Experience a night of gender exploration with Hook and The Wheel of Nouns

Hook the Gender Fairy is loose — and they’ve made it all the way to Sale!

Get ready for a night of spinning wheels, sparkling chaos, and serious silliness when Wheel of Nouns lands at Waterside Arts on Wednesday, 14th May.

Hosted by the magical and mischievous  Hook (they/them & hehe/hym), Wheel of Nouns is a riotous solo cabaret comedy that invites audiences to explore the question: What is gender anyway? But don’t worry — you won’t leave the theatre suddenly turned into a different gender… probably.

“It’s based around the premise that the Gender Fairy—me, in this case—has been told by their bosses to turn everyone in the world trans,” explained Hook. 

“And now they’re freaking out, like, ‘Oh my God, I don’t know how to turn everyone trans! How do you even do that?”

Cue an evening of game-show madness, complete with a real spinning wheel, theatrical antics, bribes (yes, bribes!), and audience participation — all wrapped up in 70 minutes of joyful, thought-provoking cabaret.

A playful approach to a big conversation

In a world where conversations about gender can sometimes feel intimidating, Hook’s approach is refreshingly light-hearted.

“I wanted the premise to be silly and inviting, so people would actually want to get involved instead of feeling intimidated,” they said. “I wasn’t going to just stand there and say, ‘Now you are a woman, now you are a man.’ We’ve already got enough of that.”

Instead, Wheel of Nouns invites the audience to dive into a low-stakes world of laughter and exploration, where gender is less about ticking boxes and more about imagination and possibility.

One of Hook’s inspirations for the game show format? Their deep love of spinning wheels.

“I love wheels. I love things that make decisions for me. I even use a little spinning wheel app on my phone to decide what I’m having for dinner,” Hook laughed.

And the wheel isn’t just a prop — it’s central to the show’s playful spirit, sparking spontaneous fun as audience members are invited to imagine any noun — from “pirate” to “chardonnay” — as a gender.

“We play in that space — people get ‘transed’ into different nouns — and it starts a conversation about what are your nouns? What different words could you use to describe yourself — like tornado, slime, clear accessories, chardonnay, pirate…”

At a recent performance, Hook’s boyfriend’s parents — “lovely, not people whose minds we needed to change about transness,” Hook said — left excitedly talking about what it would mean to have “slime” as a gender.

“I thought, okay, yeah — now you’re thinking about it!”

More fun, less fear

At its core, Wheel of Nouns offers something much needed in today’s world: a joyful, accessible space to think about gender without fear.

“Especially with the news feeling so heavy and scary, it’s a space where you’re not forgetting about all that, but you’re thinking about it in a lighter, more playful way,” Hook explained.

While the show is rooted in important topics — like self-expression, identity, and transformation — the comedy remains gentle, silly, and uplifting.

“It’s got its conflict and it’s got its moments, but overall, it’s quite lighthearted. You leave at the end hopefully feeling uplifted.”

And if you’re worried about being put on the spot — don’t be. Audience participation is strictly voluntary, and the atmosphere is designed to be welcoming and low-pressure. 

Plus, there’s an extra treat: every audience member has the chance to grab a “gender certificate,” signed by the Gender Fairy themselves — a cheeky, glitter-pink keepsake to celebrate your chosen noun for the night.

“Every single one was gone,” Hook laughed, recalling a previous show. “Later, I saw people posting pictures of their certificates online, with their different nouns written on them. They seemed really excited about it.”

A little bit about Hook

Before becoming the Gender Fairy, Hook spent years fascinated by identity and self-expression — even before they realised they were trans.

“Years and years of denial and delusion… and then, all at once, it hit me. And it was like, ‘Yep, let’s go! Down this highway—wahoo!'”

For Hook, gender is about discovery, joy, and possibility — themes that infuse everything they create.

“It’s such an incredibly good feeling—to discover new parts of yourself and explore them freely and joyfully. So a lot of my work is about asking: can I help bring people into that world with me?”

And while Wheel of Nouns naturally speaks to experiences of transness and queerness, Hook believes the show offers something for everyone.

“The human drive to find new parts of ourselves and express them… it’s very trans, but it’s not only a trans experience. You see it when people dress up. You see it when people watch shows and dream of being part of them.”

What will you take away?

Unlike traditional educational shows, Wheel of Nouns isn’t here to give you a lecture or lay down hard rules about gender.

“One, because everyone’s experience is different. And two, it’s not really for me to say, hi, I’m the authority on this,” Hook says. “It’s more, hi, I’ve created a world — a little 70-minute world — that’s my perspective on what this can be, and how you can find fun and joy in it.”

If you’re curious, playful, or just in need of a night of laughter, this is the show for you. You might leave pondering new ideas, giggling at your new “teapot” gender, or simply feeling a little lighter.

And if Hook could sprinkle one bit of magic fairy dust across the whole country?

“Gender is a choice you get to make. It’s a fun thing. It’s part of getting to choose who you are and who you want to be in this lifetime.”

And maybe, just maybe, they’d rename it to something a little more fun.

“Gender as a word feels very serious and quite clinical to me. So maybe just having a different, wonkier word for it — like boobly or something. I don’t know, something better than that!” Hook laughed.

Tickets to see Hook perform The Wheel Of Nouns

Whether you’re already a proud Gender Pirate or just curious to see what all the fun is about, don’t miss Wheel of Nouns at Waterside Arts, Sale, on Wednesday 14th May.

One spin of the wheel might just change the way you think — or at the very least, give you a brand new noun to proudly call your own.

Tickets are selling fast — so grab yours, embrace the glitter, and get ready for a night of joy, silliness, and endless possibilities!

You can get tickets to see Hook perform The Wheel of Nouns as part of Trafford Pride by clicking here