Thrust into the absurd world of spoken-word poetry, Johnny attempts to navigate the pressures of his own troubled masculinity with a hilariously off-piste performance. What follows is an unsettlingly funny, surreal solo show that dives head-first into a raw interrogation of performative masculinity, fragile power dynamics, and class vulnerability.
Would you mind giving us an insight into what your show/event/performance is?
Johnny the Biblical Rapper (his self-titled full name) is a 30+ northern white male desperate to find direction and has recently found the spoken word scene. He’s watched the poet lads on Insta and TikTok, gets the gist, and now he’s ready to share his complex feelings. But the question is are you?
Tell us about the creative team and the process involved?
There isn’t a specific creative team as such on I AM JOHNNY but it has taken a village to raise the manchild that is Johnny The Biblical Rapper.
Main collaborators over the years have included Rosa Postlethwaite (performance artist), Hannah Ringham (founder of Shunt), Jess Murrain (actor, poet, film maker), Joseph Mercier (choreographer), Imogen Reeve (AD of Imogen Reeve & Co) POPPERFACE aka Gareth Chambers (choreographer) and queer Leeds-based dance troupe Glitterbomb Dancers and now I’m super lucky to be working Producer Siân Baxter.
Johnny entered the world through the soft experimental queer orifice of the northern DIY art scene in 2016*.
I’ve been writing for Johnny since 2011. I AM JOHNNY is the culmination of years of testing and development with audiences through festivals, cabarets and collaborations. It has been a process of discovering who he is, how he interacts with people, understanding dynamics I want to explore, and developing ways to play with him that are both risky and safe.
Like many drag kings Johnny is part of a larger personal story, an active need for a liberation of sorts deeply linked to sexuality and empathy.
*shout out to Leeds CLAY and Newcastle’s DGA Collective.
How does it feel coming to (back to) the Fringe?
It feels both brilliant and sad. Brilliant because I’ll be there—it feels like a privilege to have made this actually happen. Sad because the festival remains inaccessible to so many people, both artists who would love to take part and potential audiences who would love to experience it.
With shows from all over the world at the Fringe, what sets yours apart?
Johnny’s ability to squeeze poetry out of a rather old (possibly sweaty) minty ball is nothing short of profound. I’d like to see another production that can make such a claim.
On that, is there anything in the production or production team’s backgrounds which influences the way the show is performed or told?
How Johnny operates in his body is a poem in itself. The people I work with are deeply aware of the politics of their bodies in space, and that awareness inevitably shapes how the work is made. We don’t shy away from that—we celebrate its absurdity and its complexity. It makes for a glorious time.
Is there anything specific you’re hoping the audience will take away?
A Minty Ball.
Your Ideal audience is in attendance, who’s watching? Or more importantly – who isn’t…?
The ideal audience: the queers, the thinkers, the lovers, the fighters for love and all those in-between. Everyone’s invited, no one’s turned away. Johnny’s got on his Flix Bus and he’s ready to get poetical on ya’s!
It’s an intense month, so where you’re able, how do you plan to relax, and are there any other shows you intend to see or want to recommend?
I’m going to the seaside! Portobello beach is my fav. I’ll laugh at dogs looking adoringly at their owners and then I’ll eat ice cream…even if it’s raining…no rain is gonna take away my seaside experience!
Shows I want to see: Anatomy of Survival / Basque Showcase: Jarraibiderik Gabe and Trembling Frequencies / Creepy Boys: SLUGS / Brit Barron CHURCH / Naughty Cabaret / BIGGER – Sofiane Chalal / Julius Caesar Variety Show / Up: Violin Vs Football / Border Bodies / Boys Don’t Dance/ Kismet / Fanny Bleach: The Nearly Naked Show / They’re Just Small Town (Northern) Lads / Bog Witch / Surreally Good by Scott Turnbull / Man or Bear / Transmission. I’m obsessed with dance, so the entirety of the Dance Base programme too.
I AM JOHNNY will run at Venue 26, Red Lecture Theatre at Summerhall
Runs: August 6th – August 31st at 17.20pm
Photo credit: Elly Wel Photography
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