This shows Jude, Tash and Deb in the van after a performance of Chic to Chic, still in costume.

A scanned image set of the Siren Theatre Company 1982 vinyl record and sleeve 'Siren Plays', released by 'Stroppy Cow records’. It shows a list of the inner sleeve with the lyrics of 10 songs composed by various members of Siren and performed by Siren. It also shows photographs of Siren on the back cover, namely Jane Boston guitar, Jude Winter keyboards, Debra Trethewey drums and Tasha Fairbanks saxophone. This was Siren’s first time in a professional studio. Being penniless, as usual, Siren cut the cost by doing the half price all-night sessions. Memories of a lot of coffee and biscuits, being shaken awake every few hours to stagger over to an instrument and try to remember which song you were supposed to be recording. The album sold at Vinyl Demand, Odd Volume, Subway Records and at the Women’s Centre.

This shows Tash Fairbanks, Jude Winter, Jane Boston and Deb Trethewey fooling around ‘queuing’ to get into the van.

This shows the programme from the play ‘Curfew’. The front cover is a drawing of a women kicking out in self-defence. It gives a description of the play and a background of Siren. The play was directed by Pippa Gladhill. The programme acknowledges the poem (used in part) by Ntozake Shange “With No Immediate Cause’. The cover of the programme was created by Wendy Thompson. The image was also the poster for the play. The image of the women kicking out was taken from a photo and an article in the Brighton Argus about ‘Tiger Tash’ who taught women self-defence. The ’Tash’ referred to was Siren’s Tasha Fairbanks. The play was set in a lesbian club and explored themes of male violence against women.

A digital reproduction of the flyer (front & back) advertising Siren’s play ‘Now Wash Your Hands Please’. The play opened at the Nightingale Theatre in Brighton, and was directed by Sue Saunders. Siren was joined by a new company member, Hilary Ramsden, for this play and for future Siren plays. Jane Boston did not perform in this play.

A newspaper about Siren Theatre Company in the Brighton & Hove Gazette Newspaper in 1983 concerning the group receiving a loan of £2500 from Midland Bank to produce their album. The article inaccurately says Siren formed “eight months ago”, which would have been in 1982, but Siren actually started in 1979 and produced their first play (with music) in 1980. The article referred to the Midland Bank in Dyke Road as being ‘behind Brighton’s lesbian rock band’. The bank was actually not aware that it was lending money to a lesbian band, which in 1983 was not a trendy thing to do!

Digital scan of a Brighton Leader Newspaper Article about a Siren performance of their play 'Hotel Destiny' at The Nightingale in Brighton, 1987. This shows a photo of Jane Boston as the character ‘Chance’ in Siren’s play ‘Hotel Destiny’. The photo was taken by Anita Corbin (but the photo is not of Ms Corbin, as wrongly described). The preview was for the opening of ‘Hotel Destiny’ at the Nightingale Theatre in Brighton.

This is one of a number of posters used to promote Siren’s play ‘Mama’s Gone A’Hunting’. It is created in the form of an urgent telegram outlining the plot of the show, stating that woman intends leaving for a new planet without man. The digitally produced poster was felt to be a ‘new’ form of photography at the time that it was on the high street, predating all the digitisation of photos that are now done on one’s own devices. Siren felt it reflected the futuristic content of the play.

This shows the programme cover of the pay Pulp. The programme shows a number of adverts, including from prominent lesbian organisations, such as Rackets, Dimples and Lesbian Line, as well as feminist companies such as Silver Moon bookshop Women’s Press. Nalgo (National and Local Government Officers Union) took out a full page advert supporting lesbian and gay rights. The programme promotes Siren’s cabaret show ‘Chic to Chic”, as well as their cassette ‘Siren in Queer Street’ and vinyl record ‘Siren Plays’. Page 4 & page 8 have the lyrics of seven sounds from Pulp, which were written by Jane Boston, and performed live by Siren. Page 5 has the Company Policy and a description of the play ‘Pulp’. It also shows some excerpts from reviews of previous plays. The play was directed and choreographed by Noelle Janaczewska. The artwork and layout of the programme was by Jenny Millington.

This image set depicts the cover, front and back, and cassette tape of Siren’s music release ‘Siren in Queerstreet’. It shows a list of the 13 tracks on the cassette, which included songs from some of the plays as well as songs composed by various members of Siren, and performed by Siren band. The tape was recorded at Newhaven Boys’ Club and at Real Time Studio Billingshurst. Cover photo by Susy Taylor. This cassette was a mixture of home recording done by Deb Trethewey on a two track Sony reel-to-reel tape recorder, as well as some professionally recorded tracks at recording studios.

This shows two reviews, from The Stage and The Scotsman of Siren’s Play ‘Mama’s Gone A’Hunting”. The Stage review was completed at The Marlborough in Brighton and the Scotsman at University Chaplaincy Centre in Edinburgh. The Stage reviewer queried the choice of the name Siren, saying it seems odd for a company ‘promoting the feminist cause’. Given that the origin of Siren in Greek mythology was a creature (part woman, part bird) who lured sailors to destruction by the sweetness of her song, the company felt that this was a very appropriate name for the company, which combined feminism and music to make their radical points!

This black and white photo shows Jane Boston, Jude Winter, Tash Fairbanks and Deb Trethewey checking the map before heading off somewhere for a performance. This photo was taken in front of Siren’s ancient touring van. On one tour, Siren went from venue to venue on the back of an AA van, due to constant breakdown problems with the vehicle.

Two reviews about the play ‘Curfew’ when it opened at the Oval House Theatre, London. The review at the top of the image is from 'Spare Rib', published in March 1982. It features a photo of Jane Boston as Calamity Jane. The review at the bottom of the photo is from 'The Stage', published in February 1982.

Digital reproduction of the cover of Spare Rib, and the review of Siren’s show ‘From the Divine’. The reviewer, Liz Horsfield, writes that Lily is far more interested in Ruby [or}“is it me being a lesbian that makes me think so?” No matter how ‘out’ Siren was as a company, it perhaps wasn’t always obvious to the audience or reviewers.

This shows a two-page letter from a young lesbian about to take her A-levels after seeing the play ‘Pulp’. This poignant letter reveals how hard it was to be identified as a lesbian at this time.