Pup Play: A Queer Pseudo-Lecture (of sorts), Barons Court Theatre
We cointinue our quest to publish 100 Camden Fringe Interviews with Noah Pantano telling us all about Pup Play: A Queer Pseudo-Lecture (of sorts). It’s certainly an eye opening chat, and we should probably give a warning here that this one does contain some references to sexual acts, so don’t read on if you’re easily offended! But come on, it’s Camden Fringe, if you didn’t want to be pushed a little, you wouldn’t be here now would you?
Pup Play: A Queer Pseudo-Lecture (of sorts) is a controversial, provocative, hilarious, and surprisingly introspective journey into queer fetish subculture featuring gay sex, erotic punk musical numbers, homonormative puppets, audience participation, fake bodily fluids, and more fun educational content.
And you know you want to know more now don’t you, so read on to hear just what Noah has to say.
Pup Play is at Barons Court Theatre from Tuesday 12 to Saturday 16 August. Further information and tickets available here.
You can find all our Camden Fringe interviews here. We will be publishing new interviews every day in July so do keep checking back.
What can audiences expect from the show?
Pup Play is an award-winning show that has toured worldwide to rave reviews. Fringes around the world often invite the world’s leading lecturers to give talks on the issues that matter. Now, Professor Handler David will give a talk on how to put your submissive into a puppy headspace in this comedy (of sorts).
Pup Play begins as a humorous lecture before morphing into entirely different genres featuring punk music, puppets, fake bodily fluids, storytelling, and multimedia visuals. Pup Play is about subverting expectations around the BDSM community and is an unapologetic introspective look into modern queer sexuality. Whatever you think Pup Play is, expect the opposite. As one reviewer from Can’t Stand Sitting wrote: “Brutal queer rage has never been more necessary.” The show has raised over £1000 (so far) for LGBTQ+ charities across the world.
So Camden Fringe is not going to be the play’s debut. Where else have you been?
Pup Play has toured to Antwerp, Gothenburg, Manchester, Orlando, Tampa, Glasgow and more. At each place, we’ve donated profits to a local LGBTQ+ charity. By performing at Camden, we hope to continue our charitable and educational mission.
What was your inspiration behind the show?
The play’s inspiration comes from a mixture of personal experience, dozens of interviews conducted during my PhD, and an emotionally impactful fisting experience we cannot go into EXPLICIT detail over here (but you can find out seeing the show.)
How long have you been working on the play?
3 years! The play is part of my PhD Theatre Studies (Playwriting) at the University of Essex. This play has an entire dissertation of queer studies and interviews behind it’s silliness and strange premise.
Is this version how you originally envisioned it or has it changed drastically since you first put pen to paper?
The show was originally a linear story about a stray pup joining a pack. Stray was an audience surrogate whom the pack explained pup play onto. This draft was never fully formed. I realized that story could not explore the show’s themes with the needed complexity. The show transitioned to a “lecture” (of sorts) to better address the audience, themes, and give the script flexibility to be weird and different. I later transformed into a solo show since everyone was too scared to be in it before the initial performance.
What was it that drew you to this show and role?
It was a story I needed to tell to figure out my own identity, to assert that, and to do good. Pup Play has transformed myself as an artist to take larger risks, be bold, and fight for my community.
What is it about your character that you most enjoy?
They’re the best version of myself, who I hope to become. Many people mistake the show for being auto-biographical, which it is not entirely. Professor Handler David draws on many parts of myself but Professor Handler David is his own unique messy person. Doing the show for both David and myself is an affirmation of our identity which we share many aspects of and go through the triumphs and lows of every performance. It’s a cyclical process to reaffirm who we are and want to be.
How challenging has this role been for you?
It is undoubtedly the hardest role I’ve ever done. It’s scary, exhausting, and vulnerable, yet necessary. So many people have told me, constantly, not to do this show, out of fear, hate, and uncertainty. Only now after all the good that has come from it have people responded different. I do believe it to be a show which helps others and guides them towards discovering hope. Both straights and LGBTQ+ people have come up saying how much its emotionally impacted them. To get to that point though, I have to completely and utterly tear myself apart and put it back together every performance. It hurts to do this show, yet it is healing. I just have to remind myself before every show why I’m doing this and that I am, in fact, a good boy.
Being a fringe festival, we all know sets have to be bare minimum, how have you got around this with your set and props?
There’s me, my puppets, a few outfits, and a kennel. It all fits in a suitcase! (Excluding the kennel which I buy off facebook marketplace before each location). They ask me what kind of dog I have and have to make up one.
How important is audience interaction to you?
The show is a lecture (of sorts), as such, there is a lot of audience participation. Puppets, fake cum, robot questions, and balls thrown to name a few. My professor describes the show as holding the audience’s hand. It will surprise, shock, make them uncomfortable, but ultimately, will take them to see the other side of it all. It’s not for the faint of heart, but those willing to participate and listen will leave truly having learnt something.
Are there any plans for what comes next after the show has finished its run– for you or the show?
We’re touring to Gothenburg after Camden! Before Camden, Manchester (July) and Tampa (June). After Gothenburg, I am working on a new play called Beating (Off) Superheroes which should premiere at Colchester Fringe in October. From there, I should be graduating with my PhD and anything is possible. Maybe tour more? Maybe get a real job? Maybe a new show? Anything is possible!
If you had to describe your show as a colour what would it be, and why?
A big bright red, like the bone of the pride flag. Red represents love, rage, and integrity all of which are important themes of the show.
If your show had a soundtrack, what songs would definitely be on it, and why?
Some really loud gay punk songs. Put some “Queer as in Fuck You” by Dog Park Dissidents.
If you could perform this show anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?
I’ve used Pup Play as my excuse to travel the world some. Often, I’m just looking for wherever looks fun. Berlin is a big one as well as California. Though in a serious note, I guess wherever I cannot perform the show. Places that would protest, hate crime, and fight back against the show’s existence. That’s where it most matters for this to be done. Anywhere I can perform and give somebody comfort in their identity is worth performing within.
What’s the most valuable piece of advice you’ve received during your career, and how has it influenced your work on this show?
If you’re not scared to write it, it’s not worth writing. If you’re not scared to perform it, it’s not worth performing. Scared means you care and it needs to be told. Pup Play is scary as hell to perform, so hence, it must be done.
What words of advice/encouragement would you give anyone thinking about doing Camden Fringe next year?
The same thing I just wrote above: if it doesn’t scare you, it’s not worth writing. Your work should be honest, empathetic, and true, and if it is those things you will feel scared and you must then dare to say it anyway.
Is there a question missing that you feel we should be asking you?
Who’s a good boy? (Answer: me)
Our thanks to Noah for a very honest chat! You can catch Pup Play when it plays at Barons Court Theatre as part of Camden Fringe from Tuesday 12 to Saturday 16 August.
You can also read more about Noah and his work on Pants Off website here.
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