Black Faggot

It’s not easy being young, gay and Samoan – especially when God and your mother are watching.

Black Faggot, the runaway theatrical hit of the Auckland and Melbourne Fringe Festivals, makes its UK debut at Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August 2014 after sold-out seasons and rave reviews in New Zealand and Australia.

Black Faggot is award-winning Kiwi/Scottish/Samoan playwright Victor Rodger’s response to the debate over New Zealand’s same-sex marriage bill, which became law in 2013. Victor saw young people marching in a Destiny Church rally against gay marriage and thought, “at least one of those kids will be gay and feeling quite wretched about himself.”

The result is a series of funny and poignant monologues grappling with the challenges faced by young, gay men growing up in Auckland’s immigrant Polynesian communities. A parade of colourful characters collide in raw, emotional and outrageous situations: the “undercover brother” desperate to prove he’s straight; a pious teenager trying to “pray the gay away”; an island mama whose beloved son turns out to be queer; a macho dad trying to butch up his prissy son with boxing lessons; and a tough Samoan homo who’s out, proud and in your face.

Winner of five awards at Auckland Fringe and two at Melbourne Fringe, Black Faggot also performed to full houses at Brisbane’s World Theatre Festival and at the New Zealand Festival in Wellington. The show is featured in the New Zealand season at Edinburgh 2014. 

Black Faggot is part of NZ at Edinburgh 2014. More than 200 New Zealand artists will come to Edinburgh this August. Never before has such a large group of leading New Zealand actors, dancers, musicians, writers, Maori performing artists, spoken word and visual artists  been invited to perform  at the Edinburgh Festivals.

Included in the season are internationally acclaimed director Lemi Ponifasio and his company MAU; Auckland Theatre Company; composer Gareth Farr; Pasifika theatre group Kila Kokonut Krew; pianist Michael Houstoun; Te Matatini’s national kapa haka champions; dance company Black Grace; author Witi Ihimaera and many more.
Venue:  Assembly Roxy, Upstairs, 2 Roxburgh Place, EH8 9SU

Dates: 31 July – 25 August.