The Monkeypox Gospel Makes International Premiere at The Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Performances run 31 July - 24 August.
It's the summer of 2022. Journalist Ngofeen Mputubwele knows he should pitch an article to his bosses at The New Yorker about the global outbreak of “monkeypox” (since renamed mpox). He has a main character (an acquaintance with an early case of the virus); a gay virologist friend helping to coordinate the U.S. government response; and a global perspective as the son of Congolese immigrants (where mpox originated).
Getting the word out is critical, as two million people prepare to attend NYC Pride amidst an outbreak that – like another virus 40 years earlier – is spreading primarily through sexual contact within the queer community.
But writing publicly about queerness terrifies Ngofeen. He only recently broke a lifelong vow of celibacy and began going on dates with men. By writing the article, Ngofeen is risking Deletion – having the Unspeakable Word pronounced by his family and religious community, leaving him adrift in the life of a gay man he's not sure he wants to be.
Adapted from the podcast of the same name, The Monkeypox Gospel is a high drama, audio-driven docu-play that blends real reporting and audio interviews, true events filtered through C.S. Lewis-inspired fantasy, cameos from notables like John Oliver and Anthony Fauci, and nerdy tangents into etymology and opera.
Ngofeem Mputubwele is a journalist, lawyer and award-nominated podcast producer. The Monkeypox Gospel is his debut play, adapted from the forthcoming podcast of the same name.
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