25.64°C When Pup Play: A Queer Pseudo-Lecture (of sorts) premiered at Colchester Fringe in October 2024, it quickly became one of the festival’s most talked-about productions. Since then, writer, director and performer Noah Alfred Pantano has taken the show, through Pants Off Productions, across the UK, Europe and the United States, collecting awards, raising money for LGBTQ+ charities and building an international reputation.
Now, Pants Off Productions returns to the festival where it all began, bringing Pup Play back to Colchester Fringe Summer Weekender with performances at Three Wise Monkeys Colchester on Friday 24 and Sunday 26 July.
Presented as a lecture by the fictional Professor Handler David, Pup Play initially appears to explore the queer kink of pup play. As the performance unfolds, it becomes something far more personal, blending comedy, original punk music, puppetry, audience participation and multimedia to explore queer identity, visibility and belonging.
Pantano says audiences shouldn’t let the title fool them.
“If you love and value what Fringe stands for, you will love Pup Play. It’s the quintessential Fringe experience. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll bark like a dog.”
Developed as part of Pantano’s Theatre Studies PhD at the University of Essex, the production has received multiple awards, toured internationally, and raised more than £1,000 for LGBTQ+ charities. It has appeared at festivals across Europe and the United States, including the Glasgow International Comedy Festival, the Baltic Fringe Network and the Darklands Festival.
Critics have praised the show’s originality and ambition. LouReviews described it as “one of the shows fringe theatre was made for”, while Broadway World wrote: “You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll bark like a dog. What more do you want?”
The production’s journey has not been without challenges. Pantano says performances have been met with homophobia in some locations, including posters being torn down, angry emails and death threats. Rather than discouraging him, he says those experiences strengthened his determination to continue touring the show and the conversations it encourages.
In an interview with FringeReview, Pantano said: “Pup Play is only provocative because my existence is provocative, because being queer is dangerous, and because being loud and queer can be a death sentence.”
Behind its deliberately provocative imagery, Pup Play is ultimately a show about identity, acceptance and visibility. Comedy gradually gives way to a more reflective exploration of prejudice, community, and the experiences of queer people, creating a production that aims to challenge audiences as much as it entertains them.
Whether you’re curious about the concept, interested in contemporary queer theatre, or simply looking to experience one of the more distinctive productions in this year’s Colchester Fringe Summer Weekender, Pup Play promises a Fringe show unlike any other.
Event Details
Venue: Three Wise Monkeys (Top Floor)
Friday 24 July – 8.30pm
Sunday 26 July – 7.30pm
Running time: 60 minutes
Tickets: £12
Tickets for Pup Play and the full Colchester Fringe Summer Weekender programme are available via the official festival website.
You can read the Keep Colchester Cool guide to the weekender here.
Photo credit Jonathan Dadds
