Beth Watson’s real teenage diary comes to life in the Groovy Chick-style animated world of Hasbian: A queer coming-of-age comedy set to a soundtrack of y2k pop classics (S Club, B*Witched, Destiny’s Child) and indie angst anthems (Placebo, Weezer, Garbage)
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?
Using animated magazine cut-outs of iconic teen movie stars, an all-star 00’s fantasy cast steps in to “play” Beth’s friends (and crushes), who are re-imagined as the likes of Lindsay Lohan, Natasha Lyonne and Ashton Kutcher. Hasbian tells the true story 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”).
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 fills audiences with buzzy nostalgia, while exposing queerphobia in the most liberal of cities.
From the creators of Queer Diary –the night where LGBTQIA+ adults read their real teenage diaries on stage. With original animated projections by Edalia Day.
All performances feature projected captions, and artistically integrated Audio Description created with AD consultants Quiplash, and Dramaturg Koko Brown. Supported by Arts Council England.
