Fringe-first award winner Joe Sellman-Leava (Labels, Monster) explores our relationship with our past and future selves, in Fanboy, this love-hate letter to pop culture and nostalgia. Expect epic storytelling, razor-sharp impressions and a dose of theatrical magic in this world premiere!
Joe has always been a nerd. In his teens, he hid it. In his twenties, he owned it. Now in his thirties, Joe is still obsessed with Nintendo, Star Wars and A Muppets Christmas Carol. But he’s started to notice something about the way certain fans are behaving. Something unsettling, which is making him question things he was always sure about. When Joe finds himself alone, in his old room, sorting through his old things, he finds an old video tape. He dusts off the VCR, presses play…and something incredible starts to happen!
Fanboy doesn’t just question our love for superheroes; it also considers fandom of political figures and the protectionism that can build around certain icons and the language and responses that are then generated online. With director Yaz Al Shaater (Dead Reckoning, Young Vic; Boris: World King, Trafalgar Studios), Sellman Leava asks us to consider the very nature of fandom and what happens to our childhood obsessions over time, how we can sometimes feel safer in our childhood memories, hiding from the world. This innovative, multi-disciplinary show examines loneliness, mental health, and how men often use pop-culture and fandom to form connections and process emotions.
Writer and performer Joe Sellman-Leava comments, While Fanboy is a show about my relationship with pop-culture, nostalgia and the joys of being a nerd, it’s also about our relationship with our past selves. It’s about love and hate, hope and fear, friendship and heartbreak – so I think there’s something in here for everyone! Fanboy is my third solo show, and my most ambitious to date. It’s also my second collaboration with director Yaz Al-Shaater and (without wishing to spoil anything!) we’re particularly excited about its technical design and video elements, drawing on Yaz’s experience as a filmmaker.
