SEA WORDS A Camp And Irreverant New Play Announced At Summerhall Festival

Olly Gully and NTA Productions present Sea Words at Summerhall Festival, Former Women's Locker Room, 2nd Aug - 27th Aug 2023.

Chris and Christine are a seasoned seaside double-act. But when Christine mysteriously refuses to perform, Chris' chaotic solo-effort takes both dangerously out of their depth.

Written and performed by award-winning theatre maker Olly Gully (Hear Myself Think, Dietrich: Natural Duty) and directed in her début by Sophie Mercell (Told by an Idiot), this camp and irreverent new play takes a darkly-comic cannonball into the heart of the untameable deep.

Sea Words is a bold, camp, chaotic one-man variety show, taking a hilarious and furious deep dive into the complex responses to mental ill health in modern family relationships, as seen through the eyes of beleaguered but enthusiastic entertainer Chris.

This multidisciplinary one act play offers an uncompromising look at how we navigate the treatment of mental health across generations when one person needs help but doesn't know what, and the other wants to help but doesn't know how.

Fusing personal experience, physical comedy, and the dying art of seaside entertainment, this powerful solo from Olly Gully provocatively interrogates whether theatre as an art-form can do any actual, practical good?

Sea Words was developed as part of Soho Theatre's Writer's Lab, further supported by Arts Council England, ARC Stockton and the Peggy Ramsay Foundation, and was selected for Phoebe Waller-Bridge and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society's inaugural Keep it Fringe fund.

Writer and performer Olly Gully is an award-winning theatremaker, whose work includes Dietrich: Natural Duty (co-writer) which has been performed in London and off-Broadway, and on tour across the UK, Europe and Australia. In 2021, he created audio series Hear Myself Think, which has since reached audiences in 35 countries and was this year nominated for a National Diversity Award. He is an alumni of Soho Theatre Writer's Lab, and was recently resident at ARC Stockton, and ArtHouse Jersey. Sea Words is his solo theatre writing debut.

Director Sophie Mercell is a frequent collaborator with legendary ensemble Told By an Idiot. As an actor she has performed at Oldham Coliseum, Hull Truck, Barbican, The Globe and most recently in the West End, Glasgow and New York in the cast of Jamie Lloyd's Cyrano De Bergerac. Sea Words is Sophie's debut as director.

Sound designer Kieran Lucas is an award-nominated sound designer and sound artist whose recent work includes Hungry (Soho Theatre), May Queen (Belgrade Theatre) and First Touch (Nottingham Playhouse.) He has worked with theatre companies and venues including the Young Vic, RSC, Donmar Warehouse, Nottingham Playhouse, St Paul's Cathedral and the Natural History Museum. He is also a founding member of Barrel Organ theatre company and associate artist at Coney.

Producing company NTA Productions specialises in live comedy and theatrical work, led by producer Natalie Allison. Natalie is a Stage One Bursary recipient, who has produced work that has featured at The Royal Opera House, Barbican, Arts Theatre West End, V&A London and regional main houses across the UK.

During its rehearsals and run, the team of Sea Words have also been working with Abigail Maria Sol as Wellbeing Lead.

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