Blog
Fringe review: Shut Up, Helen!
Shut Up, Helen! at least has the humility to acknowledge that a meet cute in a therapist’s waiting room is pushing it a bit. Like a scene from the most hipster of indie flicks, two painfully socially awkward 20-somethings find love in a hopeless place, but both...
Fringe interview: Cheryl Martin – Alaska
Cheryl Martin’s show, Alaska, is named after a line in the Lou Reed song ‘Caroline Says II’. ‘It’s so cold in Alaska.’ It’s a reference to Martin’s emotions, which often feel cold and numb before something happens to warm them up again. Alaska is about...
Fringe interview: Katrina Woolley – Going Slightly Mad
Set in a psychiatric ward, Going Slightly Mad is a play based on real-life events that takes a fearless look at what needs to change in the UK's mental health services. We spoke to Producer and Set Designer Katrina Woolley about how humour can help with mental...
Fringe interview: Helena Fox – Rust
Rust is based on the personal experiences of co-writer Helena Fox and the month she spent in rehab. We caught up with Helena to talk about real-life versus fiction in theatre, addiction, and using music to express difficult emotions. What can audiences...
Fringe interview: Harry Jackson – This Thing in Here
There’s a running theme in This Thing in Here about finding things, no matter how insignificant they seem, to make you happy. Harry Jackson, playwright and producer, is hopeful that the show will prompt some meaningful post-performance discussions. ‘I’d...
Fringe review: Ladybones
Lyricism, humour and dark, abstract anxiety attacks are all thrown into the strange brew that is Ladybones. You’ll want to drink it all up, though, thanks to Sorcha McCaffrey’s irresistible performance. McCaffrey plays Nuala, an archaeologist who...
Fringe review: Numbers
Jack kicks off by listing the things that he’s good at, like catching grapes in his mouth, eating scrambled eggs, knowing when someone is upset and football. Throughout Numbers, he becomes less and less sure of himself - except when it comes to numbers. He’s...
Fringe interview: Katie Guicciardi – Fox
Writer and performer Katie Guicciardi’s new show, Fox, takes a look at asking for help in a society that’s become increasingly isolated and isolating. We spoke to her about stigma, finding humour in darkness and the importance of talking. On Fox Fox is inspired...
Fringe review: Dave Chawner – Mental
One in four people have mental illness. Four in four people have mental health. In Mental, Dave Chawner recounts a time someone told him: ‘I’ve never had any mental health,’ and inspects the kind of language we use to speak about mental illness. ...
Fringe interview: Genevieve Carver – A Beautiful Way to be Crazy
Award-winning poet Genevieve Carver has teamed up with multi-talented multi-instrumentalists to present a unique new piece of gig theatre exploring mental health, female working relationships and toxic masculinity, all with a beautiful soul/classical/pop...