WE HAD FUN to Make World Premiere at Edinburgh Fringe, Directed by Carrie-Anne Ingrouille

We Had Fun, a new dark comedy written and performed by Emmeline Hartley and Jack Mullings, will make its Edinburgh Festival Fringe premiere at Summerhall this August. Directed by Olivier and Tony Award nominee Carrie-Anne Ingrouille (SIX the Musical), the production runs August 6-31 (excluding August 18 and 25) in the Old Lab.

It could have been a rom-com...

Where did it all go wrong? Well, it depends who you ask.

Close friends Oscar and Ela attempt to navigate the fallout of a drunken sexual encounter, as their conflicting versions of events are replayed, rewound and re-written against the sensory chaos of a wild night out.

We Had Fun is a sharp, dark, distinctly un-romantic comedy exploring the murkiest areas of modern dating in the age of #MeToo, cancel culture and the so-called "post-truth" era. As Oscar and Ela piece together their hazy, conflicting memories of what really happened—re-hashing the night's events through innovative physical theatre—the audience is forced to confront their own biases and assumptions about who to believe and why.

Directed by Olivier and Tony Award-nominated Carrie-Anne Ingrouille (SIX the Musical), the play has been described as a "fascinating exploration" (Daniel Finkelstein, The Times) of consent and sexual politics.

Written and performed by Emmeline Hartley and Jack Mullings, both neurodivergent artists, the play takes an unflinching look at the nuances around communication and accountability. Their lived experience of ADHD—and autism in Hartley's case—informs the characters' dynamic and dialogue, pushing complex issues into further shades of grey.

"Since leaving drama school in 2021, I've been excited for the day I'd have my professional stage debut as an actor," said co-writer and performer Emmeline Hartley. "And since finding my confidence to start writing in 2022, I've quietly wondered what my debut as a writer would look like. It never occurred to me that both of those things would happen at the same time, and I certainly didn't anticipate the sheer weight and significance the work would carry, nor the potential impact it could make. So.. yeah, I feel fine. Evidently, there's nothing at stake. No pressure. Nothing going on here. hides in a bush"

Co-writer and performer Jack Mullings added: "I've been thinking 'someone pinch me' from the moment we knew our play was coming to this year's Fringe. After working on We Had Fun for 4 years, making it into so many different shapes and types of play, I'm beyond grateful that this is the one we get to share with audiences. As working-class self-taught writers, it can feel like there's a lot to prove with the premiere of our debut, but we know this is our first step into a frantic, fantastic future. We just had to go the long way round to find it."

Director Carrie-Anne Ingrouille said: "I couldn't be happier that this incredibly poignant piece of writing is making its way to the stage. The themes in the show are talking points that should be active conversation for us all—and conversation we shall have..."

The piece is inspired by the viral response to Hartley's BFI short film Keep Breathing, which has amassed more than three million views on YouTube. Clips from the film were widely circulated, and misinterpreted, on TikTok, where they were misused out of context by the manosphere as "evidence" of women routinely making false rape allegations. This experience, along with landmark cases such as Depp v. Heard, highlighted a need to interrogate how narratives are shaped, distorted, and weaponized, particularly when they involve gendered or sexual violence.

In an age where public narratives give the threat of cancellation as much weight as the threat of gendered violence, We Had Fun challenges audiences' preconceptions—and perhaps even their own behavior—in a way that sparks meaningful conversations rather than offering platitudes.

Cast and Creative Team

The cast features Jack Mullings as Oscar, Emmeline Hartley as Ela, Emma Houston as Syd and other roles, and Tessa Redman as Quinn and other roles.

The creative team includes writers Emmeline Hartley and Jack Mullings; director and movement director Carrie-Anne Ingrouille; producer Annie Taylor-Gooby; lighting designer Benjamin Vetluzhskikh; sound designer Blanka Barbara Stahl; animatronic engineer Lilian Caccia; intimacy director Rose Ryan; vocal coach Ellen Hartley; production manager Sarah Wilson; company stage manager/operator Roshan Conn; assistant producer Emily Ring; poster photography and production stills by Sam Frank Wood; and image and poster design by Grant Kempster.

Crowdfunding Campaign

The company is launching a crowdfunding campaign "with a twist" to help fund the Edinburgh production. Supporters can access exclusive rewards including signed memorabilia from the 1966 World Cup, a curated beauty experience featuring curly styling, manicures, and bespoke nail art, guided brewery tours, professional script consultancy services for emerging writers, and autographed merchandise and meet-and-greet opportunities from productions including Slow Horses, Clerks, and Sister Boniface.

Performance Information

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