If you’ve ever scrolled through Instagram and felt a bit…meh about yourself, you’re not alone. BUFF, the Edinburgh Fringe fave that got everyone talking, is hitting the road in 2025. It’s bold, funny, a little bit heart-breaking—and it’s finally giving the spotlight to someone who usually gets stuck in the background. Spoiler: he’s not your typical romantic lead, and that’s exactly the point.
This one-man play’s about being a bit squishy in a world that celebrates six-packs, dating online when the apps feel like a high school popularity contest, and figuring out how to like yourself again after a messy break-up. Oh, and there’s an Instagram model involved. Let’s get into it.
What is BUFF all about?
At the heart of BUFF is a character we don’t see nearly enough—he’s a gay, plus-sized primary school teacher just trying to get back on his feet after his six-year relationship hits the rocks. Rather than mope (well, not too much), he rents out his spare room to a ridiculously buff Instagram influencer. That’s when things get weird.
Cue awkward encounters, way too many gym selfies, and some brutal self-reflection. The play digs into body image, dating culture, and why scrolling through someone else’s highlight reel can feel like poking a bruise. Think of it as Queer Eye meets Fleabag, but with more emotional baggage and less avocado toast.
Who’s behind it?
Ben Fensome wrote the play, and he’s not new to theatre. His other works include Every Seven Years and Linck, and he co-created BUFF after chatting with director Scott Le Crass about what kind of characters are usually left out of queer stories. Spoiler: the soft-bellied ones.
Fensome said, “We wanted to explore a character that we hadn’t seen be centred before… I hope it is a call out for the community to look out for each other more.” That focus on kindness—especially towards yourself—is what makes the show hit home.
Directing is Scott Le Crass, who’s been recognised with an Offie Award nomination and has brought magic to the stage in Rose (West End) and Jab at Finborough Theatre.
Jamal Franklin leads as ‘Man’
The entire show rests on the shoulders of one actor—Jamal Franklin—and he absolutely owns it. You might’ve seen him in Little Shop of Horrors or Limp Wrist & The Iron Fist. Here, he flips between raw vulnerability and laugh-out-loud moments, making the character feel like someone you might bump into at your local café—probably halfway through a terrible date.
BUFF’s got people talking
And not just in a polite, golf clap sort of way. Reviewers at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe called it “one of the very best pieces of fringe theatre I have ever seen” (All That Dazzles ★★★★★) and “a show that hooks you, holds you and finally sends you away with much to think about” (LondonTheatre1 ★★★★★). In short—it’s the kind of play that sticks with you.
Why it matters
In queer theatre, plus-sized characters are often the sidekick. The punchline. The person who eats their feelings while the lead gets the boy. BUFF flips that on its head. It’s about finding worth outside of likes, matches, and perfectly filtered bodies.
It’s a timely reminder, especially in our age of algorithm-driven self-esteem, that self-worth isn’t something you earn by looking a certain way—it’s something you build by facing yourself honestly. And maybe laughing through the pain a bit, too.
Where can you see it?
Here’s where BUFF is headed from Wednesday 30th April to Saturday 7th June 2025:
- 30 April – 2 May: Old Joint Stock, Birmingham
Tickets - 8 May: Harrogate Theatre, Harrogate
Tickets - 9 –10 May: Theatre Royal, Bath
Tickets - 15 May: Waterside Arts Centre, Sale
Tickets - 16 May: Dukes Theatre, Lancaster
Tickets - 23 May: Curve Theatre, Leicester
Tickets - 29 May: The Mill Arts Centre, Banbury
Tickets - 30 May: Nottingham Playhouse, Nottingham
Tickets - 31 May: Eastern Angles, Ipswich
Tickets - 3 June: Hull Truck Theatre, Hull
Tickets - 5 June: Live Theatre, Newcastle upon Tyne
Tickets - 7 June: Tobacco Factory Theatres, Bristol
Tickets
Quick facts
- Writer: Ben Fensome
- Director: Scott Le Crass
- Performer: Jamal Franklin
- Running Time: 60 minutes
- Ages: 15+
- Presented by: Emmerson and Ward Productions
- Supported by Arts Council England and Curve
So if you’ve ever felt a bit invisible, or like you don’t fit the box people expect you to be in, BUFF might be the show for you.
