Transgender Writer Kit Redstone is Set to Make a Powerful Mark on the International Film Industry with ‘King Baby’ and ‘Stay!’
If you haven’t heard the name Kit Redstone yet — brace yourselves, because it’s only a matter of time before the name of this award-winning London born writer is on the lips of everyone in the film industry.
With the highly anticipated release of the feature film “King Baby” slated for later this year, and the satirical horror film “Stay!” in preproduction, Redstone is set to make a big mark on the industry. Redstone co-wrote both of the films, as well as several other upcoming projects with Canadian director Arran Shearing, who’s known for the films “Forgotten Man,” which earned a prestigious Leo Award, and “You Say Yes” starring Soo Garay (“The Handmaid’s Tale,” “The Umbrella Academy”).
“Collaborations can be tricky with writing but from the start we had such a fluid way of writing together and communicating ideas. We spend much of our writing time passionately talking or in tears of laughter,” explained Redstone about his collaboration with Shearing.
“We both have the same unstoppable drive, and will both do anything and everything to make a project work. When one of us is down the other will find a new reserve of strength to keep our machine going! Our strengths are really complimentary, and fundamentally we just have so much belief in the work we do.”
No newcomer to the world of art and performance, Redstone, who began his professional career in the UK 15 years ago, has earned countless awards, including The Pleasance Indie Award for Best Theatre Show and the Highly Commended Award at Vaults Festival for his play “Testosterone.” He was also invited by the internationally acclaimed platform TEDx to give a talk at TEDxManchester where he discussed theatre, identity and the importance of asking questions.
For Redstone, whose work uses humor and playfulness to shed light on identity, storytelling has been a cornerstone of his being for as long as he could remember.
“I think I was playful and mischievous from the moment I could talk. I loved making up stories and worlds from my imagination… I used to do puppet shows as a child for my younger brothers and their friends’ birthdays. I got paid in puppets. It was quite lucrative,” recalls Redstone playfully.
“Stories had an immense power over me, and it was very early on that I understood their ability to transform us, to mirror back our experiences to us in a way that makes us feel seen and understood. And most importantly perhaps, the way that stories open us up to different people, perspectives and experiences.”
From cofounding the Vacuum Theatre Company in 2013 to writing powerful plays such as “Something From Nothing,” which successfully toured across India and Denmark, and “Passengers,” a play about Dissociative Identity Disorder, which won The Lustrum Award at Summerhall, Redstone quickly established a respected reputation for himself as a brilliant and unforgettable voice in the realm of theater. The project that really put Redstone on the international radar though, was “Testosterone,” a play that charted his experiences as a trans man and his personal journey to understanding masculinity through questions, memories and fantasies.
When asked about what he hoped to get across to audiences with the incredibly vulnerable and courageous play, Redstone replied, “An understanding of the nuances of being trans.”
He continued, “So many people have false narratives about trans people fed to them by right-wing politicians and media that in my small way I wanted to challenge these perspectives, and also to welcome those who don’t know much about transness. I wanted the show to feel inviting as well as illuminating, perhaps particularly to those who came with negative perspectives on my community.”
A highly physical piece with a non-linear narrative, “Testosterone” had a successful international tour, was selected by the British Council for the Edinburgh Showcase and, in addition to earning numerous other awards, was shortlisted for The Samuel Beckett Award, The Peter Brook Award and The Amnesty International Freedom of Expression Award.
“[Testosterone] allowed me to work with the British Council which was amazing. Through the British Council I got to tour internationally, give a Ted X Talk amongst various other speaking engagements. I spent a month in Rio De Janeiro devising and directing with a group of trans performers there. Suddenly a whole world of International collaborations and friendships opened up for me. It truly changed my life,” recalled Redstone.
With an extraordinary talent for presenting complex issues within the framework of powerful and entertaining storytelling, coupled with the kind of humor that is capable of disarming even the staunchest naysayers, Redstone’s creative genius has the capacity to change minds, open hearts and allow viewers to experience life through a new perspective. And his entry into the film industry couldn’t have come at a more prodigious time.
“I guess as a trans artist I have a unique set of experiences to bring to the table,” he admitted. “My work often teeters on the edges of comedy and tragedy in a way that can feel a little risky and de-stabilizing. There is a mischief to my writing that can soothe the audience into laughing before taking them to darker, more serious places.”
Redstone and Shearing’s upcoming feature film “King Baby,” which they co-wrote, co-directed and co-produced together, is an absurdist comedy that follows two contemporary men playing out the roles of King and Servant in the ruins of an ancient castle. Far removed from the outside world, the King desires a Queen to marry, and so the Servant creates him one out of wood. In the midst of wedded bliss all seems to be well within the warped fairy tale; that is, until the King begins to treat the Queen terribly, while the Servant simultaneously develops an ardent love for her– a shift in dynamics that has murderous consequences.
An allegory for the patriarchy and how ludicrous it is, “King Baby” brilliantly uses fiction as a means to explore issues of masculinity, politics and power inequities, all in hopes of leading audiences to a better future.
“I love taking a big complex idea that feels really relevant and turning it into a delicious, dark allegory. We wanted to create a very simple, claustrophobic surreal world which mirrors the real world and the way that patriarchy plays out in it,” explained Redstone.
“The aim was for people to see how idiotic our current framework is and how it benefits no one, not even the powerful men who stand to gain from having absolute power.”
Starring Graham Dickson (“All My Friends Hate Me,” “After Life”) and Neil Chinneck (“Sommaren 85,” “Happy Warriors”) “King Baby,” which was adapted from a theatrical play written by Redstone, is a tripartite production between the UK, Canada and France.
Filmed in 2022 in the South of France and slated to premiere later this year, “King Baby” was executive produced by acclaimed French actress Sophie Duez, as well as produced by former COO of Film France Franck Priot and his company Ghosts City Films.
“We achieved exactly what we set out to achieve,” admits Redstone. “The film was self-funded and meant to thrive within the limitations of a micro-budget, one location and two lead actors. I am really proud of it. Whilst our future projects are much more financially ambitious it is such a wonderful introduction to our tone and style, and what we’re able to achieve.”
Up next for Redstone and Shearing is “Stay!,” a satirical horror feature film about a queer group of friends who are possessed by a conservative hetero-normative family. Through masterful and inventive storytelling Redstone and Shearing aim to satirize and challenge the current ‘erasure’ of LGBTQI+ communities in the US through the film.
“I want to see queer-led films have the exposure they deserve without financiers being scared of rocking the boat and challenging transphobic, homophobic or racist audiences. Identity politics are at the forefront of current political debate, yet we, the minority communities, are often denied a platform and a voice to respond,” said Redstone.
“Art is always at the forefront of social change. It’s why artists are seen as dangerous and why, in dictatorships, they are often silenced. I want to see the industry taking risks and not sitting on the fence while freedoms are attacked.”
Slated to go to cameras in 2024, “Stay!,” which has already been optioned by Legacy Pictures, was developed in collaboration with producer Alan Greenspan (“Donnie Brasco,” “High Fidelity”).
“Kit and Arran’s writing immediately caught my eye when reading the first draft of ‘Stay!’ The writing showed immense accomplishment with a super smart concept and incredible dialogue,” says Greenspan.
“Kit has a unique lens on the world as a transgender man with rich and varied experiences. Through this lens he has a particular interest in the complexities of identity as well as a passion for elevating marginalized communities through his work. He has the ability to approach seemingly didactic topics with playful irreverent humor and sparkling satire.”
In addition to the upcoming release of the feature film “King Baby,” and the production of “Stay!” underway, Kit and Shearing are also currently working on several other upcoming projects, such as an epic western feature film about a transgender cowboy and his daughter journeying from Wyoming to California to rescue their kidnapped son/brother.
“We’re really excited about starting this one. In the way that ‘Stay!’ takes on the horror genre to address inequity, this film will use the epic western to examine expectations of masculinity and family. It’s a story about a trans father whose daughter is dismayed to discover his secret,” explained Redstone. “As the pair of them travel by foot in search of the kidnapped son, her expectations of masculinity and her feelings towards her father go on an enormous journey.”
While Kit Redstone first made his name as a writer in the theatre, an arena he will undoubtedly contribute to throughout his career, his entry into the film world comes as a welcome and much needed addition. His sharp wit, fresh perspective and ability to seamlessly address issues of identity and masculinity with courage, humor and relatability through the framework of an entertaining story have truly set him apart from others; and there’s no question that his collaboration with Arran Shearing and the work they are making together will powerfully impact the film industry.
“In many ways what Arran and I write falls into the auteur category of filmmaking. Which is, perhaps, a more challenging route to take. Industry can be wary of taking a risk on something new but we have luckily found champions of our work through producers like Franck Priot, Cary Woodworth, Alan Greenspan and others who see the originality of what we do and are excited by its possibilities,” said Redstone.
“I am always interested in inequity and challenging this through my writing, but not in a way that feels didactic or pious. If a project doesn’t feel important in this way then it’s hard for me to really devote myself wholeheartedly to it… My work, however dark, however absurd, always hints at a vision of a better future for us all.”
