BLOWHOLE Comes to Edinburgh in August

Blowhole  by Benjamin Salmon comes to Edinburgh in August. Performances run August 2nd – 28th  at the Pleasance Dome (AceDome).

Written and performed by Benjamin Salmon (Soho Writer’s Lab, BBC Comedy Room shortlist) this solo show captures a hilariously relatable yet tender portrait of modern life, a screengrab of the pitfalls of swipe-right culture that flips the rom-com format on its head. 

Exploring connection and community in the modern age of serial digital dating and what it’s like to hit millennial rock bottom, Blowhole tells the story of a single, sexless, grief-stricken yet undeniably fabulous gay man in London, traversing a lifestyle of self-destruction, IBS, and hook-up apps. Presenting queer culture at its most vulnerable, the play offers a frank and human portrayal of life in crisis and self-discovery.  

Blowhole is directed by Tom Wright (Undetectable, King’s Head Theatre; My Dad’s Gap Year, Park Theatre) and produced by award-winning production company Deus Ex Machina Productions (The Book Thief; RIDE; DUST). 

Writer and performer Benjamin Salmon comments, “I wrote this play because I wanted to put a gay man centre stage in all his hilarious, problematic, angry, sexually-frustrated, honest, raw, unfiltered, unlikable yet lovable, imperfect glory. I think it's about time that we allow queer characters to rise to the forefront in a way that they're not just an accessory to a protagonist of another story - that they are, instead, allowed to take up the space within their own messy, complicated stories that absolutely fascinate, relate to and connect with modern audiences out there. Now more than ever, we need hard-hitting stories that can also make us laugh... stories that can find a way into our hearts so that we can laugh through the pain in our lives, which is what I hope Blowhole and the character capture rather beautifully.”