I am in a parasocial relationship with Britney Spears

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 people construct narratives around the figures they adore.

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 people use fantasy to shape their relationships with others, and what happens when the private worlds of their minds are staged for public view?

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