A triple bill of work-in-progress performances.

BORING by Kat Engall

BORING is a darkly comic one woman show that explores the exhausting performance of trying to be interesting. It follows a woman who is convinced she needs to be more fun, more exciting and more socially impressive in order to be accepted.

Through a series of confessional and comedic moments, she tries to prove she is interesting enough. She laughs at jokes she doesn’t find funny, forces herself into social situations she doesn’t enjoy and spirals through FOMO; all the while comparing her own life to the extreme achievements of people like Tom Cruise.

But, what happens when we stop trying to perform an interesting life and start being ourselves instead?

Triggers and advisories: themes of drugs and sex.

Kat Engall

More about the show from Kat:

BORING is a darkly comic one woman show that explores the exhausting performance of trying to be interesting. The show follows a woman who is convinced she needs to be more fun, more exciting and more socially impressive in order to be accepted. When the piece begins, she is already on stage dancing wildly to a 90s club classic, presenting herself as the life and soul of the party. As soon as the music stops, the mask begins to slip and the audience sees the cracks underneath.

Through a series of confessional and comedic moments, she tries to prove she is interesting enough. She laughs at jokes she doesn’t find funny, forces herself into social situations she doesn’t enjoy, and spirals through FOMO; all the while comparing her own life to the extreme achievements of people like Tom Cruise. As the performance unfolds, the audience begins to see the pressure she feels to constantly perform a version of herself that is entertaining, agreeable and easy to be around.

Gradually the piece reveals the deeper emotional context behind this performance. Through fragmented memories and internal voices, she confronts the ways in which her sense of identity has been shaped by the expectations of others. The show explores themes of social performance, emotional manipulation, identity distortion and the subtle pressures that most people feel to be ‘fun’, ‘easy’, and never ‘too much’.

While the show touches on serious emotional territory, it is primarily driven by humour and recognisable social experiences. The audience is invited to laugh at the absurdity of modern social expectations, particularly the pressure to curate an interesting life. Moments of comedy, awkward confession and physical storytelling sit alongside quieter reflections as the character slowly reconnects with parts of herself she has suppressed.

A visual throughline in the piece is the character’s relationship on and off a microphone. Throughout the performance, the microphone pushes a version of herself  to appear more confident or more interesting. However, she continually stops herself when off mic. By the end of the piece, she finally comes off the microphone entirely- a small act of reclaiming her identity.

The work is currently in development as a 15/20-minute work in progress which will eventually expand into a full length one woman show. This scratch performance will allow me to test the balance between comedy and vulnerability, explore the pacing of the character’s emotional arc, and understand which moments resonate most strongly with an audience. I am particularly interested in how the audience responds to the shifts between humour and discomfort, and whether the central theme of social performance feels recognisable.

The piece is aimed at audiences who enjoy contemporary solo theatre, dark comedy and autobiographical storytelling. It will particularly resonate with people who have experienced the pressure to perform socially, and with anyone who has ever left a party wondering whether they were interesting enough.

Ultimately, BORING asks a simple question: what happens when we stop trying to perform an interesting life, and start being ourselves instead?

 

Jackdaw by Alicja Shaw

In a world where guilt is the only truth and the law is everywhere, how does one man navigate his way to liberty?

Set in 1935 Prague, Jackdaw is a haunting exploration of identity, expectation and rebellion. Inspired by the life and writing of Franz Kafka, the play follows a young man caught between his inner world and the crushing weight of his father’s ambition, revealing a deeply personal struggle that echoes far beyond one family.

Jackdaw is the story of a son trying to be seen — and a father determined to define him

Triggers and advisories: strong language, themes of emotional abuse.

Alicja Shaw
Writer Alicja Shaw

 

Silent Tsunami by Jess Driver

Silent Tsunami immerses the audience in an elderly woman’s world where time shifts, stories blur and memories resurface in waves. As she folds, tidies and recounts her life, she invites her audience on an emotional journey, revealing truths while navigating home. A story that captures connection, memory and confusion – the silence before a storm. Some waves you never see coming.

Triggers and advisories: reference to dementia and loss.

Jess Driver

Jess Driver is a Nottingham based, emerging writer and producer. Having been part of Nottingham Playhouse’s Homegrown Creatives, she is eager to take these next, exciting steps with her writing, bringing her vision to life at Amplify. Jess wishes to continue challenging social conventions and inspire reflection on overlooked topics.

Silent Tsunami is an early-developed piece being showcased for the first time in front of a live audience. This is the script in its entirety, with the option for future development and duration, with the intention to deepen its themes and purpose.

The creative team consists of all East Midlands emerging and established creatives. Directed by Quentin O’Brien; produced and written by Jess Driver; performed by Ria Ashcroft and Kathy Taylor.