Andrew Keates
@andrewkeates
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Theatre Director, Artistic Director @QueerTheatreUK, Acting Coach & Host of @ShowPeopleUK. Gay. HIV+. Sober. Represented by Berlin Associates.
London, England
Joined April 2009
I have been a member of Twitter/X since 2009, but I can no longer support a place which is causing so much harm to the LGBTQ+ community. To connect with me, @QueerTheatreUK & my projects, follow:. š· Insta/Threads: MrAndrewKeates.š¦
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Oooh, the photos of this house look nice, in fact, Iād quite like to live here. JESUS FUCKING CHRIST!!!. WHAT IS THIS PLACE AND WHAT USED TO HAPPEN HERE?!?!? .
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Ask yourself, in years to come, do you want to take your kids to the theatre, or a Wetherspoons that used to be a theatre?
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9 months clean and sober. And the happiest I have ever been š
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But I want to get in the yuzu hot bath with the capybaras. š„ŗ.
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He has been with me thorough everything. But today I had to say goodbye to my Toby Page. I am utterly, utterly broken.
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This story has crippled me. Children around the world should be introduced from day one to societyās rich tapestry of diversity and to greet LGBT+ children with love and acceptance, especially at school. Iām so sorry for the family of #JamelMyles
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Best response Iāve ever heard in American politics from @ewarren about whether marriage should be between a man and a woman.
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My little heart needed this after a tough day defending the performing arts. Hereās Buddy Rich, Roy Castle and an iconic surprise guest at the end (I donāt want to spoil it). Watch it all and tell me the arts donāt matter.
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11 months clean and sober, 6 months without cigarettes and my life is unrecognisable from the chaos and misery I thought I deserved and needed š. š· @GeorgievBoyan
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Please take note. ā¢ āEn routeā not āOn routeā. ā¢ āScapegoatā not āEscape Goatā. ā¢ āOn tenterhooksā not ātender hooksā. ā¢ āWhet your appetiteā not āwetā. ā¢ āTo all intents and purposesā not āto all intensive purposesā.ā¢ āSpecificallyā not āPacificallyā.
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Watching Donald O'Connor in Singinā In The Rain should be compulsory viewing at every drama school in the country, regardless of whether or not youāre studying Musical Theatre.
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Actual text message conversation. Friend: Imagine if Freddie Mercury & David Bowie dueted together!?!.Me: They did. The song was called Under Pressure - one of the most famous songs ever written. Friend: If you tweet about this I will kill you. Me: Who wants to live forever.
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A sad moment as the UK flag is taken down in the EU Council building, with the EU treating our flag with respect and decorum rather than the pissed thugs who are currently burning EU flags in Parliament Square.
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For once #NorthKorea state news appears to be delivering honest, factual news. "No-one can predict when the lunatic old man of the White House, lost to senses, will start a nuclear war!". #Trump.
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"I hope this email finds you well.". How the email found me:
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Itās been a long time since Iāve seen a more powerful, and clearly iconic magazine cover.
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Princess Diana shook hands with patients who had HIV/AIDS to show you cannot pass the virus on through touch. Covid-19 is NOT the same. Please can we stop wheeling Edwina Currie or Ann Widdicombe out and spouting their utter nonsense.
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I will now only accept self-tapes that have cats in them. Thanks for sharing @WesleyRyann. Your Bengal is wonderful!
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Iām not a fan of football, but I know who @MarcusRashford is. Heās the young man who fought to feed children properly in the UK by lobbying government and inspiring national change. The man is a hero, who happens to be a footballer too.
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I may be gay, but give me an evening with a wise, older woman with a wicked sense of humour over a night with a stupid young man with an Instagram account any day.
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āDonāt associate yourself with toxic people. Itās better to be alone and love yourself than be surrounded by people who make you hate yourselfā. - Robin Williams
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Everyone is talking about opening our theatre bars. Itās a good idea, but a better idea is to install large bars on our iconic stages and drink in our auditoriums whilst weāre closed. Much larger customer capacity, and I for one, would love to do a shot on every West End stage.
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I love Waitress, Come From Away, Dear Evan Hanson & many of the other Broadway shows weāll have. But Iām a little blue that our West End will have more musicals that were nurtured in the USA than our own home-grown shows. Come on Britain, letās invest in UK Musical Theatre.
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An actor will face more rejection in a year than some will experience over a lifetime.
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Actors are extraordinary. The impressiveness of their resilience is often only matched by their capacity for empathy. They experience more rejection in a year than most do in a lifetime. Fundamentally they are creatures of words, truth, expression and exquisite observation.
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For anyone in the UK, If you text āSHOUTā to 85258 when you are in a dark place or suicidal, a trained crisis volunteer will text you back. This is great If you find talking on the phone challenging. Itās completely free 24/7. Please RT, you never know who might need this support.
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Growing up as a boy, me and my mum used to watch ITV crime dramas with a cheese, crackers, gherkins and pickled onions. I realise now itās because she was so broke that she couldnāt afford dinner. And yet, at 34 here I am happily eating the same feast watching A Touch Of Frost.
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Theatre is NOT back. We must celebrate that many of the large West End houses are operating at about 50% capacity, but most freelancers & the vital creative workhouses, fringe & regional venues are still suffocated - the very lifeblood of extraordinary theatre is still clotted.
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Itās been a month since I lost my beloved #TobyPage. And nothing could replace him. However, coming home to an empty flat has been some of the worst weeks of my life. And I still have the capacity to love and nurture. So tomorrow, I will finally bring home, little Stevie.
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Anyone belittling these performers having a job, is either so successful they should know better, or finding a way to make themselves feel better at their expense due to their own insecurities. Itās nearly Xmas, in London theyāre all just trying to earn a living. And itās tough.
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I am very excited to share the news I am launching @QueerTheatreUK. A London-based LGBTQ+ theatre and production company; proud to tell LGBTQ+ stories and unashamedly committed to nurturing queer talent. Find out more by visiting
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Just heard that everyone at Mamma Mia (West End) have been laid off. Iām so sorry for everyone involved. Itās so unfair & many will be facing emotional & financial despair. Please remember this and their hardship over whether you like the show or not.
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I am HIV+, I cannot pass the virus on and I will live a long and healthy life; but only because I got tested. If you donāt know your status, you could be putting yourself and others at risk. Give HIV the finger by ordering a free HIV home testing kit at
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I love Soho. Normally, Iād spend most of my week on these streets at many different venues. Of course, there was a temptation to visit it tonight, but instead I stayed home, made bread and popped on a movie. It would appear I made the right decision.
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#HIV doesnāt discriminate, whether youāre one of the finest rugby players in the world or a little theatre director like me. It can touch us all. It entered my life in 2013 and by owning my status, like Gareth we are not ashamed of the virus and tackling stigma.
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Itās hard to forgive anyone for voting Tory at the last election, but to do so at the next will be reprehensible.
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One of the most profound things Iāve heard today regarding the Trans community was said by @IndiaWilloughby, and forgive me if itās not the exact quote, but she said āthe only time you see us in the media is when weāre having to defend ourselvesā. Thereās such truth in that.
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Gays, please stop with the petulant tweets about straight people. Being gay does not make us superior, it doesnāt give us license to belittle the passions & values of others, and by doing so makes us no better than the bullies & morons so many of us have endured in our own lives.
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Please can we all share this far and wide so the kids at the back of the class finally get why staying home is so essential?
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.@JaneyGodley is a mum, a friend & a comedian, who uses her craft & wit to satirise unfairness in politics. Nearly every day, I see threats of violence targeted at her by āmenā. She calls them out & has thick skin, but it bloody hurts seeing a mate being abused online every day.
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Humanity can do extraordinary things when we work together, especially for the vulnerable.
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I want a fuck load of performers and a fuck load of live musicians playing music fucking loudly at my fucking face in a fucking theatre. And I want it fucking now. Forgive my fucking language.
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Stevieās first full day at home. Heās found his food and water and is eating happily. Heās definitely a big fan of the many throws and blankets Iāve bought him to snuggle up in. However, his favourite place seems to be my lap.
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Iāve held off saying anything about my new job as Iām aware how many of us are out of work at the moment. But, I hope youāll be happy for me when I say Iāve joined @secretcinema as their newest Performance Director. And itās an honour to be a part of this phenomenal company š¤«.
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Iām often told by straight people that I donāt need to go on about gay issues as everyoneās fine with it now, but here we see another example of homophobic violence toward a young man who felt safe to be himself. The next time Iām told to hush & not to worry; Iāll show them this.
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The Cecily and Gwendolen tea scene from The Importance Of Being Earnest performed by cats.
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I have HIV. But donāt feel sorry for me - I take a pill a day that ensures I cannot pass the virus on & will live a long and healthy life. I got tested and know my status - but do you? Please order your FREE #HIV test kit at for #HIVTestWeek
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Sat in the waiting room at @56deanstreet for my annual HIV checkup. Itās days like today when Iām reminded only a couple of decades ago my family would be visiting my grave rather than living the life Iām fortunate enough to have. Please, if itās been a while, get tested.
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Hereās the best response to anyone who tells you they arenāt getting vaccinated because they are relying on their natural immune system.
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Well, Stevie is home. He seems to have very little interest exploring his new flat, but instead has curled up with me on the sofa and is purring away.
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#SeanSpicer has resigned. The only real loss will be to comedy and #MelissaMcCarthy's brilliant impersonations of him on #SNL.
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Iāve done so well, but tonight is the first time Iāve really struggled to see how the fuck Iāll get through this impossible isolation.
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Todayās outfit is inspired by #FreddieMercury as today would have been his 73rd birthday. He wore it better.
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Now America has a proper leader. Please can the UK have one too?.
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If you havenāt seen it and fancy a really beautiful, thoughtful little movie about an Android (called Andrew) played by the late, GREAT, Robin Williams opposite Sam Neill (@twopaddocks), go watch Bicentennial Man. Itās probably one of my all time favourite movies and soundtracks.
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As we get charged Ā£5 if we cancel an @Uber ride, surely itās only fair our accounts are credited with the same amount if a driver cancels on us too.
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Whenever I face a crisis, I try to find a solution creatively and doing something I love. So, I decided to create this piece of art, inspired by my favourite #startrek moment to help me pay the bills whilst my industry lies decimated. Please support. š
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Iām about to change your life. Next time you make a mistake when typing on your iPhone, hold the space bar and you can scroll through the letters, rather than trying to select the exact position within the text. Try it. As I said. It will change your life.
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Iāve had an MPox vaccination, a sexual health check & received 6 months of meds so I can continue to live with HIV; making it impossible for me to pass the virus on. I am lucky to be a gay man in this country receiving all of this for free, when I could have had a death sentence.
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Do this immediately.
Type in āThe Wizard of Ozā into Google and click on the ruby slippers. You wonāt regret it š .
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Iām carrying a lot more weight than Iād like, my hair is a mess and my bank account has definitely seen healthier days. And yet today I went into rehearsal and none of that mattered because I was back with a perfect tribe; fuelled by awe, laughter, goodness and talent.
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There have been endless benefits of living on my own during this year, but every now and then, you realise how you havenāt seen a single person in days and feel utterly insignificant and alone.
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Just had a phone call requesting I make a guest appearance on #GBNews. As flattering as it is whenever any broadcaster asks for my opinion, I declined, as I will not support a channel that employs so many pedlars of hatred.
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MY TOP SHOWS OF 2021!. - Fucking all of them. - Any of them. - If you managed to open or be in a show in the face of this wretched virus and entertain audiences; you deserve the utmost respect. - And if you didnāt, well done for surviving.
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Just told Toby I wonāt be leaving the flat for about two months.
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#XFactor. Sadly, by belittling Musical Theatre artists youāre also belittling some of the most successful recording artists of all time, including Barbra Streisand, Liza Minnelli, Alfie Boe, Shirley Bassey, Judy Garland, Idina Menzel, Michael Ball, Colm Wilkinson, Bette Midler. .
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I think we all know who we have to call to solve the mystery of #CaroleBaskinās disappearing husband. #TigerKing #DontFuckWithCats
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This tweet should probably be consigned to my drafts, but I hope if something comes from today, itās that some of the major producers in the West End finally withdraw their support for the Conservative Party.
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I turned on my TV this morning & @GMB (Good Morning Britain) was on. @piersmorgan & his cronies remind me of school bullies, sniggering about issues that they neither have the capacity to understand or find empathy for. @itvstudios could & should do much better #GMB #PiersMorgan.
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Every 6 months I go to @56deanstreet to ensure I am on the best pill to prevent me passing HIV onto others and to test my blood and organs are all functioning properly. A couple of decades ago I would have died of AIDS. Today, Iām grateful to have the privilege to thrive.
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As if today couldnāt get any better. So happy I could cry. The end truly is in sight.
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Dear Scotland, . Thank you for having Boris today. We just needed a day off. Many thanks,. England.
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A human being shares how she was suicidal and even thatās not enough blood to quench the thirst of those who hate her. #MeghanAndHarry.
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Just because youāre making a musical film adaptation, does not mean you have to cast James Corden in a role.
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Thereās such ridicule about people going to #Primark. Granted, there are reports of dubious manufacturing processes. But that aside, can we please stop poor shaming people who canāt afford to shop anywhere else? Especially as some children will have outgrown their clothes too.
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