Lethbridge has a lot of cool things happening in the gay community and beloved Club Didi is one of those integral parts of the equation. Starting out initially as a theatre and performance space, Club Didi has grown into so much more, becoming an artistic hub in the community. We talked with Club Didi Theatre Outré artistic director Jay Whitehead about what makes the theatre club so special.
GC: Tell us about your club and how you operate?
Jay Whitehead: Club Didi was always intended to be first, and foremost, a theatre and performance space for our Theatre Company, Theatre Outré (pronounced "ooo-tray"). As operators of the space, we are theatre professionals and educators, and we felt, at the time we rented the space, that there were no performance spaces in Lethbridge that were intimate and "outré" enough for the kind of theatre we wanted to do. The events we hold at the club – that are not part of our theatre season – have grown out of the community’s claiming of the space as a much needed queer space in our city, and help to fund our theatre projects
GC: What makes the club different from a standard bar?
JW: We are small. Our space can only hold about 60 people at any given time, which creates a real intimate vibe that feels almost like you’re hanging out in a clubhouse with friends, [rather] than an actual bar. We actually prefer not to identify ourselves as a ‘bar’ but rather a queer space where members can commune and enjoy entertainment and each other’s company without fear of judgment. We like our patrons/members to feel they are part of the space – they have ownership of it – and not just customers.
GC: What kind of events do you hold?
JW: We produce a season of fully mounted theatre projects in the space two to three times a year that are queer-themed. In addition to that, we open every Friday for social and cabaret events that reach a wide demographic in our community: students, artists, the LGBTQ community and allies. Our events have included strip spelling bees, "Panti Raid" (our monthly or bi-monthly dance party), drag cabarets hosted by the space’s namesake Didi d’Edada, and "Our Homo Highness" which is a live musical tribute to recording artists who are gay icons (we have done Cyndi Lauper, Madonna, Elton John, kd Lang, David Bowie, Judy Garland, etc.). We also do a monthly improvised soap opera called Gamorrah with some hilarious local performers. Other groups also rent the space from time to time for special events and private parties like a monthly poetry night and theatre sports.
GC: What kind of fundraising events do you do?
JW: Our Friday events help keep the space open between admission prices for events and bar sales. We have also had some very generous sponsorship for our theatre events from local businesses.
GC: Tell us about the membership?
JW: As a private club, those that attend our events must become members. We charge $5 for an annual membership, and those that join span a wide demographic from students to artists to university professors and professionals. Every event brings out new faces, and we are always pleasantly surprised by the people who walk through our doors. We don’t take it for granted.
GC: Has the community/city been supportive?
JW: For the most part, yes. The community has been supportive, but occasionally we do hear from people that they find our vibe too ‘sexual’ or controversial, and often these comments come from within the gay community, which I personally don’t get. The space is a celebration. We are sex-affirming and promote body positivity, and many don’t like being associated with that particular message. We got into a fairly highly publicized scuffle with our neighbours and the city last year, which I don’t really want to get into, because the outcome was positive and the issue resolved positively. But we did receive an outpouring of support locally and nationally. We believe that that the space responds to an important need in our community and we have great supporters, members and volunteers who believe in it and support us fully.
GC: Anything else you would like to add?
JW: Things are going well for us and we are grateful to our supporters. We feel there is so much potential in a space like this, in a small community like ours, and we are enjoying the ride!
