Buffy Revamped, Brendan Murphy’s one-man show paying tribute to the most quintessential of 1990s TV time capsules, is about to check in to Cardiff’s New Theatre. Hari Berrow, it seems, could give Brendan a run for his money when it comes to Buffy fandom, so here’s her spin on the lessons learned from Sarah Michelle Gellar and co…

Buffy The Vampire Slayer turned 30 last year. Don’t panic too much, you’re not that old yet. It’s the film starring Kristy Swanson which is 30: you still have four more years before the TV series is.

The march of time notwithstanding, comedian Brendan Murphy brings his one-man show Buffy Revamped to Cardiff this month. On an extensive tour spanning January to April, it follows a successful season at the Edinburgh Fringe, and is the second award-winner in Murphy’s arsenal, following his hit-show Friend (The One With Gunther). This latest show, much like Murphy’s last, is a love letter to cult TV, fandom, and the era many of us grew up in.

I’m a huge Buffy fan. I grew up on Buffy; so did all my friends. We watched it when we were probably far, far too young, and have watched it exactly 100 times since. When we were younger, we used to play Buffy The Vampire Slayer. My best friend Asher was always Buffy (because she was the leader of the pack and objectively the coolest of us all), and the rest of us had to argue over the other characters. There was an ongoing debate about whether I should be Dawn, Anya or Willow, which was never resolved.

Those of you on TikTok will know that 90s fashion has already made a comeback – butterfly hairclips, crop tops and weird semi-A-line, semi-pencil skirts are coming back on-trend once more. The question becomes, will my childhood soon be the subject of a Stranger Things-style renaissance? I hope so. 

Buffy taught me a lot of things: here are just some of them.

Be independent and hone your skills, but don’t be afraid to ask for help

Literally everyone in Buffy was useless on their own. They all would have died instantly alone – even Buff. The strength of that team was that every single one of them was skilled in something no-one else could do, and between them they made everything work (except for Xander – no-one’s really sure what he did)*.

Everyone’s welcome at the table, and don’t judge by first impressions

While the myth that Willow and Tara were the first lesbians to kiss on American television isn’t true, the show did do a huge amount to normalise LGBTQ+ relationships, particularly between women. Equally, neurodivergent-coded characters like Anya show us how those outside the ‘norm’ see and interact with the world – this was particularly heartbreaking and moving in one episode, The Body, and I’m still not over how Joyce will never have eggs again. Buffy shows us how the outcasts of the world often have the most to offer, which is why my whole friendship group are joyously odd.

You can’t change the past, but you can change the future

From the deep regret of the Scoobies following Buffy’s resurrection to Spike’s trip into the wilderness to return his soul, Xander jilting Anya to Willow’s magic addiction destroying her relationship: Buffy taught us that, more than anything else, life can be painful, and you can’t just snap your fingers to fix it. The people around you make it worthwhile, and there’s always something you can learn from what came before. 

In Buffy Revamped’s press release, Murphy says, “Buffy fans are some of the smartest, funniest and kindest audiences you could ever hope to have at a show” – and I agree. The series taught a young generation of women a lot about themselves and who they could be. All these years later, my friend Asher is – still – very definitely modelled on Buffy: self-reliant, wilful, and loyal. As for me, I think I’ve decided I’m modelled on Willow – a huge geek, slightly neurotic, but with a big heart. Buffy fans are amazing, and the show is one of the core things that made so many of us who we are. 

*I’m kidding please don’t send me a thousand DMs about the Dark Willow arc

Buffy Revamped, New Theatre, Cardiff, Tue 7 Feb.

Tickets: £25. Info: here

words HARI BERROW