Joe Sellman-Leava is doing double duty at this year’s VAULT Festival with two one-man shows. His multi award-winning Labels returns for one performance only on 28 January 2018 while his latest offering Monster makes its Vault premiere, transferring to London direct from a UK tour. Check out our picture galleries for both – and learn more about Joe’s inspiration for unleashing Monster.
Monster
This is a story about a girl. And a boy. Some of it’s true. And some if it isn’t. And I’m not going to tell you which.
Premiered at Edinburgh Fringe 2017, Monster is a dark but humorous exploration of gender and masculinity – with intimate storytelling at its heart. It looks at a young man’s struggle to make sense of love and anger.
With its examination of male attitudes towards women as well as the male role models celebrated in society, the play has gained new relevance since its Edinburgh debut in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal and recent sexual assault allegations against a string of other celebrities. Monster importantly sheds light on our perceptions of gender, violence and aggression.
Experimenting with form, Sellman-Leava’s performance includes a play-within-a-play, and a narrative split across multiple characters and timelines converging at the play’s climax. Playing with the very premise of presentation and performance, Monster features the words and personas of known figures including Mike Tyson and Patrick Stewart.
Labels
Worklight Theatre’s multi-award winning 2015 show is a funny, moving and honest story about mixed heritage and immigration. Labels uses comedy, storytelling and spoken word to chart a childhood in 1990’s Devon, in the shadow of shifting political landscapes and global refugee crisis. Using humour and honesty, it offers a human story from multicultural Britain and rails against society’s desire to put a label on everything and everyone. Expect paper planes, racist romances and lots of sticky labels.
Labels continues to tour nationally and internationally after two runs at the Edinburgh Fringe, Australian tour and London transfer. Its many accolades to date include a Scotsman Fringe First, Best Theatre at Adelaide Fringe and a Peace Foundation Award.
