Films

We are the Shaggs
They were ordinary teenage girls forced into a band by their father – and, through one gloriously unconventional album, became enduring icons of outsider art.

We are the Shaggs

• 1.00pm, Saturday 12th September, 2026

• 3.00pm, Sunday 13th September, 2026

The Factory Theatre

Dir: Ken Kwapis

Convinced by a prophecy that his daughters were destined for fame, Austin Wiggin pulled Dot, Betty and Helen out of school, handed them instruments they couldn’t play, and encouraged them to write songs without knowing how. After years of bewildering local audiences in rural New Hampshire, they recorded a single album, Philosophy of the World (1969), before quietly disappearing into ordinary life.

Decades later, the album was rediscovered and embraced by an unlikely fanbase that included Frank Zappa, Patti Smith, Kurt Cobain and generations of musicians captivated by its wildly out-of-sync rhythms, unconventional harmonies and complete disregard for musical convention.

Blending rare archival footage with warm, candid interviews with surviving Shaggs Dot and Betty, veteran filmmaker Ken Kwapis uncovers the extraordinary story behind The Shaggs – a band that never set out to change music, but ended up becoming one of its most unlikely cult legends.

Website by Shan

We are the Shaggs
They were ordinary teenage girls forced into a band by their father – and, through one gloriously unconventional album, became enduring icons of outsider art.

▣ BUY TICKETS – SAT

▣ BUY TICKETS – SUN

We are the Shaggs They were ordinary teenage girls forced into a band by their father – and, through one gloriously unconventional album, became enduring icons of outsider art.

▣ BUY TICKETS – SAT

▣ BUY TICKETS – SUN

We are the Shaggs
They were ordinary teenage girls forced into a band by their father – and, through one gloriously unconventional album, became enduring icons of outsider art.