VAPISTS willl arrive at the Lantern Theatre this May —for the Annual Brighton Fringe-and its sharp, confessional and deliberately uncomfortable in the best possible way.
Written by RADA alumni Andrew King and staged by I Have Company, VAPISTS! plays at the Lantern Theatre from 1 May 2026, with performances on 1, 2, 3, 8 and 10 May. All shows start at 11pm.
The Story
Two young London brokers. A system hiatus. An extended conversation that becomes something neither of them expected.
VAPISTS! centres on the box-fresh friendship between a closeted transwoman — too frightened to be herself in the workplace — and a wonder boy who leaves his sexuality out of the equation entirely. Over the course of the play, they scope each other out, share skills and end up in a sauna called Torso’s.
Confessional, witty and deliberately twisted, the play draws on autobiography from both characters’ perspectives. Satirically severe and platonically penetrating — as the press release puts it — this is comedy that earns its laughs through discomfort.
The Creative Team
Andrew King — writer and performer. RADA alumni with previous credits including 4-star collaborations at Edinburgh Fringe, a debut at the RSC’s Dell, and satirical work at The Donmar Warehouse and Hackney Empire. King portrays Graham — a manipulative, vibrant, aged-down interpretation of his own enigmatic character.
Sascha Cooper plays Matt — bringing extensive theatre and screen experience to what she describes as her greatest challenge to date.
VAPISTS! Brighton Fringe 2026: What Makes It Different
VAPISTS! Brighton Fringe 2026 is not a typical Fringe comedy.
The late-night slot — 11pm across all five performances — is deliberate. This is a show that suits the hour. Unguarded, edgy and operating in the space between satire and confession, it arrives when the audience is ready to sit with something genuinely uncomfortable.
The experimental casting is central to the production. King plays Graham aged down — a conscious choice that shifts the dynamic between the two characters and adds a layer of instability to every scene. Cooper’s Matt anchors the play, but only just.
What holds it together is the dialogue. Witty in the way that only writing drawn from lived experience can be — specific, unexpected and occasionally devastating.
A Brighton Fringe Tradition
Brighton has always attracted work that doesn’t fit neatly into categories. VAPISTS! Brighton Fringe 2026 continues that tradition — queer, satirical, formally adventurous and made by people who have earned their risk-taking credentials.
Andrew King’s previous work at the Donmar, the RSC and Edinburgh Fringe gives this production a pedigree that makes the late-night Lantern slot feel entirely appropriate. This is not fringe in the accidental sense. It is fringe by choice.
Why This Show
Brighton Fringe has always made space for work that takes risks with form and identity. VAPISTS! fits that tradition precisely — experimental casting, genuinely controversial subject matter and a late-night slot that suits its energy.
If you are looking for something that pushes past the comfortable, this is the show.
Practical Details
📍 Lantern Theatre, Brighton
📅 1, 2, 3, 8 & 10 May 2026
⏰ 11pm 🔗 brightonfringe.org/events/vapists
For more Brighton Fringe 2026 shows, see our full Brighton Fringe guide.
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