Fan Fiction in many forms has been part of our narrative journey, mindset-wise. It can ignite the imagination to the extent that stories are written to incorporate the popular characters in question and make them come to life on paper as a guilty pleasure. Out of Character, a new work in progress before it goes to the Edinburgh Fringe, is a play that explores the possibility of making fan fiction a way to channel a feminine soul into male characters to look at changing the narrative in a different way, whilst exploring characters that are represented in the Asian community.
Out of CharacterThis in itself was a good concept to explore, but there were some elements that needed reworking or more thought. The first observation was that due to the acoustics of Brighton Unitarian Church and the actors speaking English as a second language, half of the team were not heard properly and the other half were. As the venue had the audience in the round on the edges of the church with all the action in the middle, the echoing sounds vibrated with all the vocals. If the projection was too loud or too soft, the voice was swallowed. Having a balance between the two states enabled us to hear the script more, so the suggestion would be to think about the acoustics of a venue and adapt it accordingly so they can be heard more. Also, whilst the storyline was a strong one, the way it appeared to not make sense at first was a little disconcerting. Until we realised there were projections on the wall of the venue indicating the different variations of the story, we were uncertain where to look, or where we were. This, however, will change with different venues, so they needed to make sure those could be seen to follow along.
Despite these observations, as a team, Prickly Ash had an idea that will grow as they settle into it more. The clever usage of placing the five actors in the audience, portable stage platforms in interesting patterns with lamps to indicate a gangster’s shrine and stage combat that was well choregraphed made Out of Character come to life in a way that we felt part of the action, yet at the same time became social observers on how fact becomes fiction and vice versa. As the play progressed and we became used to the unpredictability that emerged, Prickly Ash kept us on our toes and made us think differently about love in a fan fiction context. How do we really see a fantasy in our minds, versus reality?
Out of Character is a project that will grow with the right venue and a little smoothing out. It has the potential to become an interesting and different show that is sure to encourage discussion, creativity and more. One to watch as it develops further.
Sascha Cooper
When reality fails to answer desire, the fictional world becomes home. They are the gangsters on screen, the forbidden lovers to some, the perfect souls that never existed in reality. And they – the overlooked East Asian female creators – project their emotions onto the imaginary, weaving intimate connections beyond the limits of the real world. When patriarchal narratives attempt to define love, desire, and existence, these women reshape them through imagination – not just as passion, but as identity, as a profound connection known as fictosexuality.
Out Of Character boldly brings to life the raw impact of virtual intimacy, using a gangster tale as a lens to deconstruct hyper-masculine storytelling and redefine the dimensions of emotion. As the original story, fan reinterpretations, and self-insert fantasies intertwine, we witness how these creators transcend reality’s constraints and find resonance in fiction.
Fan fiction is not just fantasy—it is love that the world has yet to understand.