Joe has always been a nerd. In his teens, he hid it. In his twenties, he owned it. Now in his thirties, Joe’s started to sense something: a great disturbance in the fandom… Alone, sorting through his old things, Joe finds an old video tape, in an old VCR, long forgotten. He presses play – and something amazing starts to happen…
In this love-hate letter to pop culture and nostalgia, Joe Sellman-Leava (Fringe First, Labels) explores our relationship to our past and future selves, and asks why his generation is so obsessed with its childhood.
Combining epic storytelling, razor-sharp impressions and a dose of theatrical magic, Fanboy comes to VAULT Festival following critically acclaimed performances at Edinburgh Festival Fringe and Soho Theatre.
‘COMPLEX AND VERY MOVING.’
★★★★ Scotsman
‘WE’VE SEEN MANY ‘GEEK INSPIRED’ STAGE SHOWS, BUT THIS IS THE FINEST WE’VE SEEN.
★★★★★ Starburst Magazine
Worklight was founded in Exeter in 2011. We make theatre where the personal meets the political, and heads and hearts collide. Our first show, How to Start a Riot, received critical acclaim at Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2012, and won two awards during its national tour in 2013. Our second show I THINK I'M A FEMINIST, toured nationally in 2013 and 2014. In 2015, Worklight produced Joe Sellman-Leava's first solo show LABELS, which won several international theatre awards, including a Scotsman Fringe First, and toured across four continents from 2015 to 2019. Worklight's other shows include FIX, which was commissioned by Theatre Royal Stratford East, and MONSTER, which also toured internationally and won VAULT Festival's Show of the Week in 2018. Worklight most recently produced FANBOY, the latest collaboration between writer-performer Joe Sellman-Leava, and director Yaz Al-Shaater.
Press & Reviews
The Scotsman ★★★★ "Complex and very moving"
Starburst Magazine ★★★★★ "We've seen many geek-inspired shows, but this is the finest we've seen"
Three Weeks ★★★★★ "A must-see piece"
Darkchat ★★★★★ "Unmissable"
Broadway Baby ★★★★★ "A fascinating piece that is full of surprises"
The Wee Review ★★★★★ "Loving celebration of nerd culture belies a vital lesson for us all"
Cast & Creative Team Writer/Performer/Producer: JOE SELLMAN-LEAVA
Director: YAZ AL-SHAATER
Technical Designer: DYLAN HOWELLS
Dramaturg: LAUREN MOONEY
Assistant Director: HETTY HODGSON
Video and Sound Designer: YAZ AL-SHAATER
Outside Eyes: EMMA LOUISE-HOWELL; JAMES ROWLAND; CALLUM ELLIOTT ARCHER
Design Consultant: CHARLOTTE ANDERSON
Production Image: BEN BORLEY
Graphic Design: JASON HOWELLS