The next interview in our stagey chat series is with Ben Fensome. Ben is the writer of BUFF, an entertaining yet poignant play, which starts its UK tour from 30th April in Birmingham. You can book tickets here.

Get yourself comfy and join us for the next segment of Stagey Chat!

Hi Ben, how are you doing today? Thanks so much for chatting to Stage to Page! Would you mind introducing yourself to our readers and telling us how you first got into the theatre industry?

Hello! I’m doing great, thank you for chatting to me! My name is Ben, I’m an actor, writer (and part-time content creator) and I’ve been a struggling artiste in the industry for 15 years. I first got into theatre by wanting to act and being drawn to tell stories in front of an audience. I went to drama school, and at the same time started to write plays, eventually doing a Masters in play and screenwriting.

Your one-person play, BUFF, starts its UK tour from 30th April at the Old Joint Stock in Birmingham. Can you tell us more about the one-person show?

BUFF arose out of a conversation Scott Le Crass, the director, and I had about contemporary LGBTQ theatre and generally what that looks like, specifically, whose stories are predominantly told, who gets cast, how they are marketed etc. We were interested in exploring a character who we don’t often see at the centre. BUFF then, is all about a plus-sized gay primary school teacher who has just left a 6-year relationship and is navigating newly single life. He sublets his flat to social media fitness influencer Jamie, and over the course of the play, as dating mishaps and humiliations grow (as well as his feelings toward Jamie), our protagonist not only faces harsh toxicity from the dating scene, but also has to come to terms with the prejudices and judgements within himself. The play ultimately is about self acceptance (and is very funny too!).

The show returns to the stage after a successful run at Edinburgh Fringe in 2023. Have you made any changes to the show?

There are no major changes to the script, however... with each iteration of the show, the actor is, of course, integral to bringing the character to life and making it their own. We have encouraged each actor in rehearsal to feel free to add or naturalise dialogue to suit their dialect or heritage. With Jamal Franklin, our first actor of colour to portray the role, I am really looking forward to seeing how that influences the play, and what that potentially adds to the themes and issues of the story.

What inspired you to write such a powerful show about self-acceptance within the LBGTQIA+ community?

Aside from wanting to write a story I hadn’t seen onstage before, I think part of it was exploring things that I was working on within myself at the time. There are, I’m ashamed to say, certain periods in my life where I have been a “Judgey Jason” about other people in the Queer community, and it’s after a loving yet direct callout from a friend that you realise projection is a real thing. Whether it’s internalised homophobia, body image issues, or shame in general, it can be hard to be kind to ourselves. However, with hostile attitudes continually on the rise towards us, it is becoming increasingly important to be there for each other. And that starts by being there for yourself with all your quirks, idiosyncrasies, and facets as a human being.

My blog is called Stage to Page. But if you could turn any book, from page to stage, what would it b and why?

This is a great question! I recently adapted Treasure Island for the stage and I would love the opportunity to adapt a classic novel again. There is a non-fiction book however, which I think would make an incredible play and that is The Buried Book by David Damrosch which is all about the discovery of the Epic of Gilgamesh: the very first story we have “written down” 4000 years ago (which incidentally includes a love story between two men). I have a feeling that Elif Shafak has beaten me to the punch with her newest novel (There are Rivers in the Sky) which I haven’t read yet but which apparently deals with the same subject matter so I may have missed the mark there!

And finally, why should people book tickets to BUFF?

If you want to see a one man tour de force performance you’ll find it from the phenomenally talented Jamal Franklin! You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, go book!

You can book tickets to BUFF, here.

**photo credit: Andrew Butler**