vaults

The Yard Theatre

Underbelly Boulevard

Virgin Atlantic

Youtube

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