EDINBURGH 2025: Mimi Martin Guest Blog

Writer/Performer Mimi Martin makes her solo Edinburgh Fringe debut with Youth in Flames, running at ZOO Playground from 1 to 24 August. Set during the 2019 Hong Kong protests and inspired by Martin’s own experiences, the play follows British teenager Millie, caught between privilege and resistance. In this interview, she reflects on flawed protagonists, writing from distance and why confronting shame on stage might just be the most honest choice of all.

Youth in Flames has come on a long journey—originally starting out as a three-hander, then whittled down to two—before I finally landed on writing a solo, one-woman play. It was only during the painstaking process of writing that it became clear to me that the voice I could most authentically articulate was the one I was a part of: the British expat.

Don’t get me wrong, I definitely took creative liberties when writing Millie but what surprised me the most, was how quickly I was able to conjure up her ignorant and sometimes bratty sensibilities. It sort of disgusted me. But I thought, if I’m ashamed of that ignorance, then maybe there’s something worth exploring here. Nobody's perfect. So I think it’s far more compelling to tell a story where the protagonist is flawed, because that’s where real connection happens.

We relate to the parts of ourselves we don’t want to talk about—the messy, imperfect sides. And that’s what made Millie’s perspective feel so powerful and necessary. When I reflect on my teenage years in Hong Kong, there are definitely things I chose to gloss over. It felt easier to pretend everything was normal rather than confront what was really going on around me. I was rebellious, often finding myself in difficult situations—sometimes by my own doing, sometimes not.

This story isn’t a direct retelling of my life, but Millie’s journey reflects a narrative that was very present in the city. She’s an expat child trying to forget everything rather than face the realities unfolding around her—and that mindset was something I witnessed often, and sometimes even shared.

Now, having left Hong Kong, distance has given me a clearer perspective—not just on the protests, but on the context surrounding them. After moving back to the UK, I was struck by how little many people knew about Hong Kong’s history, despite its colonial ties to Britain. Even more troubling was how filtered and limited the international coverage of the protests had been. When you're immersed in the moment, it's hard to see how the rest of the world is perceiving it—or how much of the story is being lost in translation.

We live in an age of increasing media censorship, which makes it hard to know which sources can truly be trusted. From outside Hong Kong, I now feel better equipped to tell a more honest, uncensored version of events—one that reflects the resilience and heartbreak Hongkongers experienced firsthand.Young people have always been at the forefront of change—often because we’re the ones most invested in the future. Youth in Flames reveals not only the courage and determination of Hong Kong’s youth but also the price they pay for refusing to stay silent. While some dismissed their actions as naïve or misguided, the reality was more complex: many in the older generation chose silence or inaction. The burden of resistance fell on young shoulders often leading to hospitalisations and arrests. But Youth in Flames isn’t a tragedy but about amplifying voices. It shows that defiance isn’t reckless, but necessary. When remaining silent is safer, speaking out shows truth strength.

When I first mentioned staging a protest as a solo performer, it definitely raised a few eyebrows.

It’s hard to imagine one person conjuring up an entire democratic movement through pure storytelling. But I love a challenge—and I had full faith that myself and the Dare Theatre team could immerse audiences in the chaotic world that is Hong Kong.

Our sound designer, Guy Martin, has spent the past six months building original soundscapes centered around the play’s world. Hong Kong is a sub-tropical climate: jungle, beaches, and city all mixed into one. It's a surreal landscape, and the sounds there are equally maddening. Ciara Moss, our lighting designer, has captured the city’s vibrant intensity while also reflecting Millie’s internal chaos through nuanced lighting shifts. Capturing the essence of the heat, the animals, and the relentless energy of the nightlife has been challenging—but what we’ve created despite those limitations is something we’re all deeply proud of.

The response from our previews at Drayton Arms Theatre and Omnibus Theatre has been staggering. The conversations that followed were wide-ranging—touching on identity, privilege, and protest. What’s really stayed with me is how different age groups have responded. For younger audiences, Youth in Flames is a coming-of-age story—they see themselves in Millie’s confusion, rebellion, and emotional turmoil. For older audiences, it seems to offer a mirror back to a more naïve version of themselves—a reminder of the moments when they lost their innocence.

Other conversations have centred on the protests happening today—Trump’s response to unrest in LA, and Britain’s reaction to Palestine Action. Many viewers found that Youth in Flames made them reflect on their own positions of privilege. That the ability to disengage is a form of safety many do not have. When it’s your identity, your city, your future being stripped away, you’re forced to respond.

Personally, this is what I dream of as a writer and performer. I never want to tell an audience how they should feel or what they're supposed to take away from a show. Every experience is personal. Each person will connect with it differently—and that’s the beauty of theatre. For me, art has always been about creating conversation. Youth in Flames is an invitation: to remember what happened in Hong Kong, to reflect on the protests happening here, and to stay vigilant about the ways in which protest and dissent are being redefined.

Bringing this work to Fringe means everything to me. It enables me to engage with a wider audience—including people who may know nothing of the Hong Kong protests. It’s the beginning of a journey that I hope will continue long after August. This past year has beenmessy and emotional—I’ve had to learn every part of what it means to run a theatre company and produce a show from scratch. But the theatre community has been the most supportive group I’ve ever worked with, and I can’t wait to meet the artists bringing their work to Edinburgh this year!