by Beth Watson
How did Beth go from a childhood dreaming of The Wizard of Oz, to cringey Cruel Intentions-obsessed adolescence? From proudly identifying as a teenage lesbian, to discovering that boys are also appealing?
Beth’s real teenage diary is brought to life in vivid hilarity in Hasbian: a “simultaneously relatable and educational… unique insight on growing up queer in the 90s” (★★★★★ – A Young-ish Perspective). Original animations, inspired by teen magazines, feature an all-star 00’s fantasy cast (in cut-out form), as Beth’s BFFs and first crushes are re-imagined as “played by” the likes of Lindsay Lohan, Natasha Lyonne and Ashton Kutcher.
Dripping in equal measures with heartfelt earnestness, sharp irony, and humour that bubbles up in the place between youthful confidence and pubescent self-doubt, Hasbian delves behind the rollercoaster of teenage life, into the reality of growing up queer in Brighton (the UK’s Gay Capital) under Section 28 (1988-2003 law, prohibiting teaching “homosexuality as a pretended family relationship”). Set to a soundtrack of y2k pop classics (B*Witched, Destiny’s Child, S Club 7), and indie angst anthems (Placebo, Weezer, Garbage) Hasbian fills audiences with buzzy nostalgia, while exposing prejudice in the most liberal of cities.
From the creators of Queer Diary – the night where LGBTQIA+ adults read their real teenage diaries on stage.
All performances feature projected captioning, and artistically integrated Audio Description.
Recommended age: 16+ (parental discretion advised: plot includes sexual activity and alcohol consumption amongst teenagers 14-16)
Sensitive content: Whilst the tone of Hasbian is comedic, it is set in the late 90s/early 00s and contains truthful depictions of attitudes, language, and experiences of the time. This includes: descriptions of bullying with use of homophobic and biphobic language, sexually predatory/objectifying behaviour, and one description of an incident of physical violence. The show also makes critical reference to contemporary transphobia.
Reviews
“Simultaneously relatable and educational – Watson strikes an expert balance between including the cringeworthy teenage experience we all remember, and creating a unique insight into growing up queer in the 90’s… a story for our times” ★★★★★ A Young(ish) Perspective
“Skillfully integrates both audio description and surtitles… It’s a bit ‘Clarissa Explains It All’, if Clarissa was talking about having gay sex at sleepovers and seeing their Geography teacher in hot pants at Brighton Pride.” ★★★★ To Do List
“An incredibly funny, charismatic performer, who absolutely embraces the silliness of the piece, whilst bringing earnest truth throughout.” ★★★★ West End With Me
Tickets
£15 (£13 concession)
