Rob Madge: 'My Son's A Queer' actor and Midlands TikTok star on redefining the word 'queer'

ITV News Central's Hannah Ludlow sat down with Rob and their parents to hear about their UK tour and love for the Midlands.

Rob Madge (they/them) might have become a West End star and social media sensation in recent years, but the actor's love of performing did not start on a stage.

It was in their family's living room that Rob first discovered a talent for singing, dancing and acting - and it's in that very room that I sit down with Rob and their parents to discuss their one-person play 'My Son's A Queer'.

Rob wrote the play during lockdown, and it has since been enjoyed by audiences in London and Edinburgh. Now it is embarking on it's first tour across the UK, starting in the Midlands, where Rob grew up.

The tour will open at Leicester's Curve Theatre on Monday 8 July, before heading to Birmingham, Coventry, Liverpool, Derby, Edinburgh and Manchester.

Describing the play, Rob, who grew up in Swadlincote in Derbyshire, says: “My Son’s A Queer is the true story of my family, who helped me put on shows in my living room every weekend.

"In this show we see a Disney parade that happened in that hallway over there in 2009 and it went hideously wrong.

"Dad was the stage manager, he got all the costumes in the wrong order, the stage broke and it was a nightmare."

They added: "In My Son’s A Queer I, at the age of 27, am going to be recreating this Disney parade and it’s going to go right, and we’re going to work out where Dad went wrong.

"Ultimately, it’s about realising that I’ve been very lucky to have had [my parents] supporting me in not just living room shows but in my identity, my career and my whole life really.

"The message I want to get out there is how easy it is to love your child unconditionally.”

So why did they choose to perform at so many venues in the Midlands?

Rob says: "It’s my absolute heartbeat, I always come back whenever I can. I moved out but did I ever really? I’m here every other weekend going to the pub.

"It’s the sense of humour, it’s the realness and it keeps you really grounded. You can be off doing what you think is the most amazing West End run, you go to the pub and people are more interested in who’s winning the bonus ball for the Euros and it’s lovely.

"And for anybody that can’t access the West End I think it’s really important that a show like this can be seen by somebody that might not be able to get down to London."

Rob says the chance to perform at the Birmingham Hippodrome will hold a special place in their heart.

"The Birmingham Hippodrome is my childhood theatre so to do 'My Son’s A Queer' there, I’m really excited.

"We’d go every Christmas and we’d see the pantomime and we’d see people like Julian Clary and there was something in him specifically - this flamboyant character that could wear the most amazing outfits and still get a laugh - that stuck with me at a very early age."

Rob's parents, Janice and Jon Madge, say they are incredibly proud of them.

Jon says: "We’ve always said that good comedy is that good that it will make you laugh and it’ll make you cry.

The amount of tears that were shed outside of the theatre after Rob’s first few shows - for us, although it’s the norm, there are people out there who didn’t get that treatment. Who didn’t get that support.

"I took Rob to the football, to the cricket, the rugby, but Rob didn’t like any of that. I was trying to channel Rob down the route that I thought Rob would enjoy, but that wasn’t for them."

Rob's mum Janice adds: "I never thought 'Rob’s destined for stardom' but they’ve just progressed and progressed.

"And a lot of that isn’t just talent, it’s determination and if you’ve got a drive and you always push and push and push through failure and rejection, I think then anybody in whatever the field is, will make it."

On their decision to include the word 'Queer' in the play's title, Rob says: "I want to demystify how frightening the word can be and rightfully so, I don’t want to undermine people’s fear of that word.

"It can be redefined as happiness and joy and pride and celebration.

"Over time I’ve learned that all the things that hold you back are the things that you’re going to end up being celebrated for, and the things that you’re most terrified of are going to be the things that make life worth living."

'My Son's A Queer' has earned a WhatsOnStage award and an Olivier award nomination since opening at the Turbine Theatre in 2021.

The UK tour opens at the Leicester Curve theatre on Monday 8 July, before heading to the Birmingham Hippodrome on Thursday 11 July, Coventry's Belgrade Theatre on Monday 15 July and the Derby Theatre on Monday 22 July, in addition to dates in Liverpool, Edinburgh and Manchester.

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know...