Grant Gibbs and Ashley Gill have crafted their stage show based on their friendship
in high school
RICH LOPEZ | Staff writer
Rich@DallasVoice.com
If you’re hard pressed to “name a more iconic duo,” A Twink and a Redhead have done it for you. Grant Gibbs and Ashley Gill have turned their longtime friendship and their chops for comedy and music into the queer sensation through social media. With tongue-in-cheek sarcasm and humor, the two have carved their own path since 2022 building a following of queer fans and garnering attention by Rolling Stone, the Democratic National Party and the Queerties.
But don’t write this duo off as a viral sensation. The two have had their sights set on entertaining the masses since their friendship blossomed in school. And the two have stepped it up beyond their TikTok and YouTube audience.
Gibbs and Gill’s comedy sitcom Mo’ Waffles premiered on Tubi in December. On March 25 — Wednesday — at The Texas Theatre the two will launch their first-ever tour here in Dallas.
Ahead of their appearance, Gibbs and Gill talked about their new tour and being ready as they level up; plus, they are super curious about Dallas.
Dallas Voice: This is a big time for A Twink and a Redhead. You have a new TV show and are kicking off your first tour — congratulations on the success. The tour starts here in Dallas; are you feeling any nerves about that? Grant Gibbs: It was a little spooky when we heard that Dallas would be the first city; I think it’s because we both are just so unfamiliar with Texas in general. We’re from New Jersey and have only done shows in New York. So, yeah, a Texas show. I’m like, “Oh my god, do people even care?” But it’s exciting.
And I am excited to show this show to a new audience in a different area — and areas that might need it.
Gill: I’m really Texas curious lately because I think James Talarico is very hot, so I’m curious what’s going on down there.
A hot guy is always a good reason to be curious. We have a big queer-forward community here, so I think Dallas will be welcoming you guys with open arms. Gibbs: I used to go there like once a year, but it was like for two days at a time for a cheer event because the NCA has this giant competition there. So that’s all I know. But I’m excited to see the queer community.
You’ll be in a cool theater which is very historic but also has been very inclusive to the community as well. Gill: Is it true that Lee Harvey Oswald went there after — someone commented that on Instagram, and I didn’t know if it was true. Oh my god. I’m going to really feel his presence that evening. We’re going to feel Lee in the building. Wow. He’s going to love the show. He’s going to be a huge fan.
What do you think is fueling all this at the moment? Gibbs: I don’t know. It is interesting to look back at a bunch of random things we’ve done or like, literally last week we were at the Queerties with Jinkx Monsoon, which was so insane. But then it really does sometimes feel like, okay, on to the next thing. We got home and went right into rehearsals, and I’ve just been doing tour stuff. It is cool. I feel like I sometimes struggle with being present in our successes.
How do you describe the show? Gibbs: The show is semi-autobiographical so it is surreal to think about this moment we met in 6th grade and bringing that to cities around the country. It is really surreal. Our show is basically a musical, and we’ve inserted our songs into this loosely true story — about our upbringing together and how we met. We would have never thought like 10 years later from high school, we’d be performing a stage show across the country kind of about these events from high school.
Did you both dream of entertaining audiences back when you first met? Gill: I think we did. We just didn’t necessarily see the path to it so clearly. We were always performing for our friends in high school and making short films, and I think it’s something we bonded over at a young age. We didn’t necessarily think we’re gonna make this 10-minute short film, and the next stop’s Hollywood. But I think it was always in the back of our mind — but just, how are we going to get there?
Gibbs: I’ve always had a layer of delusion. Like, I always wanted to act or make videos and entertain people. With Ashley, we became a duo in high school doing those things for our friends or whatever. But I think we always had aspirations,
You’ve been together for so long as friends. Is your dynamic the same on stage as it is off stage? Gibbs: In the show, our characters are definitely conflated because it’s a coming-of-age story, and we both are outcasts that like to find each other. My character is a closeted gay guy in high school, and he struggles with his sexuality, and the people at school like making fun of him for just being gay before he even really knows what that means.
Gill: In high school, I just wanted to fit in really badly. I think that’s where me and Grant really became bonded. I think the foundation of the story we’re trying to tell is like, two kids that want to fit in, and they don’t really know how, and then they realize the best thing you can do for yourself is to just forget about all of that and just be true to yourself. And that’s when you’ll become a star. Yeah, and that’s when the people who matter will stick with you.
When did you know you really locked into something that was resonating with people? Gibbs: That’s the funny thing, especially with the song, “A Twink and a Redhead” and the lyrics “name a more iconic duo.” That’s the core of our comedy when we were coming up with the show, because you could probably name any other duo and it would be more iconic than us. But then that really resonated, and people would tell us, “You literally remind me of me and my best friend, me and my gay friend or me and my girl.” It’s that kind of duo that does really transcend space. For me that’s when I was like, oh wow, like, people actually found “A Twink and a Redhead.”
OK, now, what’s some behind-the-scenes tea? Do you two ever completely disagree on things? Gill: Grant’s a real asshole behind the scenes — actually, the bitch of either of us. There’s layers to our relationship now, but we’ve been able to navigate it all pretty well, like being friends, business partners, creative collaborators. Every good relationship needs awkward conversations, and we have those. But we’ve never really scrapped at each other.
I’ve known people that work with friends or family, and it gets really toxic, and I’m, like, oh my god, we are so healthy. We also just know each other. I also think we both have come from like bigger families and have a lot of siblings, so we’re used to just like navigating people’s emotions.
What are you looking forward to about connecting with fans across the country? Gibbs: I think we fostered, like, such a community that is, like, just in on it, and they know what’s going on, and they even egg on our jokes. So I’m excited to see who these people are and how crazy they are, because I know we’re crazy and we attract that. I think people will be really gagged at the show. We know, we’re not serious pop stars; there’s a layer of satire to it all. Well, this is a full-blown Broadway-like show with choreography and songs mixed with comedy and a story that connects it all.
Gill: People are really shocked when the first thing they see is a dancer come out and do an aerial, and they’re, like, “What did I buy a ticket to?” So I’m excited to get that live reaction.
How far do “Twink” and “Redhead” extend into your personal life? Gibbs: I like to rot on my couch and watch Disney Park vloggers and play Fortnite. I’m in, like, a sketch group, and these people have become like my best friends in Brooklyn. So I hang out with them. But I mean, this is our job, and it’s fun that you get to do it with your friend.
Gill: I just kind of rot and recharge so I can perform. I watch a lot of Bravo, and I like to read the occasional fantasy smut novel. Both of us are single at the moment and looking. So I’m curious to see what the men are like in Texas. Maybe that’s where my man is. Oh, the men in New York are crazy. And honestly, being gay famous has made dating really hard. And I don’t know if straight men understand what I’m doing.
For tickets, visit Spune.com.