The cabaret is a collaboration between eight writers.

Middle Child return to the stage with a cabaret in Queens Gardens

Eighteen months after their last live performance, Middle Child will return to the stage this month with a brand-new cabaret, performed outdoors in Queens Gardens.

we used to be closer than this is a cabaret of songs about reconnecting, written by Natasha Brown, Angelo Irving, Tabby Lamb, Jay Mitra, RashDash, Leo Skilbeck, Kobby Taylor and Tom Wells, with original live music by James Frewer.

The show will celebrate people coming together again, in-person, after the series of lockdowns that have closed many performance spaces and moved much of theatre online.

we used to be closer than this is supported by Absolutely Cultured, Arts Council England and the Cultual Recovery Fund.

It will be performed at Absolutely Cultured’s Creative Hull festival, from 16-18 July, with BSL-interpreted performances on Saturday 17 July.

Paul Smith, Middle Child artistic director, said: “we used to be closer than this brings together a diverse group of writers, from a variety of backgrounds, to stage a summer cabaret that asks how we can reconnect with each other.

“We have all gone through different experiences over the past year, and this is our way of sharing some of those stories, while celebrating what we love most about live performance – bringing people together, in the same space.

“Lockdown took this away from us, but now we’re back and we can’t wait to celebrate with a Hull audience in-person.”

Capacity is limited with socially distanced tables seating four people each, so audiences are encouraged to attend with their household, family or with friends.

You can find out more here.

Bus and cycle lane in Hull.