Award-winning queer comedy play by Conor O'Dwyer about a coming-of-age character confronting internalised homophobia and Catholic guilt.
Homo(sapien) comes to The Lemon Tree on Friday 6 November, part of the Aberdeen Queer Arts Festival 2026. It's a comedy play by Conor O'Dwyer, an early-career actor and playwright who specialises in queer and comedic work.
O'Dwyer describes his aim as uprooting the more difficult aspects of the queer experience through a lens of hope and joy, and doing away with the 'kill your gays' trope. The play follows 'Bad Gay Joey', a queer coming-of-age character confronting his internalised homophobia and Catholic guilt. It's a laugh-out-loud funny show that doesn't shy away from the heavier stuff it's working through.
It's not a new arrival. Homo(sapien) won Best New Writing when it debuted at the Dublin Gay Theatre Festival in 2025, and it went on to a critically acclaimed run at the Edinburgh Fringe. That run was a turning point for O'Dwyer: he was commissioned to write two more plays during his time there, and The Scotsman called the show a 'masterclass in audience engagement'.
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Before you book, there are a few things to keep in mind. It's recommended for ages 14 and up, and it carries content warnings for drug use, descriptions of violence and sexual violence, mention of death, and instances of internalised homophobia. The performance starts at 6:00pm at The Lemon Tree, 5 West North Street, AB24 5AT, and tickets are £15.40.
