Hasbian

Hasbian (noun): A former lesbian who has “become” bisexual or heterosexual.

An autobiographical comedy about coming out as a lesbian, only to discover that boys are also appealing.

Hasbian uses real teenage diaries, music, and teen-movie actors from the early 00s to tell a story of growing up queer in Brighton (the UK’s Gay Capital) under Section 28 (the 1988 – 2003 law prohibiting the “teaching of 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-loathing, Hasbian will fill Millennial audiences with buzzy nostalgia, while exposing queerphobia in the most liberal of cities.

Access: All performances of Hasbian are relaxed (audiences are free to come-and-go, and move about), contain audio description which has been creatively integrated as part of the show (created in consultation with Quiplash), and feature projected captioning.

Writer/performer: Beth Watson

Creative producer: Josephine Shipp

Along with Hasbian we often produce Queer Diary community events which invite LGBTQIA+ adults to share their own teenage diaries and memories.

Get a flavour of the show:

Listen to the Hasbian playlist on Spotify.

Listen to Beth talking Hasbian & reading an early extract on The Coming Out Tapes podcast in 2019.

Follow @HasbianShow on social media:

Instagram | Twitter | Facebook

“Excellent, genuine rapport with the audience.

Honest and highly personal experience of growing up LGBTQ+”

“Visually superb. A Pandora's box of delightful personal gems.”

- Audience responses

Beth stands on a black stage, holding a blue notebook and talking into a microphone with an excited expression. Beth is a short white person with dark hair in a high ponytail, wearing blue checked shorts-style dungarees, a white t-shirt and red Doc Marten boots. At the back of the stage is a projection split into 3 jagged-edged irregular shapes, showing a picture of the rock band Placebo playing a gig against swirling lights. There is also a white stage block, about the right size to sit 2 people bench-style.

Beth stands on a black stage, behind a plinth, making an aggressive expression with teeth bared, and gesticulating as though giving a political speech. Beth is a short white person wearing blue checked dungarees, and a white t-shirt. On the wall behind Beth is a projection split into 3 jagged-edged irregular shapes, showing the face of Margaret Thatcher with a skull outline visible, and glowing, flaming eyes. Instead of hands, she has talons like a giant bird of prey.

Hasbian was developed with support from:

Image credits:

Promo photo by Holly Revell.

First 2 production stills from video of 2021 sharing at CPT, directed by Chloe Kennedy, filmed by Kristina Pringle & Milo Hutchings, featuring projections by Edalia Day, lighting by Harvey Nowak-Green, and dungarees by The Emperor's Old Clothes.

3rd performance photo by Candice Liebeck, from a 2022 performance at Pleasance, directed by Chloe Kennedy, with set design by Christianna Mason, projections by Edalia Day, and lighting by Amelia Hawkes.