🌈 5 LGBTQAI+ Plays For LAMDA Exams
At My LAMDA Tutor, we believe the stories we tell matter — and so do the people who tell them. This Pride Month, we're spotlighting bold, brilliant voices from the LGBTQIA+ community whose work inspires, empowers, and opens up new ways of thinking about identity, communication and creativity.
Whether you’re choosing a piece for your Verse & Prose exam or rehearsing a new Acting monologue, the LAMDA syllabus offers a powerful opportunity to connect with writing that reflects a broad spectrum of experiences. And Pride Month is the perfect moment to bring those stories to the front of the stage.
📚 Why Representation Matters in Performance
When students encounter characters and creators with different identities and perspectives, they’re not just adding variety to their repertoire — they’re building empathy, curiosity and confidence. For LGBTQIA+ learners especially, stepping into work that resonates with their lived experience can be incredibly affirming. And for everyone else, it’s a chance to develop understanding and explore the world through someone else’s eyes.
At its heart, LAMDA is about communication — being heard, seen, and understood. And what better way to do that than with material that says something real?
🌟 LGBTQIA+ Plays to Try for LAMDA Performance Exams
🌈 “Beautiful Thing” by Jonathan Harvey
Playwright bio: Jonathan Harvey is an openly gay British playwright, novelist and screenwriter best known for Beautiful Thing and his work on Coronation Street. His writing blends warmth, humour, and emotional honesty, often centring working-class LGBTQ+ stories.
About the play:
A coming-of-age story about two teenage boys, Ste and Jamie, who fall in love while growing up on a South London estate. It’s gentle, funny, and deeply human — with beautiful moments of awkwardness, fear, discovery, and joy. Originally staged in 1993 and later adapted into a cult classic film, it remains a beloved piece of queer theatre.
LAMDA suitability:
✅ Great for Duologue Acting exams, Grades 4–8
🎭 Focuses on emotional honesty — ideal for performers working on listening and truth in performance.
❤️ Especially helpful for learners looking to explore themes of first love, self-acceptance, and courage.
🎼 "Fun Home" by Lisa Kron (music by Jeanine Tesori)
Playwright bio: Lisa Kron is a Tony Award-winning playwright, actor, and lyricist. She made Broadway history with Fun Home, the first mainstream musical to centre on a lesbian protagonist. Kron is known for her honest, humorous, and emotionally resonant writing, often exploring family, identity, and memory. She is a passionate advocate for LGBTQAI+ visibility in theatre.
About the play:
Fun Home is based on the graphic memoir by Alison Bechdel and follows Alison’s journey from childhood through college as she comes to terms with her sexuality and her relationship with her closeted father. The show is rich with layered storytelling, moving songs, and heartfelt moments that blend past and present.
LAMDA suitability:
✅ Best suited for Musical Theatre, Grades 6–8
✅ Ideal for older teens and learners comfortable with complex emotional material
🎭 Monologues explore queer identity, grief, and self-discovery — perfect for showing depth and truth
🎓 "Choir Boy" by Tarell Alvin McCraney
Playwright bio: Tarell Alvin McCraney is an African-American playwright and screenwriter whose work focuses on the Black queer experience. He wrote the play In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue, which inspired the Oscar-winning film Moonlight. McCraney is known for his poetic language, emotional honesty, and themes of faith, masculinity, and identity.
About the play:
Choir Boy follows Pharus, a gay student at an elite all-boys prep school, as he navigates bullying, expectations, and the power of his voice. With gospel music woven throughout, the play is a powerful story about authenticity, courage, and community.
LAMDA suitability:
✅ Strong for Acting Solo or Duologue, Grades 6–8
✅ Best for older teens — some scenes explore vulnerability, homophobia, and belonging
🎭 Particularly powerful for young Black male learners looking for authentic, emotionally rich material
🎧 “Cruise” by Jack Holden
Playwright bio: Jack Holden is an actor, writer, and theatre-maker who trained at Bristol Old Vic. He wrote and performed Cruise, his debut solo play, which was nominated for an Olivier Award and earned rave reviews for its dynamic storytelling and heartfelt queer history.
About the play:
Set in Soho during the height of the AIDS epidemic, Cruise tells the story of a man who believes he’s living his last night on Earth — and chooses to live it to the fullest. Based on a true story Jack heard while volunteering at an LGBTQ+ support line, the show is a love letter to community, resilience, and queer joy.
LAMDA suitability:
✅ Excellent inspiration for Acting Solo scenes, Grades 7–8
✅ Great for 16+ learners, especially those interested in spoken-word, physical theatre, or devising
🎭 Powerful for exploring characterisation, storytelling, and the interplay of voice and movement.
🕰️ “The Pride” by Alexi Kaye Campbell
Playwright bio: Alexi Kaye Campbell is a Greek-British playwright whose work often centres on identity, personal integrity, and the interplay between past and present. The Pride won the Laurence Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre.
About the play:
A beautiful and moving exploration of queer identity across two timelines — 1958 and 2008 — with the same characters reimagined in each era. The play explores repression, desire, betrayal, and liberation. It’s smart, poignant, and emotionally rich.
LAMDA suitability:
✅ Excellent for Acting Duologue or Solo, Grades 6–8
🎭 Brilliant for showcasing range — scenes alternate between subtle restraint (1958) and contemporary openness (2008).
💬 Themes of internalised shame, coming out, and shifting cultural norms make it deeply relevant and powerful.
🎤 What We Encourage
Chat to your tutor about choosing a piece by an LGBTQIA+ writer — or one that reflects your identity or point of view. We’re here to help you find material that feels fresh, meaningful and exam-ready.
Pride is about so much more than performance — it’s about being yourself, sharing your voice, and knowing your story matters. Whether your child identifies as LGBTQIA+ or is simply learning how to be a good ally, LAMDA offers a nurturing space to explore identity, develop confidence, and grow into a powerful communicator.
