An anthology of five of the best plays from VAULT Festival 2023, London's leading festival of live performance.
Fanboy by Joe Sellman-Leava is a love-hate letter to pop culture and nostalgia. A five-star hit at the Edinburgh Fringe, it's the story of a thirty-something, self-confessed nerd - obsessed with Star Wars and Nintendo - asking why his generation can't let go of their childhoods.
Five Years with the White Man by Eloka Obi and Saul Boyer is a startling account of satirist ABC Merriman-Labor - the greatest Black Briton ever to have been forgotten - whose dreams of becoming the greatest writer of his generation lead him on a defiant journey from Sierra Leone to Edwardian London.
Honour-Bound by Zahra Jassi is a powerful solo show about family, anti-Blackness, and what we're willing to sacrifice for love. After Simran loses her friend to honour-based violence, she has to answer some life-changing questions: will she and her boyfriend be able to live safely ever after?
How We Begin by Elisabeth Lewerenz is a tender exploration of love, queerness and identity. Helen and Diana are perfect for each other: they've both got good degrees, busy jobs and nice flats. There's just one small problem - Diana's got a boyfriend.
I Fucked You in My Spaceship by Louis Emmitt-Stern is a razor-sharp comedy-drama about sex and relationships. Two couples each invite a stranger into their homes with the hope of sparking new life. Instead, they find themselves threatened by alienation, abduction and invasion...
About the Author: Joe Sellman-Leava is a writer and actor of Anglo-Indian heritage. His plays include: Fanboy (Edinburgh Fringe 2022, regional tour and Soho Theatre; VAULT Festival, London, 2023); Monster (Edinburgh Fringe 2017); and Labels (Edinburgh Fringe 2015 and tour). Both Monster and Labels had a limited run at The Wardrobe, Bristol, in 2020 and then again at the VAULT Festival, London, in 2020.
Eloka Obi is a London-based actor and writer. His plays include Five Years with the White Man (VAULT Festival, London, 2023).
Saul Boyer is a writer-performer. His plays include: Five Years with the White Man (VAULT Festival, London, 2023); and 'Jew...ish' (Edinburgh Fringe 2019 and Kings Head Theatre, London, 2020/2021).
Zahra Jassi is an actor, writer and theatremaker based in London. Her plays include Honour-Bound (VAULT Festival, London, 2023).
Elisabeth Lewerenz is a writer and editor. Her plays include How We Begin (VAULT Festival, London, 2023).
Louis Emmitt-Stern is a writer and director from Gibraltar based in London. His plays include: I Fucked You in My Spaceship (VAULT Festival, London, 2023); and Slippery (winner of the Tony Craze Award 2021).
