Billie Billington and Ryley Pennycard - Steak and Lesbians Interview

Steak and Lesbians follows Stevie and River, two best friends living in London. Stevie is an aspiring writer and River an aspiring actor. The two are planning to cook a nice steak dinner when the night is derailed by Stevie insisting on helping River move on from their recent breakup. The two characters aspire to create their own romcom moment, getting distracted from their cooking and creating a beautiful display of affection and a completely ruined dinner.

The show is a comedy which is blended with some soft moments of emotion and connection. Steaks and Lesbians aims to show the beauty in queerness, both relationships and friendships. The writing plays on the use of stereotypes, but taking away from the stereotypes placed upon queer communities by heterosexual people, and using instead ones that we ourselves joke and play with. Written by a lesbian about lesbians, aiming to give representation in an authentic way, representing the queer community in the way we see around us, not what people think it is.

We sat down with actors Billie Billington and Ryley Pennycard to discuss this show.

What can you tell me about Steaks and Lesbians and your roles?
Billie Billington: There will be steaks. There will be lesbians. It is what it says on the tin. All promises kept ;)

What is there to say about River. They are dramatic; they’re a flirt, sometimes to the detriment of those around them… but really at their heart they are a real softy & a complete romantic who just wants to curl up and watch Pride & Prejudice…

Ryley Pennycard: I’ve been involved in steaks from the very start. The idea came about as I was cooking steaks while in a house filled with uni students. As we were cooking Amelia, Kitty and I thought omg what if this was a play? Since its inception the play has changed a lot, but at the heart it’s still a story about two masc lesbians who are slightly too flirtatious bestfriends and I think that is what kept me so draw to the piece. Seeing masc for masc in our media is really rare and good representation fo the mas/butch community hasn’t been something I’ve seen very often.

What drew you both to this piece?

Billie: You very rarely get to see stories about masc lesbians on stage or screen. Or people who transgress gender norms full stop really. It’s something that I have been exploring in my own work, with my theatre company, TOMBOY Productions, having recently written & produced a trans-historical play about a infamous wlw break up My Female Husband and so that caught my attention straight away.

 

Also, as a non-binary person myself who often presents masculine and different to the gender I was assigned at birth, I was excited to play a character who existed outside of the gender binary!

How will you approach building the relationship between the two of you?
Ryley: In order to build the relationship Billie and I have spent a fair bit of time in rehearsals just getting to know one another, sometimes that’s been the most random question like “what do you think of I Kissed A Girl season 2?” We’ve spent a lot of time in the room being silly goofy so that those playful moments in the play aren’t awkward or uncomfortable. Getting comfortable with eachother’s company and understand how the other operates has been fundamental to the development of our relationship - and the relationship shown on stage!

When you first read Kitty’s script, was there a specific line or habit of your character that made you think, "Oh, I know exactly who this person is"?

Ryley: I think Stevie’s second line in the play set me up with a pretty good understanding of exactly who they were. I won’t spoil it (you’ll have to get your tickets!) but it was clear that they are playful and just a little bit of a windup with a flare of dramatics and storytelling!

Billie: “he walked to her. he walked to her because he knew she loved walking and confessed his love-“ River’s appreciation for Mr Darcy is one I can relate to deeply.

How does it feel as an actor to play a character whose "queerness" is just the air they breathe, rather than the central "problem" of the plot?
Billie: Refreshing but unusual to me as in my life, my queerness is inherent to the plot…

Ryley: It’s really uplifting to play a character whos queerness is just a part of them and not an issue, or their entire being. I’ve been quite fortunate and have had the joy of playing a character written with that same authentic intention before. As I have grown as a person I’ve played with my queerness and self expression to work out what is the most me, within this characters the language they use is so natural

River and Stevie are very different personalities. How would you describe the "gravity" between them? Who is the anchor, and who is the kite?

Billie: I think they give a little of both… both have the capacity for absolute delusion & also for bringing the other down to Earth. as all good best friends can!

Ryley: I would say that Stevie is very much the kite in their relationship. They are a big dreamer with big ambitions, River is more grounded in the now and often seems a bit more realistic in expectations. Stevie is a bit more of a free spirit.

River brings a lot of the 'tender moments' to the story. How do you think you'll build the vulnerability without making them seem 'weak'?

Billie: oh id say they are weak: weak at the knees. Been neglecting leg day to keep in the naturalism of the piece, but its made walking up stairs hard.

Stevie seems to be the one really steering the ship (or the frying pan) through the emotional storm. Do you see their 'perfectionism' with the dinner as a way to avoid dealing with their actual feelings?
Ryley: I think for Stevie their perfectionism comes from a place of showing their love in the only way they really can. The act of designing a menu, organising the night and ensuring everything is exactly as it should be is a meticulous effort of showing how much they care for river. In their heart they think that it is probably unrequited but they can’t help but show it all the same.

If Stevie and River were to invite the audience over for an 'After-Show' dinner, what’s the one piece of advice they’d give about surviving a London breakup?
Billie: friends. steaks. dancing.

Ryley: You have to do what makes you happy. Life is far too short to remain in position where you’re miserable. You’re allowed to feel your feelings but know that if it’s meant to be it’ll be, and if not there will be someone else who comes along and brings your heart joy…. And then Stevie would probably try and download Hinge for them!

If you were hosting a Steak and Lesbians dinner party for real, what would be on your playlist playing in the background?

Ryley: Chappel Roan… Renee Rapp and Olivia Dean (the queers have definitely claimed her right?!)
Billie: sexy boy by air

If you could swap roles for just one night, which scene would you be most excited—and most terrified—to play from the other person's perspective?

Ryley: I think the scene I’d be most excited to play would probably be scene 2. River is simultaneously the most chilled out person in the world and the most dramatic tantrum thrower at the same time. There’s a lot of range for River in this scene in a way that is entirely different to how stevie would react to the same inconveniences and situations - it would be challenging but really enjoyable at the same time I think.

Billie: I don't think I could pull off Stevie’s steak monologue the way Riley does. They're just too good!

What was the first piece of theatre you remember having a big impact on you?

Billie: Les Misérables. it really taught me: never forgive never forget. Javert for life <3

Ryley: I got into theatre later than most and only really started seeing things that spoke to me as a queer person a few years ago. I think for me the piece that sticks out as being the most influential on me would be “And Then The Rodeo Burnt Down” by Xhloe and Natasha. I saw it at Edinbrugh Fringe in 2023 and i remember thinking about it for days. Suddenly I had a whole new understand of what theatre could be and seeing queer creatives doing this really amazing stuff was so inspiring to me. I’ve dreamed about doing something like that ever since.

What motivates you to tell stories like Steaks and Lesbians?

Billie: I always love to see trans/non-binary characters on stage/screen. These are the people that surround me in my life, that I love most in the world & so when I see them represented in stories it’s like seeing an old friend you haven’t seen in a while or returning home after a long holiday; showing up to the pub late & seeing all your friends laughing together before you join them. But also on a more serious note, it’s getting kinda scary out here right now. Storytelling is one of the most well developed tools we have for creating understanding and empathy and one we all have at our disposal. People aren’t naturally hateful, they often just haven’t had the chance to know you yet & allowing people to know us, letting people in, through story, play & fun is what motivates me in all aspects of my life.

Ryley: Growing up I never saw queer characters in theatre, much less ‘masc’ gender non conforming people. I grew up longing to play the male love interest in a rom com, and a part of me still wants that so deeply, but to be playing a role that for me felt like it never existed when I was in my teens is really heartwarming.

What would you hope someone takes away from seeing Steaks and Lesbians?
Ryley: I think Steaks and Lesbinas is so broad people could take so many different things away from it. But I guess i hope that queers in the audience can feel seen, and they look at their friendships they have and understand that queer friends are their chosen family.

Steak and Lesbians runs at The Lion and Unicorn Theatre as part of Camden Fringe from Sunday 16th - Thursday 20th August 2026. For tickets and more information visit https://www.thelionandunicorntheatre.com/whats-on