Beige B*tch

by Nima Séne

Live Art | Video Design, Caption Design, Poster Design, Trailer Design | Take Me Somewhere, Glasgow; Frascati, Amsterdam; Sophiensaele, Berlin | 2019

Trailer for Beige B*tch

Take a seat in the live show Beige Nation TV! As the provocative star and host*, the post-internet icon Beige B*itch scrolls through the saturated reality of her beige world and challenges the (sur-)real fantasy construct of "mixed-race" women: In a cultural blitzkrieg of artisan anecdotes, intimate interviews and bespoke adverts, she poses pointed questions about white accountability, Black Culture and what it means to belong.

From the early development to later development stages, Nima and I worked together on producing the video design for Beige B*tch, including Beige B*tch’s TV show on the Beige Nation channel, and all of the show’s marketing materials.

Since the Take Me Somewhere festival performance at the CCA in Glasgow in 2019, I have operated the AV for the show, and then production managed following performances, including planning and logistics for touring the show abroad.

I even appear in the show as “an almost luminous white man.”

Beige B*tch poster for Frascati, Amsterdam: Nima Séne under the neon title, shade name Light Skinned Tears
Beige B*tch poster for Frascati, Amsterdam: Nima Séne in mirrored sunglasses, shade name Tobacco Road
Beige B*tch poster for Frascati, Amsterdam: Nima Séne under the neon title, shade name Stroopwafel
Beige B*tch poster for Frascati, Amsterdam: Nima Séne in beige latex, shade name Desert Sand
Beige B*tch poster for Frascati, Amsterdam: Nima Séne under the neon title, shade name Village Pub
Beige B*tch poster for Frascati, Amsterdam: Nima Séne in hooped earrings, shade name Toffee Coffee
Beige B*tch poster for Frascati, Amsterdam: Nima Séne under the neon title, shade name Light Skinned Tears
Beige B*tch poster for Frascati, Amsterdam: Nima Séne in mirrored sunglasses, shade name Tobacco Road
Beige B*tch poster for Frascati, Amsterdam: Nima Séne under the neon title, shade name Stroopwafel
Beige B*tch poster for Frascati, Amsterdam: Nima Séne in beige latex, shade name Desert Sand
Beige B*tch poster for Frascati, Amsterdam: Nima Séne under the neon title, shade name Village Pub
Beige B*tch poster for Frascati, Amsterdam: Nima Séne in hooped earrings, shade name Toffee Coffee

The posters and flyers came in a range of shades.

Nima Séne in yellow latex and Beige B*tch headband holds a creamy drink on stage at Take Me Somewhere
Nima Séne gestures mid-speech with a drink in hand, neon Beige B*tch script projected behind her
Low-angle performance photo of Nima Séne calling out, sausage prop in hand, draped in giant beads
Nima Séne glances over her shoulder beneath a glowing Beige B*tch projection, palm trees behind
Nima Séne performs arms spread on a sandy white stage with palm tree, gold treadmill and pineapple
Nima Séne gestures mid-speech with a drink in hand, neon Beige B*tch script projected behind her
Nima Séne laughs under stage lights, brandishing a sausage prop in a beige latex coat
Nima Séne kneels on a white stage among palm trees, a gold treadmill and neon Beige B*tch projections
Nima Séne stands with arms outstretched between a palm tree and treadmill under Beige B*tch projections
TAAHLIAH and Nima Séne pose together on the beige stage set at Take Me Somewhere
TAAHLIAH crouches over a synthesiser in blue haze, the name TAAHLIAH projected on a screen above
Set detail: a miniature pineapple on a white floor scattered with sand, beside a TV and treadmill
Costume detail: yellow latex printed with Beige B*tch beside a strand of giant wooden beads
Nima Séne poses in a belted beige latex coat with giant beads over one shoulder and Beige B*tch headband

A work-in-progress was performed at Contact in Manchester in 2018. The show premiered at Take Me Somewhere festival in Glasgow in 2019, and went on to Frascati in Amsterdam as part of their TO VOICE festival. It was then scheduled to be performed at Sophiensaele in Berlin as part of their Queer Darlings festival in March 2020, the week the UK went into lockdown. We created a live stream version of the performance for Sophiensaele instead.

Created, Written and Performed by Nima Séne
Featuring Frankie Mulholland, James Primmer, Jee Chan and Daniel Hughes
Costume by Sabrina Henry
Lighting Design by Jazz Hutsby
Producer Laura Fisher
Sound Design by Alicia Matthews
Set Design (film) by Josephine Lalande
Make Up Artist (film) Venus Von Vorstadt
Sound Recordist (film) Ludovic Barrier

Commissioned by Contact and Live Art UK Diverse Actions

Supported by Creative Scotland, Platform, The Work Room, Engine Room at National Theatre of Scotland, Tramway, Buzzcut and Take Me Somewhere.