The Understudy at Assembly George Square Gardens, The Box

The Understudy is a one-woman dark comedy following an actor who has put everything on hold for her moment in the spotlight, born out of Eva Seymour's experience working as a Covid understudy. Written and performed by Eva Seymour and directed by Olivia Charalambous, the show sees Seymour portray 30 different characters surrounding one actor's journey from personal sacrifices to deteriorating relationships in the name of feeling useful. Featuring a live camera feed of the performer which fractures as her psyche splits, the piece explores jealousy, self-righteousness, and the price of ambition. The show premiered at Melbourne Fringe Festival 2025 and played Adelaide Fringe 2026, where Seymour won a weekly award for Best Theatre, before making its UK premiere at Edinburgh Fringe.