Serious illness, Queer Pop and Karaoke. These are the three fundamentals that sit at the heart of Silent Uproar Productions’ latest sing-along play Sh*t Life Crisis. Written by Olivia Hannah (Braids) and directed by Alex Mitchel, the show follows Grace, who has beaten cancer with the support of her ride-or-die Abbie. However, despite being given the all clear, Grace still feels gripped by fear and worry. This leads to the former “chemo buddies” cranking up the volume by throwing a party in honour of friendship, survival and confronting the woes faced by many in the modern age. With lyrics projected onto the set and a karaoke after-party it is sure to be a show that will have audiences belting along to the soundtrack of life! So, ahead of the show’s run at Newcastle’s Alphabetti Theatre, The Indiependent caught up with playwright Olivia Hannah to discuss how Sh*t Life Crisis came to life.
Tell us about Sh*t Life Crisis, what inspired you to create the show?
Olivia: The catalyst for this story was my sister having stage 4 Hodgkin Lymphoma and going through chemotherapy when she was in her early twenties. She’s been in remission for over ten years, but recovery was tough, mentally and physically, and the experience changed her completely. It felt like an aspect of cancer that we rarely see in drama; cancer stories either end in tragedy or a happily ever after, but in reality it can be devastating even if you “beat” it.
I also wanted to shine a light on the friends who show up in tough times. It’s really common for people to pull away when their friends get seriously ill, maybe because they don’t know how to help or they’re worried about getting it wrong, but that’s exactly the time when friends need to lean in.
The show is a comedy but explores some quite challenging subjects. Why do you think humour is of such importance when dealing with difficult experiences?
Olivia: I think we use humour to make it easier to talk about and process our difficult experiences, and that’s also true in storytelling. Humour is healing, it’s fuel for the spirit. But I also want the show to be a good time, the humour and music are an important part of that.
Sh*t Life Crisis is a sing-along karaoke play. What kind of music and audiences expect and why did you choose the songs you have chosen?
Olivia: I don’t want to reveal too much but people can expect a mix of pop and karaoke classics, and maybe a couple of unexpected choices! We chose songs that we loved, that spoke to the characters or the moment.
The show tours various venues across the North of England. What’s your favourite thing about living in the North and making theatre in the North?
Olivia: This may be what everyone says, but my favourite thing about living in the North is how friendly and welcoming people are. I never intended to live here in the long term but it was just so easy to settle in and make friends, I had a whole life here very quickly.
What do you hope audiences will take away from seeing the show?
Olivia: I hope people leave with a better understanding of the impact of cancer treatment, if that’s not something they’ve experienced before. For the people who have experienced it, I hope they feel seen and represented in some way and that everyone leaves feeling moved but uplifted.
What’s next for you after this tour?
Olivia: Back to my desk to work on the next play! I began researching a play about the Northern Soul club scene in the North East a couple of years ago but had to shelve it to work on other projects. Now’s the time to bring it back to life!
Sh*t Life Crisis will run at Alphabetti Theatre from 5 June to 7 June 2025, thus concluding its 13 date tour across the North of England, which kicked off at the Junction Goole last month.
Words by Cory Gourley
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This is a syndicated interview edited by the author.