Performance in a Leading Role

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Fanfiction
Title: Performance in a Leading Role
Author(s): Madlori
Date(s): July 18, 2011 – December 29, 2011 on LJ
Length: 156,714 words
Genre(s): AU, slash, Secret Relationship
Fandom(s): Sherlock (BBC)
Relationship(s):
External Links: PiaLR at LiveJournal
PiaLR at AO3
PiaLR at FanFiction.Net
Cover art by uncreativeart


Click here for related articles on Fanlore.

Performance in a Leading Role is a popular Sherlock fanfic written by Madlori.

It is an alternate universe, fusion, sort-of RPF-y (but not!) story in which Sherlock Holmes and John Watson are actors. Irene Adler, Harry Watson, Greg Lestrade, Sally Donovan, Molly Hooper also are characters.

Many real life actors have cameos in it.

The story was written as a response to a prompt on the LiveJournal community, Sherlock BBC Prompting Meme [1].

It is an extremely popular fic with 106 pages of comments on AO3, almost all of them very positive.

There are just under 2000 comments at Fanfiction.net, where the comments are almost all positive as well.

Reviews at Goodreads are fewer, and they are mixed, something that illustrates the differences in audience and community.

The Author's Sequels

  • Ask John & Sherlock
  • John's Video Diary
  • The Green Room
  • A Night to Remember
  • Sex Hair
  • After the Tone
  • Enter and Sign in, Please
  • Lifetime Achievement

Summary

Sherlock Holmes is an Oscar winner in the midst of a career slump. John Watson is an Everyman actor trapped in the rom-com ghetto. When they are cast as a gay couple in a new independent drama, will they surprise each other? Will their on-screen romance make its way into the real world?

Original prompt from mushroom18 at SherlockBBC:

Sherlock is an Oscar-nominated method actor, John is in the usual leading man in rom-coms. They are both experiencing a slump in their careers, and their managers convince them to portray a gay couple in an upcoming film. Sherlock at first looks down at John because of his not so impressive filmography, but they film a certain emotional scene and he is impressed with John's really excellent acting. CAN LOVE BLOOM BEHIND THE CAMERAS?

Author's Comments: 2012

The Emmys were a bit odd in my little corner of fandom. For those of you who don't know, my most recent fanfic output was a 160,000 word "Sherlock" AU story called Performance in a Leading Role in which Sherlock and John are actors. Sherlock is a highbrow Oscar winner and John is the king of rom-coms, both their careers are in a slump until they co-star in an indie film about a gay couple. The story is about them forming a relationship, getting accidentally outed, dealing with that fallout, and the consequences to their careers both of starring in this highly-acclaimed film (and getting Oscar nominations for it) and of being together. One of the key scenes is late in the story when they accompany each other to the Oscars and are on the red carpet together.

So you can imagine that more than one reader had a bit of a flashback when Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman were each other's dates to the Emmys (and man, didn't they both look gorgeous). I was out all day Sunday and when I got home I checked Tumblr and wondered why there were suddenly like 20 new posts in the "performance in a leading role" tag. Then I scrolled down my dash and was like...oh. Heh.

I was, however, relieved to see people saying "Well, that isn't how I pictured it, because I imagined Sherlock and John, not these two." I'm glad to have that distinction preserved, because it was hard work keeping Performance firmly out of the RPF category. A lot of real actors make appearances in it (John is friends with Paul Bettany and Jennifer Connolly, Natalie Portman talks to them at a party, etc) but the two main characters are that...characters, and not meant to be skins over the actors who play them.

That story...I have All The Feels about it. It might possibly be the most fun I've ever had writing a story, and I'm proud of how it turned out. I'm writing a follow-up and I wish it was coming faster but life happens.[2]

Author's Comments: 2017: Being Reworked as Original Fiction

In August 2017, the author had a lengthy post about her decision to edit it and shop it around as original fiction. She encouraged people to download it for their later personal use.

See The future of “Performance in a Leading Role”; archive link.

Fan Art

Reactions and Reviews

2012

This started out really good, but after the guys got together (at less than 30% into this long, long book) things stopped happening between them and started happening only to them. This was interesting, given the setting, but it stopped being fascinating.

Most of the dramatic things happening to them were also happening off-page on top of that (Sydney, family visits for both of them, Christmas Eve, etc), so we only got to see the subsequent discussion of said events, which is really not as engaging as taking the reader there 'live'. Most of the time both guys were just unflappable, but whenever one did get flapped (usually, but not exclusively, at those same off-page events), things would get smoothed over with reassurances of love and devotion and follow up sex within a couple of paragraphs. *sigh* I skimmed most of the sex after 50%.

A few scenes stand out, such as the accidental coming out and the Oscar ceremony, but apart from those scenes 2/3 of the book reads like an endless epilogue. [3]

2013

I promised myself this would be the first fic I reviewed when I got my AO3 invite.

So I want to say that this story is easily the best AU I have ever encountered for any series. I say this as an experienced reader, if not that skilled of a writter.

This story pulls you in and then won't let you go until the end, leaving you screaming for more.

I laughed, cried, and maybe even got up to jump for joy.

The way you portray Sherlock and Watson is spot on while maintaining your own vision of them and it is something worth emulating. [4]

I will say first that I am ashamed that I passed this story by several times thinking....not the kind of AU I think will work...nooooo...not going to read it....it is now 2:04am and I am bawling like a little girl as I have just finished reading the story I would not read. I downloaded it and when I started reading it I could not stop....I have some many favorite moments I cannot list them all but emotionally...when Sherlock is leaving Toronto and John realizes how he feels about him I was just on the edge of seat squealing..."GO TO HIM!!!!" You mentioned that your knowledge of Hollywood is second hand but you write better about "life" in Hollywood than quite a bit out there. I will only mention one other favorite bit and that was the cookie bouquet from Neil and David and the Welcome to the Dark Side crack....I about died, I was laughing so hard...it was so....real and that was how the whole story felt....real...and alive and full of those characters....this is now a permanent resident on my fan fic shelf which I am sure I will re read many times.......you did say something about writing more in this AU? would so look forward to more!!! [5]

I just must express my admiration of this fic and thank you for writing it. I never read AU fan-fiction, where Sherlock was not a detective (it just felt wrong! How can he be anyone but detective?), however everyone seemed to be in raptures over Performance in a Leading Role... So I gave it a go. And yes, apparently everyone was right :) This is a beautiful story, where Sherlock and John are still the same Sherlock and John we love, even though they are not fighting crime. Since then it has become my "comfort fic", I've re-read it and listened to podfic several times, there's something in this story that lifts my spirits. So thank you and keep on writing! [6]

That’s the earliest [fic] that I read in the Sherlock fandom and my first thought was ‘this is something that could be published, this is really something that could reach beyond fandom’, it was beautifully written and I’d have to say my only criticism was she didn’t throw in what happened to them in Sydney. I’m reading one chapter I come to the end and then it skips and it jarred me out of it. But I was so into it, just from the first words and, you know, screaming for their romance to, to… them to get together, watching them struggle it was just beautiful.[7]

[Performance in a Leading Role is] definitely a classic in the Sherlock fandom, and we’ll link to that in our post-show-post so people can go and read it. For people who aren’t in the Sherlock fandom I think this is a story that you could read without- you don’t need to be in the fandom, you don’t need to know who these characters are it works on its own. It’s a really kind of a perfect AU in that sense, but the basic story is that you have these two actors who are both essentially straight male actors and they do a film together and over the course of the film they fall in love and so it’s the story’s about sort of the idea of coming out in Hollywood and what that means, and how that impacts their careers, and sort of what happens and how their relationship comes together. It’s beautiful, highly recommend it. So, Diana, do you have a recommendation? [8]

What it says on the tin. It’s a full-on AU with both John and Sherlock as actors. John is a rom-com star and Sherlock, despite the Oscar, has made some… poor role choices.

But the romance is well done; it surprises both of our boyz and they don’t really know what to do with it. There’s some nice ethical dialog about how Hollywood hides so much from the public and how actors essentially have to go along with it to keep working.

John and Sherlock are ‘cute’ together while staying firmly in character, each being insecure in a ‘he loves me?’ sort of way.

Don’t let the word count dismay you. It’s an easy read and Lori keeps it moving, explains much of the Hollywood references to anyone who might not know, and keeps you entertained all the way to the expected happy ending.[9]

Not at all that terrible, and quite enjoyable, to a point.

Some forgivable misapprehensions with regards to how men fuck one another and/or think about fucking one another and/or how often either of those two things occur.

Some nice scenes in the film shoot.

But not a very good story, sadly; a little half-assed, and too long, and off-pagey with the dramatic developments, toward the end, which is a shame—it was hard enough to accept the AU premise to begin with, but once that's sorted out there was fun to be had, but not much in evidence. [10]

This is a moderately successful story about two gay actors; it really doesn't have anything to do with the BBC Sherlock. [11]

I don't like AU. I don't like smut. I don't like OOC. But this. THIS. Is nothing short of spectacular.

If there is any justice in the world, the producers would ask Madlori to write an episode of Sherlock. [12]

Okay bear with me, long comment ahead!

First of all, I'd like to say that I avoided this fic for a long time because I generally don't like AU stories. After reading virtually every other Sherlock fic out there, though, I decided that there had to be a reason this story has more kudos than any of them. I gave it a shot.

I started reading before bed, read till nearly four in the morning, read it between getting ready in the morning, read it at stop lights on the way to work, read it on bathroom breaks, lunch breaks, smoke breaks, and then sat in my car after work and read it instead of going home. Holy crap.

I think you did an absolutely wonderful job of keeping as much of their characters intact while still being able to turn them into completely different people. I don't know much about Hollywood or celebrities, but you also did a fantastic job of making it look like you, as the author, spend a lot of time in these settings. (Do you?) It was all very convincing and believable and it made the story far better than it would have been without all that careful attention.

I love the way John handled the paparazzi on his way to the gym. That was spectacular and actually rather clever. I hope real celebs use that tactic! I think Sherlock had a few too many insecure moments, but they were all handled very well and always left me going, "awwwww." xD

There are a few spots in the story that you should go back to and fix- your italics codes seem to have gotten messed up and there are many places where it seems you only intended to make one or two sentences italics but the entire rest of the chapter got italicized as well. No biggie, just some silly codes.

I also love the way you did those few chapters as TV show scripts (like the interviews on Ellen and that other show). I think it shows everything a lot better than it would have been shown from John or Sherlocks POV, and I never would have thought of that! Good call. It adds a lot to the story and makes it easy to read so you don't feel like you're trudging through fluffed up filler chapters.

Your status as the most kudo'd JohnLock fanfiction on this website is well deserved, and I am so very glad that I put my prejudice against AU's aside to read this one. Congratulations and may your writing take you far in life! <3 [13]

2014

Okay, weird to find this on here, since it's fanfic, but since it's the best fanfic I've ever read, sure, I'll cop to it. I read it about a year ago November (so, November 2012) after seeing art from the scene where John comes to Sherlock's final show with flowers on Diane Duane's Tumblr. (...so my favorite childhood writer connected me with BBC Sherlock fanfic. Again, weird.)

The premise is that Sherlock Holmes and John Watson are actors starring in a movie about a gay couple and life imitates art--which sounds AWFUL--and part of the beauty of this is that it's NOT. It's compelling, touching, sweet, and cute--basically, a comfort read.

Taking the characters of John and Sherlock roughly as drawn in the BBC show and translating them into an entirely different world is also rather neat.

It has some very explicit sex scenes, which frankly I think are the weakest part. (Another sign of a good fanfic--the trashy bits are not what you read it for.) As far as I'm concerned, it's character development that matters, and this certainly has that. The development of the relationship, the bumps and trials and Sherlock being sweet, are what's good about it--and the exploration of how friends, family, and Hollywood handle it, of course. There's a great bit partway through that's transcriptions of interviews on talk shows and as far as I can tell (not having seen much of these shows) it's SPOT ON.

Yes, there's stuff that is repetitive--Sherlock is kind of insecure and can't logically explain falling in love, different versions of the conversation about commitment and reassurance come up repeatedly--but it's pure fluff and so that's okay.

...shut up don't judge me it's CUTE. [14]

2015

After Alone on the Water, this is the single most obsession-inducing Sherlock fan fic I've ever read (and I've read quite a few). It's just so believable despite shifting the entire milieu, and yes, it does seem to go on and on, but the good parts are so good that its faults don't matter. It captures everything: the initial spark, the restless longing, the hesitation before plunging in, the absolute ecstasy of being together, the homophobic reactions of the people, the idyllic getaways...I could go on and on, but I'd like to add just one more thing: it's this fic that made a hardcore JohnLock shipper out of me. I love your work, Mad_Lori! You're a writer and Sherlock fan extraordinaire! And oh, despite its length, I've read it multiple times. And it still hasn't stopped tugging at my heartstrings.

Wow, the fact that I reread it in October 2015 and still curled up in a ball of mush tells you everything that you need to know. I LOVE PIALR AND I CANNOT GET OVER JOHNLOCK [15]

Hmm I've only got to the end of the second chapter and I'm exhausted!

For the bit I've read it feels fast because it's all dialogue.

Sherlock doesn't appear a very likeable character but honestly neither is the cannon Sherlock.

There seems to be a lot of name dropping from both Sherlock and the film world, personally I find a long appendix really off-putting. It means me not feeling much for the characters and it resembling a conversation I'm excluded from.

Never say never, but not tonight's reading. [16]

Having read the reviews, I tagged this as better-not. Then I forgot about it, went on Ao3, looked for popular Sherlock fics, found this one and started reading. Such a bad idea. Don't get me wrong. Some parts of this fic were really good (i.e. the transcripts from Letterman or Ellen DeGeneres and generally the depiction of the Show Biz seemed spot on, not that I know much about it), but all in all this basically bored me to tears and Sherlock was way out of character to have the feel of a Johnlock fic. Also, to have Sherlock make crazy assumptions about others, but to never explain how he came to his conclusions just makes it kind of pointless to read. [17]

Sherlock Holmes is an Oscar winner in the midst of a career slump. John Watson is an Everyman actor trapped in the rom-com ghetto. When they are cast as a gay couple in a new independent drama, will they surprise each other? Will their on-screen romance make its way into the real world?


==

This rec was originally posted on 221b_recs.

Rec: Performance in a Leading Role is a complete AU, in which the only connection to the canon is the characterisations. The setting here is the film industry, specifically Hollywood. I want to make it clear that this is not RPF. Sherlock is not Benedict Cumberbatch, and John is not Martin Freeman. They are Sherlock and John from the BBC Sherlock series, as they would be if they were actors rather than a detective and an ex-Army doctor.

Sherlock maintains his fantastic ability to observe and deduce, but rather than solving crimes, he applies that knowledge to the craft of acting, creating performances that are flawless in their studied perfection but lacking in real emotion. John, just as in the BBC series, is the emotional, down-to-earth one, who teaches Sherlock things both about acting and about life. It’s fun to see the other characters appear in slightly altered roles, too: Sally as Sherlock’s PA (yes, it totally works!) and Harry as John’s; Irene as John’s publicist; Mrs Hudson as a staple of the British stage; Moriarty as a rival actor competing for the Oscar.

Now, what makes this story so popular? One thing for me is the level of detail and authority with which the film industry is depicted. The author has researched the process of Hollywood film production and made the story feel completely authentic (at least to me, with no actual first-hand knowledge of filmmaking). The cameos by real directors, producers, and actors further enhance the experience of making this story feel like it is really happening. It’s just a lot of fun to see John appear on Ellen Degeneres’ talk show or navigate his way through the paparazzi, because these are the kinds of things that we have actually seen (either in real life or on TV). We can place the events in this story in relation to our own lives, insofar as we have ever watched Ellen, E! News, or the Oscars, or been to a movie premiere. Allowing the reader to make that sort of connection is very clever, because it ties us into the story emotionally much more readily than a story about a murder investigation, which most of us have never experienced in real life.

Another point in favor of this story’s popularity is certainly the smut, although I hesitate to use that word because the sex scenes are not gratuitous. They come about at natural points in the overall story and are much more about the emotion and the development of the relationships between John and Sherlock, and about their characters. But yes, they are still hot!

The main thing, though, that makes this story stand out for me, is the deeply personal portrayal of the characters. Each and every character is lovingly fleshed out, and John and Sherlock as the leads are invested with emotional depths and back stories that make them hugely sympathetic. I felt the anguish of their separation, their joy at being together, their anger and powerlessness at being at the mercy of the studio heads and marketing execs, and their elation in triumph.

I really can’t recommend this story highly enough, and if for some reason you haven’t read it yet, set aside a weekend (or a long plane flight) and take the plunge. You won’t be disappointed! [18]

2020

"This is one of the best-researched AU settings out there. You feel like you’re learning something about life in Hollywood over every page. It’s brilliant, engaging, and incredibly memorable. If you’re looking for AU setting writing at its best, this is the fic for you. [snipped] Sherlock and many of the side characters are OOC here but you'll love them all the same. John is recognizable; irritable and intense and so blown away by Sherlock Holmes."[19]

From Fanfiction Recommendations

this already sounds like it's gonna be one of the best fics I've ever read and you have no idea how sad I am that the last update was 2014 lol (the perks of joining a dead fandom) [20]

2021

I can't say enough good things about this story. One of the best fanfictions I've read and better than several published works. I'm a sucker for AUs and honestly feel this work should be judged almost as its own novel separate from BBC's Sherlock because criticism around it not being enough "like" the BBC show is irrelevant in my opinion to the brilliance of the work itself.

I downloaded the also amazing podfic of this story and it's one of my favorite comfort-listens. [21]

2023

Hi there, I really love this fic and just wanted to tell you a small anecdote: we were discussing Ang Lee and his works in class the other day and I had to actively remind myself that "To a Stranger" isn't actually one of his works. Thank you for sharing this fic with us 3 [22]

Further Reading

References

  1. ^ The original site was Sherlock BBC Prompting Meme
  2. ^ The Emmys and Fanfiction, Sep. 25th, 2012
  3. ^ from LenaLena at Goodreads] (November 2012)
  4. ^ from Account Deleted, AO3 (2013)
  5. ^ from msbooda77, AO3 (2013)
  6. ^ from Account Deleted, AO3 (2013)
  7. ^ Kryptaria, Slashcast Writer's Corner Interview with Diana Copland and Kryptaria, 2013
  8. ^ Diana Copland, Slashcast Writer's Corner Interview with Diana Copland and Kryptaria, 2013
  9. ^ Slash World, 2013
  10. ^ from Julie Genao at Goodreads] (April 2013)
  11. ^ from Mysterious at Goodreads] (February 2013)
  12. ^ from cloakstone69, AO3 (2013)
  13. ^ from atagan, AO3 (2013)
  14. ^ from Wordwizard at Goodreads] (January 2014)
  15. ^ from Apoorva at Goodreads] (November 2015)
  16. ^ from Meep at Goodreads] (August 2015)
  17. ^ from Day-thief at Goodreads] (January 2015)
  18. ^ from (Mostly Johnlock) Sherlock Fanwork Recs by SwissMiss; archive link
  19. ^ Sherlock Fanfiction Classics on fanfictionrecommendations.com (Accessed August 12, 2020)
  20. ^ from SassySapphire, Fanfiction.net
  21. ^ from Theo at Goodreads] (November 2021)
  22. ^ from TheAustrianZebra, Fanfiction.net
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