Mother Clap’s Holborn coffee house is open to all comers, a place of companionship and community, until a tip-off leads to a midnight raid. Two women, exiled from their families, set up a utopian homestead in a remote Welsh cottage, inspiring a generation of Romantic poets. The celebrated Chevalier d’Eon, soldier, diplomat and spy, challenges a rival to a fencing match. The sweepstake is not over who will win, but whether the Chevalier is a man or a woman. Dr Anthony Delaney traces the stories of people daring to challenge society’s expectations, unearthing archives and court records to reveal the tragedies and the joys of queer life three centuries ago.

Dates

17 Jul 2026

3pm – 4pm

Price

£14

Venue

Pavilion Arts Centre

Booking Details

Dates, times & booking

  • Fri 17 Jul 2026 3.00pm - 4.00pm
Friends get priority booking on a staggered basis
About Friends Priority Booking
Useful Tips for booking

Priority Booking
for BIF Friends

To book seats early, join the Friends of Buxton International Festival and become part of our ‘Festival Family’

Tickets are now on sale for La traviataThe Merry Widow and the Jazz Weekender

All other events are on general sale from 14 April 2026

 

Priority dates are:

17 March – Directors Circle, Benefactors and Gold Patrons

24 March – Patrons

31 March – Gold Friends

7 April – Friends

14 April – Public and Next Gen

 

Become a friend

Joining our community and becoming a BIF Friend unlocks a whole host of benefits, including priority booking for the festival.

From just £36 per year, become part of the festival you love all year-round.

  • Priority booking for all festival events
  • Six tiers of membership starting from just £36
  • Regular newsletters during the year – via email/post
  • Be the first to hear exclusive festival news & announcements
  • Special friends events throughout the year: meals, dinners, recitals and more
  • Support from friends members have enabled us to grow into one of the UK’s leading opera festivals
  • Recognition of your support in the Festival Souvenir Programme Book

If you are under 35 you can join the Next Gen Friends for free, and access £5 tickets to book events and £10 tickets to all other events.

Find out more