Plays from VAULT 6

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...

'A major London festival... showcasing new and rising talent' Independent on VAULT Festival

Blog Post: 'VAULT festival has always been such a vibrant exhibition of emerging voices in our national theatre ecology. The sheer energy, excitement, and progressive quality of the work makes it a bubbling cauldron of creativity. You feel that the spirit of fringe theatre is alive and well.' The authors of all five plays in the volume reflect on the inspiration for their plays, and what VAULT Festival means to them. Read on>>