Announcing the First Tour Dates for Hasbian
Hasbian is a comedy told through real teenage diary readings, about growing up queer in Brighton under Section 28. On tour in 2025, following a successful London run.
@Hasbianshow | queerdiary.org.uk/hasbian
Using true stories from a teenage diary kept by Beth Watson, Hasbian (noun: a former lesbian) is an autobiographical comedy about coming out as a lesbian, only to discover that boys are also appealing.
Created using Beth’s real diaries, nineties/noughties music, and animated projections of teen-movie actors from the era, Hasbian tells a story of growing up queer in Brighton under Section 28 (the 1988 – 2003 law prohibiting the “teaching of homosexuality as a pretended family relationship”).
Dripping in equal measures with heartfelt earnestness and sharp irony, Hasbian exposes prejudice in seemingly the most liberal of cities.
The creation of the show is inspired by the popular Queer Diary reading events hosted by Beth, where LGBTQIA+ adults are invited to read extracts from their teenage diaries to a live audience, in the spirit of celebration, solidarity and silliness.
Reviews for Hasbian in London, 2024
"Watson strikes an expert balance between including the cringeworthy teenage experience we all remember, and creating a unique insight into growing up queer in the 90’s... Hasbian feels very much like a story for our times" ★★★★★ - A Young(ish) Perspective
"Skillfully integrates both audio description and surtitles... It's a bit ‘Clarissa Explains It All’, if Clarissa was talking about having gay sex at sleepovers and seeing their Geography teacher in hot pants at Brighton Pride." ★★★★ - To Do List
"An incredibly funny, charismatic performer, who absolutely embraces the silliness of the piece, whilst bringing earnest truth throughout." ★★★★ - West End With Me
Beth Watson said: “Making Hasbian felt like a time-travelling collaboration with my teenage-self. Reading my old diary is like jumping back to the 00s (but with an adult perspective, to help unpick what was really going on).
Looking back to that era has been surprisingly joyful: Considering we weren’t allowed to be taught anything outside of heteronormativity, it’s affirming to see how clear it is that I was always Queer. There was nothing the government could do to stop me!
My coming-of-age years were unusual - growing up in Brighton, I got to see But I’m A Cheerleader at the cinema, and experimented with both girlfriends AND boyfriends (sometimes simultaneously). But despite a relatively liberated upbringing, Hasbian reveals adolescent angst that’s relatable for many people - when life doesn’t provide the happy-ever-after arc that teen movies sold us.
When I host Queer Diary nights, audiences often want to hear more of my weird (sometimes wild) teenage diary. It’s been a dream working with a team of incredible Queer creatives to create Hasbian. I hope this rollercoaster ride through 00s Brighton will bring laughs to Queer audiences across the country, as well as prompting a timely reflection on how important it is for young people to have proper access to inclusive education and positive cultural representation, reflecting all the identities and histories under the LGBTQIA+ rainbow.”
Beth Watson is the performer/writer of Hasbian, and the host of Queer Diary. Beth is also the founder of queer feminist theatre organisation Bechdel Theatre and co-host of Bechdel Theatre Podcast. Beth has performed for a decade in LGBTQIA-led work, as a drag king, performer, and poet, and recently contributed a chapter for TWENTY-EIGHT: Stories from the Section 28 Generation, published to commemorate the abolishment of the law.
Featured image credit: Joseph Lynn
