Philadelphia, PA – Inis Nua Theatre presents the American Premiere of FINDING FASSBENDER, a solo show by actor turned playwright Lydia Larson. When Eve gets a promotion, she moves to London in the hopes of having a glamorous big city life. But soon she discovers that being one in 9 million can be pretty lonely. Feeling at her lowest, a lifeline comes to Eve in the form of a letter for her apartment’s former tenant – Hollywood actor Michael Fassbender.
Now all Eve has to do is return this letter to the rightful owner! The production will be directed by Barrymore Award-nominated director and Inis Nua Founder and Artistic Director Tom Reing. Previews begin Wednesday, February 9, with opening night on Friday, February 11. The show runs through February 27, 2022, for a total of 15 performances. All performances will take place at the Louis Bluver Theatre at the Drake, 302 South Hicks Street. Tickets are $15 - $30.
FINDING FASSBENDER first premiered in 2018 as part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe at the Pleasance Courtyard. Though a frequent performer at the Fringe, Larson made her debut as a playwright with FINDING FASSBENER in addition to performing the sole role. In 2019, it had a spot in the London VAULT Festival, again helmed by original director Blythe Stewart and starring Larson. Inis Nua is delighted to bring FINDING FASSBENDER to Philadelphia. Fans of our 2021 Virtual production HOW TO BE BRAVE will love this wild and joyful new play, performed live and in-person.
Reviews for the previous production have credited the play for its warmth and humor. Describing the 2018 Edinburgh Fringe production as “a royal gem of a show,” The Wee Review shares that “with a consistently funny script the audience is happy to be taken on the adventure.” Exeunt praises the script saying, “writing is at its strongest when she allows it to go on flights of fantasy, as Eve concocts outlandish identities on the fly in her pursuit of Fassbender,” adding that the monologue is “keenly observed and very funny.” In Broadway Baby, the play was proclaimed “warmly recommended viewing,” in which “a very special story made so by its genuineness and honesty.” Funny Women says, “if you’ve ever found yourself feeling lost and alone in a big city, you’re in for an hour of astonishingly relatable storytelling.”
Loosely based on real events in Larson’s life, FINDING FASSBENDER tells the story of 31-year-old Eve. When she is offered a promotion, Eve uproots from a comfortable life in her small West Midlands borough of Wolverhampton to try her luck in the English Capital. A "Wulfrunian" at heart, she is unsure if she has what it takes to keep up with the “Londoners.” As she searches to fit in with her new coworkers, she receives an unsuspecting piece of junk mail for Irish Oscar and BAFTA Award Nominated film actor Michael Fassbender, starting her on a journey to make new connections with herself and with the world around her. Eve sets out to return the mail to her humble flat’s now-famous former tenant. It’s the neighborly thing to do! Along the way she attempts to find what she and Michael have in common—besides an address. She sleuths to learn what she can about him and tries out his hobbies and personality for herself. Eve begins to wonder if the “bigness” and “smallness” of people and places are quite so far apart as she once thought. FINDING FASSBENDER invites audiences to relate to uncertainty in one’s place in the world, struggling with the pull of the big city, and feelings of isolation even when we are not really alone. While a touching journey of self-discovery, FINDING FASSBENDER also brings a lot of laughs. The production poses a particular challenge to its sole actress as she portrays the more than 20 different characters she encounters and imagines on her mission, including a cameo by Fassbender himself.
Founder and Artistic Director Tom Reing is excited that Inis Nua is presenting this play as an American Premiere, saying, “This play is joyous and funny. I think this is a great play for us at this time.” Reflecting on how this production fits into the company’s season which began with October’s Irish comedy A HOLY SHOW and will conclude in April with FOLK, a play with music, Reing says, “when I chose this season, I chose plays that would make us laugh and feel good about humanity; Finding Fassbender definitely does both!" He is also excited to bring a piece form from Wolverhampton. “The first part of the play happens in ‘Black Country,’” Reing explains, “A part of England that Americans don’t often think about, let alone watch a play by a native author.”