Jake Mace
Content Warning: Conversation Surrounding Drink Spiking, Assault
Two teenagers find themselves tangled in a terrifying culture of spiking and assault – it’s a story ever-prescient in the minds of young people heading out on the town. In this Digital Pint, we caught up with Olivia McGeachy to discuss how she’s taking this problem to the stage in her first work What the F*ck Happend to Love and Hope? to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe next week.
You can catch What the F*ck Happened to Love and Hope? between August 20th and 24th at theSpace on the Mile – Space 2 from 10:00. Tickets are available through the EdFringe Box Office.
Jake: Hi Olivia! Tell us about your show’s journey from creation to ending up at the EdFringe stage.
Olivia: The play follows best friends Nina and Faye as they navigate a terrifying culture of spiking and assault. It started off as a one person play from Nina’s perspective which had a one-off performance last September at Bedlam Theatre where it was met with a really touching response (a few people also suggested bringing it to the fringe so the fact it’s actually happening now is brilliant and surreal!). Then I added a part two from Faye’s perspective because it felt like she definitely had an interesting story to tell and the two separate parts ended up being combined to make one longer (hopefully quite good actually!) play, cutting back and forth between Nina and Faye’s point of view which is really exciting.
I’m very delighted to say we’ve got the phenomenal Staci Shaw as Director (who facilitated the game-changing combination of the two parts), the sensational Laura Gentile as Assistant Director, the excellent Heidi Steel playing Faye and The Counterminers are onboard as Co-Producer which has been wonderful. As this is my first time writing/producing/acting in the fringe (especially as an 18-year-old!) it means the world to be able to do it with such a kind, creative and extremely talented team.
The writing process has involved a lot of thorough research as well as exploring what I already felt comfortable and qualified to talk about. Also, because the play follows best friends Nina and Faye, it could be easy to label them both as ‘typical teenagers’ so I’ve loved getting to flip this around by showing the depth and complexity beneath the surface.
The logistics and producing side of things has been very new (so many things to do!) but I’ve learned loads and it’s great seeing it all come together!
Jake: Tell us about the inspiration behind your show and why you think its themes are relevant to an audience in 2024.
Olivia: The initial inspiration came from reading an article about how drink spiking was on the rise amongst young people which massively struck me on a deeper level. It swirled about in my head for months and when it came to writing the play, raising awareness was a key driving force and motivation. Consent is a big theme explored in the show because as a young person, it feels so important for everyone to understand what it is, what it looks like, what it feels like, and what the nuances could potentially be, in a way which feels understandable and accessible. I’d also noticed young people’s voices weren’t truly authentically represented often enough in theatre which felt like such a shame because the arts have so much power to influence and educate as well as entertain.
I think younger people will really connect with it and maybe even recognise themselves or their friends, there’s also something quite universal in the specificity of the things Nina and Faye experience so we’re hoping a wide range of people will find themselves resonating with the play. We’re telling this story now because spiking and assault are massively on the rise, it’s clear something’s got to change.
Jake: What are you hoping the audience will walk away thinking/feeling, and how do you aim to achieve this on stage?
Olivia: A sense of being seen for anyone who connects with, or has experienced, anything explored in the play and hopefully a new perspective and insight for anyone who hasn’t. We’ve tried to do this by working hard to make sure the play is honest and vulnerable whilst also having moments of real joy too so we’re taking people with us when we then explore themes such as drink spiking and consent.
Myself being 18 and having written the play, there’s a natural feeling of relating to the environment explored and we hope the audience will sense authenticity and lean in. We’re also aiming for people to feel invested and immersed in Nina and Faye as characters, it’s been so much fun playing with what their dynamic is in rehearsals as well as taking part in workshops as a company led by our director Staci to make sure there’s truth in every single beat and moment.
Jake: Now that you’re gearing up for Fringe, what are you most excited for?
Olivia: There’s something so special about the feeling of connecting with a room full of people and telling a story so the fact that we’re getting to share this particular story feels really special. Doing this show with the team has already been such a pleasure so I’m really excited to get to share it with an audience!
I’m also so excited for the atmosphere, the sense of community and seeing shows!
Jake: Fitting with the themes of our magazine, if your show was an alcoholic beverage (think cocktails, shots, beers, be creative!) what would it be?
Olivia: Smirnoff Ice: it’s fresh and packs a hidden punch.
