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[Performance Analysis:] PUP PLAY, Baron's Court Theatre, London.


My Theatre Mentor, Lee James Broadwood, analyses PUP PLAY, Baron's Court Theatre, London.
My Theatre Mentor, Lee James Broadwood, analyses PUP PLAY, Baron's Court Theatre, London.

This analysis has been written in the new Letters from a Mentor format introduced in July 2026. For more information on this format, visit this publication.



Dear Noah,


What a gritty performance! Some really great confidence and conviction throughout, and a really considerate exploration of queer fetish culture through the lens of pup play.


I’ll begin by addressing what is working effectively. Your performance manages to capture the human behind a fetish, and it does so principally through personal narratives and anecdotes. These inclusions balance well what could otherwise be a monotonous talking at the audience. When dealing with sociopolitical topics like homophobia as this performance does, this personalisation and intimacy is also an excellent means of soliciting empathy in audiences, reminding them of the humanness of the peoples directly affected, while adding nuance in a victim’s personal experience. Furthermore, you have captured well how homophobia persists as internalised within the community itself. There is a distinct voyeurism demanded by this performance — particularly with the snug topography of this particular venue — and this further emphasises themes of objectification and identity.


With this characterisation and narrative work comes a significant issue for this performance for me, however: a conflict of personae. Throughout the performance, you adopt five main distinct ones: Professor Handler; Homer the Homonormative Puppet (and, simultaneously, his interlocutor); a version of “yourself” as a pup; an enraged and hysterical singer; and a more interpretative figure in dance sequences. There is a significant inconsistency in regard both to performance style and to role and function of the performer here, which allows for an inability to comprehend the true nature of the performance. The performance even professes of itself this lack of clarity in form, with “of Sorts” being in its title. I completely understand the intention to bring variety to the performance, particularly given its didactic undertone, but this lack of structure in form compromises a steady voice and overall legibility of the messages of the playtext — which should take priority over appealing theatrical devices.


Part of this issue with clarity is down to a lack of clear distinction between you as Professor Handler and you as pup. I am aware of the possibility that the two are intended to be one and the same, with descriptions of the performance focalising it through Professor Handler, but this is not what the text itself indicates. Professor Handler, by default, is an expert, overbearingly proud in his knowledgeable position, and this does not coincide with the pup persona who is discovering the world of pup play and finding it intensely challenging insofar as the positioning of his identity and psychology within it. Because we are launched into each different segment, with these personae, voices and tones consistently bleeding into one another, it is unclear when one didactic narrative truly ends and another, anecdotal one starts. This is not to mention that the different personae each bring with them an entirely different performance style — the progressive monstrification of Homer, for example, versus the submissive and hypersexual dance sequences. I would love to discuss performance style inconsistency, in particular, with you, as I think this would be very beneficial when further developing your performance.


It is also worth noting a lack of clarity in who the target audience is, and this is something Professor Handler even points out himself, recognising three different usual audience types, each coming with their own, wildly different expectations. One would assume it to be queer men who have an interest and engagement in or thoughts about engaging in gay fetish culture, but the writing of the “lecture” sections would indicate otherwise: these sections are prescriptive and serve to define the concepts, imagery, characteristics, perceived regulations, and nature, of pup play.


Nonetheless, this performance touches upon some truly profound and thorny subject matters, using discomfort as a vehicle to depict and challenge the taboo, the dangerous, the misunderstood, and particularised queer sexual objectification. There is a lot of excellent material under the surface, but this is complicated by a conflict of style, form and mode and could be better streamlined and refined to enhance meaning, legibility, and audience engagement. I would love to work with you further to achieve this, and it would be my pleasure to provide further guidance on any of the following, which I have recognised as standout concerns to consider when further developing your performance, each marked from low–high priority:

  • Diversifying levels of emotional intensity: using emotivity decisively and effectively. (High priority)

  • Ensuring accuracy and technique in performance: movement, blocking, technical mishaps, and vocals. (Medium priority.)

  • Balancing didactic and anecdotal narratives. (Medium priority)

  • Elucidating and delivering moral messages. (High priority)

  • Streamlining content to ensure articulacy and maintain audience engagement. (High priority)

  • Considering dynamism and variety in sequences of movement and song. (Low priority)

  • Maintaining agency and control through audience participation. (High priority)



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