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).
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
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