Ania (they/them) is a queer and trans performer, director, theatre maker, teaching artist and clown.

A graduate of the Dell’Arte International School of Physical Theatre (Professional Training Program), Ania’s recent work celebrates LGBTQIA+ artists with a focus on gender diversity. Ania frequently creates work under their company Butch Mermaid Productions (BMP), most recently premiering a new solo show in drag, The Tea, in Philly Fringe 2023. Under BMP they also wrote and performed in Antonio! in 2023, a new punk pirate musical about Shakespeare’s queerest character. Antonio! premiered in NYC at The Tank and went on to Edinburgh Fringe, garnering four and five star reviews. Other BMP shows include Too Much Hair, a musical cabaret about gender euphoria (2022), Into the Bush, a queer circus-theatre project (2021), Proud Voices, an audio festival that played internationally in three major cities (2020, 2021) and Transhumance, Ania’s solo clown show about the experience of being transgender (2019). 

Outside of BMP, in 2023 they performed in War and Play, a clown show about the war in Ukraine in the Criminal Queerness Festival by National Queer Theater, as well as devising and performing in Today’s Mess, a clown show about diversity, at Nancy Manocherian’s the cell theater Off-Off-Broadway. Other projects include producing a drag installation in the Auckland Botanic Gardens (2022) and directing and directing Queer ballet Sapphic Lake (2021). Performance credits include In Many Hands (Brooklyn Academy of Music); Thou Shalt Not (Thinkery & Verse); and R+J: A Genderqueer/Female Reimagination (Hypokrit Productions).

Ania has toured to Palestine with Clowns Without Borders USA, and have taught clown internationally. Ania has also performed clown and drag acts at venues in New York City including House of Yes, The Duplex and The Tank. As a teaching artist they work for Lincoln Center Theatre, New York Theater Workshop, Theater of the Oppressed NYC, Opening Act and New Victory Theater.

‘Ania Upstill’s tragicomic Mercutio, whose “Queen Mab” monologue was as haunting as the rest of their performance was mercurial, was especially fun to watch.’ - Into More

SELECT RECENT CREDITS

2023

The Tea. Creator and Performer. Philly Fringe 2023.

Antonio! Writer and Performer. The Tank.

War and Play. Performer/Clown. Criminal Queerness Festival.

Today’s Mess. Devisor and Performer. the cell

2022

Transhumance. Performer. Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Too Much Hair. Co-creator and Performer. BATS Theatre.

2021

Sapphic Lake. Co-Creator and Director. BATS Theatre.

Once: The Musical. Reza (Cello). The Court Theatre.

Into the Bush. Writer and Director. TAPAC Auckland.

2020

Decameron 2020. Voice Actor. Thinkery & Verse.

Transhumance.* Solo. Butch Mermaid Productions.
*Weekly Award Winner for Best Circus and Physical Theatre, Adelaide Fringe Festival 2020

2019
In Many Hands. Table Captain. BAM Next Wave Festival.

Palestine Tours 2019. Clown. Clowns without Borders USA.

Cirquedelique. Steve (Clown). Eris Revolution.

2018

Romeo and Juliet. Mercutio/Paris/ Apothecary. Hypokrit Productions.

Trans Voices Cabaret. Singer. The Duplex.

Piesexual. Clown/Co-creator. The Tank’s Pride Fest.