Oli Fuller
An intoxicatingly funny and playful insight into the devastating reality of growing up queer in rural America.
Friendliest follows Drew Lausch as he pitches a new superhero, Fagman, the world’s first gay superhero, and in doing so he delves into his past, his first love, his small town escape, losing his virginity, his coming out, and everything in between. It is camp and loving and intimate, with a painful undercut of real world homophobia and abuse.
Drew’s performance and writing is fantastically sharp, he is fast paced and effortlessly funny even when delving into the darkness of his traumatic past. Direction by Jenny Leon allows him to build this character of himself which is enticing, exciting and endlessly comedic, moving around the small space and never letting the limited setting get in the way of the sheer power of this deeply engrossing tale. Drew takes us through the trauma of his past with exceptional talent, never letting his often depressing story take away from his wit, and creating an utterly immersive experience for the audience.
The show brings a unique kind of camp chaos to the stage, one that becomes feral, an energy that overpowers the small stage and brings you deep into Drew’s world, it is sexy, and messy, and playful, and dark, and everything in between. Drew’s pitch for the first gay superhero reflects his own opinions of himself, and builds the superhero all queer people have reached for and never found, not a superhero that can save the city, but maybe one that can protect our queer inner child.
The show is also uplifted by exceptional sound design, with characters existing only through sound, yet feeling deeply present and within the world Drew builds.
Friendliest highlights the desperation of a queer child who needs to escape, through the voice of a queer adult who might just be able to, and comes with outstanding talent and storytelling guiding us through the journey to a livable queer future.
Recommended Drink: Poppers and your sister’s Bath and Body Works Moisturiser.
Performances of Friendliest has now concluded at EdFringe 2026.
Eve Miller
