Tom Lenk is best known to Starburst Readers for his role as Andrew Wells in Buffy The Vampire Slayer. He’s currently starring as Pansy in the hilarious queer comedy, Lottie Plachett Took a Hatchet.
How would you describe Lottie Plachett Took a Hatchet.
it’s kind of like a queer, a hilarious queer, um, parody of the Lizzy board. Murder case, but like if the Muppets were doing a production of the crucible as directed by John Waters,
What drew you to this project?
The author of the play, who’s also starring in it, Justin Elizabeth Sayer, drew me to this. I think that they had always been fascinated by the Lizzie Borden case. But the tone of the play is very much a modern take on comedy. It’s inspired by John Waters, Charles Bush, that sort of thing.
It’s very what’s the word I’m looking for? Rawkus. It’s very vulgar at points. The tongue is very, very far up and around the cheek. It. It’s looking at the outside of the cheek, it’s up on the inside. love that I’m talking about this all very seriously. When I keep forgetting, like it’s an insane over the top comedy. We’re having a great time and there’s a bit, there’s a reveal for my character that I won’t spoil but it does involve tiny hands.
It’s just stupid and funny show but it also has this message that is quite timely. If you are paying attention to what has happened with the American, Supreme court ruling recently you know, so much has changed for women. Since the eight, eight late 18 hundreds.
Why a show inspired by Lizzie Borden?
It’s become popular mythology even though it is based on an actual thing. She was acquitted and she was not found guilty of the crime and they never solved the case. It is to this day, an unsolved mystery. So, um, yeah, it’s interesting. There’s been a few movies and TV shows made about this character.
So who do you play in Lottie Plachett Took a Hatchet?
Well, his full name is Panton, though everyone calls him Pansy, and he’s Lottie’s only friend. In the same way she’s being oppressed as a woman in the late 18 hundreds, he is being oppressed as a Homosexual. in the 18, the late 18 hundreds. They’re both these sort of powerless characters that are struggling to find their power.
The show is running until the end of the Edinburgh Fringe. Tickets are here.
