Episode 1: Queer as Friends with Tanith and Katie

We decided to launch the Queer as Friends series with a conversation we recorded of just the two of us… partly because it gives a real flavour of us and our friendship and partly to put ourselves under the same spotlight of reflecting on our friendship as we are asking of our guests. To see what it feels like, and what comes to the surface when we ask a few simple questions. For more information about us: Tanith Ilsley (she/her) is a producer and stage manager based in Northampton. She has over 20 years’ experience working on productions for a vast range of theatre companies including the National Theatre, Royal Shakespeare Company, Birmingham REP and Royal & Derngate, and on shows in London’s West End. Tanith is currently producing Improbable Sessions, an evening of improvised live music for award-winning company Improbable and Five Pianos, a one-man show by actor, comic improviser and writer Niall Ashdown. Tanith is also training through the CPCAB to be a qualified therapist. She whiles away the rest of her time parenting her 6-year-old daughter, Frances and being married to Ed. @tanith.ilsley Katie Hall (she/they) is a London-based writer and producer. She co-founded and edited the queer women’s lifestyle platform Planet London. She created and wrote the UK’s first queer women’s web series, the award-winning ‘She’s In London’. Katie produced queer indie thriller feature film ‘Under the Influencer’ which completed a very successful festival tour. Her writing has featured in numerous anthologies, and she has been a finalist in several national and international writing prizes. Her debut novel ‘To Autumn’ was released in 2025. Most recently, she completed her research-by-practice PhD which explored the role of queer friendships via memoir. www.katiemhall.com @katiemargarethall To read the full transcript of the podcast, visit our blog.