I'm in a Parasocial Relationship with Britney Spears

BACK TO BACK

Geelong Arts Centre, 2026

It begins with a sting. A covert operation is set in motion, led by undercover operatives who blur the line between reality and invention. At the heart of this imaginative scheme is Simon, Australia’s number one Britney Spears fan, who devises an elaborate plan to catch the culprits threatening his beloved celebrity crush. What unfolds is not just a tale of surveillance and intrigue, but a playful meditation on obsession, loyalty, and the ways in which we construct narratives around the figures we adore.

Dancing across multiple realities, I AM IN A PARASOCIAL RELATIONSHIP WITH BRITNEY SPEARS is a love letter to Britney Spears and to the possibilities of meta-theatre. The work revels in the tension between fantasy and fact, between the inner world of imagination and the shared space of performance. The humour is sharp, the stakes both absurd and tender, as the audience is invited to witness how fandom can morph into devotion.

Performed by long-standing Back to Back Theatre ensemble member Simon Laherty alongside writer-performer Luke Ryan, and co-devised with Bruce Gladwin and Kate Sulan, this sharp dramedy uncovers the role of imagination in social interaction, and asks: how do we use fantasy to shape our relationships with others, and what happens when the private worlds of our minds are staged for public view?

This work is not endorsed by Britney Spears. It is endorsed by Simon Laherty.

Devised by Mark Deans, Kate Sulan, Bruce Gladwin

Authors: Bruce Gladwin, Simon Laherty, Luke Ryan, Kate Sulan

Performers: Simon Laherty, Luke Ryan

Director: Bruce Gladwin

Dramaturgy: Kate Sulan, Bruce Gladwin

Script Consultant: Melissa Reeves

Choreography: Sandra Parker

Intimacy Coordinator: Bayley Turner

Set design: Bruce Gladwin

Costume Design: Harriet Oxley

Lighting Design: Bao Ngouansavanh