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Lowry, Salford hosts Second Trimester, a bold new performance by London‑based artist Krishna Istha, co‑created and performed with their mother Geetha Shankar and directed by Olivier‑nominated director Milli Bhatia. Arriving as part of SICK! Festival on Wednesday 27 and Thursday 28 May, following its world premiere at the Battersea Arts Centre in April.
Second Trimester explores multi‑generational pregnancy stories, queer family‑making and untold family histories in a cinematic, Bollywood‑inspired epic that brings two generations together on stage.
The anticipated second show in a trilogy of work, Second Trimester is an ambitious new work exploring multi-generational pregnancy stories and untold family histories. Co-created and performed by Istha and Shankar, a son and mother take to the stage to confront pregnancy, queer family-making, loss, gender and the weight of inherited memories in this cinematic, Bollywood-inspired epic family saga. Love triangles, missing people, a pregnant son. One stage. Two generations. Endless drama. Based on a true story, Second Trimester, ultimately asks: ‘How well can you ever really know your parents?’
The latest production is the follow up to First Trimester, the first performance in the trilogy of Istha’s work, which has been touring internationally since its world premiere at Battersea Arts Centre in 2023. Winner of the Judge’s Choice Award at the Dublin Fringe Festival in 2025, and nominated for an Off West End Awards (OFFIES) in 2024, it offers a rare opportunity to contribute to and witness queer family-making as Istha searches for the ‘perfect’ sperm donor. The works are testament to Krishna Istha’s portfolio in creating socially conscious, form-pushing works about underrepresented experiences of gender, race and sexual politics. As an artist, they work across performance, screenwriting, comedy and theatre making. Most recently, they wrote on Netflix’s Sex Education (Season 4, Episode 3) and were one of the comedians featured on the Netflix Special Hannah Gadsby’s Gender Agenda. Currently, Krishna has multiple original television series in development and is writing their first feature film for BBC Films.
Talking about Second Trimester, Krishna Istha said: ‘When I told my Mum that I wanted to carry a baby, I learnt that her reaction was driven by her own experiences of parenthood. She had held onto secrets in her life because no one was there to listen, and as an artist who finds theatre therapeutic, I proposed the two of us make a show together. I make art as a way to process my life, and I wanted to give her a place where she could tell her own story and feel heard.’ Adding to this, Geetha Shanker said: ‘I want to be part of this show because my journey with my trans son has become my greatest teacher and inspiration. It reminded me that becoming oneself is an act of extraordinary grace.’
Pelin Basaran, Creative Director at BAC, commented: ‘We’re very proud to produce and present Second Trimester by Krishna Istha at BAC, following the successful run of First Trimester. This work has been commissioned as part of Making Waves – a new national commissioning and touring project led by BAC. Through this project, we hope to share this extraordinary work with UK and international venues and invite audiences to join us in questioning myths around family-making, while giving Krishna and Geetha space to build and tell their own narratives on stage.’
A Making Waves Major Commission by Battersea Arts Centre. Made possible with funding by Arts Council England and Cockayne 10th Anniversary Grants for the Arts. Additionally Commissioned by Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts (ACCA), Cambridge Junction, Lowry, Marlborough Productions, SICK! Festival, Unlimited.
Second Trimester plays at The Lowry Salford Wednesday 27 – Thursday 28 May. Tickets are available here.
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