Tana Sirois’ one-woman autobiographical comedy UnTethered opens at the Camden People’s Theatre next Tuesday, ahead of a longer run at VAULT Creative Arts’ The Glitch in Waterloo in May. The piece follows a demisexual woman with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder as she attempts to transcend her irrational fears so that she may finally experience what it’s like to ‘feel safe and loved’. We managed to catch up with Tana for a pixelated pint to dive into the show headfirst.

You can catch UnTethered at the Camden People’s Theatre on Tuesday March 25th at 9pm (70mins). You can also catch it later this year between the 21st and 26th May at The Glitch in Waterloo from 7pm (70mins). Tickets for both can be found online here.

Jake: Hi Tana! Your show UnTethered follows a queer, demisexual woman with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder – tell us about why you decided to bring that story to the stage.

Tana: I decided to put UnTethered on stage because I wanted to start conversations surrounding mental health, sexual orientation and identity. As is the case with the majority of autobiographical work, UnTethered explores the parts of my life where I have felt the most alone — the most misunderstood. This show has allowed me to articulate my experience of demisexuality, and explain that I, as many people, need to develop a deep emotional bond with a partner before experiencing attraction (at least most of the time). This play has also allowed me to explain the nuance and complexity of obsessive compulsive disorder and show that OCD is much more than a desire to be organized, tidy and symmetrical.

UnTethered also examines the concept of an unfixed identity. It explores the perspective that we, as humans, are in a state of continuous change, and the extent to which align ourselves with certain aspects of our identities (including our diagnoses) can shift and expand throughout our lives. At times, I am convinced OCD has ruined my life, and at others, my OCD does not seem to plague me at all. For me, there is a freedom in fluidity, and a sense of peace in the acceptance of a self that will continue to change.

Jake: The show sees the main character find her intrusive thoughts manifest as monsters from plastic bags – tell us about the process of developing that device and what the audience can expect to see and experience on stage.

Tana: When I was a child, I used to cry uncontrollably every time someone let go of a helium balloon and it floated away — every time a kite’s string snapped and soared past the clouds — every time a plastic bag was blew across a field or a parking lot and up into the sky. I became very attached to things very quickly, and all these examples — the balloon, the kite, the plastic bag — they all symbolize this extreme loss of control, both for the object itself, and for me in my inability to save it. When it came to writing UnTethered, I wanted to make my OCD a character in the play that existed outside of myself, and I liked the idea of linking my OCD’s manifestation with early childhood memories that felt related to my core fear. (My core fear being loss of control in an unsafe world.)

Personifying my OCD through plastic bags seemed like an absurd yet truthful way to express the severity of my intrusive thoughts and illustrate how they hijack my attention and focus. (The process of recognizing and labelling intrusive thoughts and catastrophic fears as symptoms of OCD and then separating the OCD from my core self has actually been a very effective element of my healing journey.) And of course, from an environmental perspective, I find the number of plastic bags currently floating around the earth to be extremely anxiety inducing.

Jake: What are you hoping the audience might take away from the experience, if anything?

Tana: I very much hope that UnTethered helps those who are not already familiar with OCD gain a deeper understanding of the disorder. I hope that it initiates conversations surrounding orientation and identity and the intricate ways each of us want to experience love and intimacy.  I hope audience members who share a similar experience to me feel seen and accepted. Ultimately, I hope this play inspires people to embrace their current self and show up in the world exactly as they are.

Jake: Tell us about how the show has ended up being performed at the Camden People’s Theatre and about your relationships with the other creatives involved.

Tana: We were really hoping that UnTethered would be selected for the SPRINT Festival at Camden People’s Theatre! It’s such a supportive venue, and a wonderful place to produce new work. All the shows in this festival looks amazing, and I’m very excited to be part of such a strong lineup. We just found out that UnTethered will also have a seven-show run at The Glitch in May, and we are thrilled for that, as well!

As for my relationship with the creatives on the UnTethered team… I’m honestly not sure how I managed to find such a talented, supportive and dedicated squad. UnTethered’s director, Polina Ionina, signed onto the project about a year ago, and the guidance she has provided as I have continued to define and polish the story has been immeasurable. She has done an excellent job of heightening the physicality of the piece helping me find ways to ground in each moment. She has shown endless patience as I have not-so-gracefully navigated emotional blocks and vulnerabilities during the rehearsal process. I truly cannot imagine doing this show with anyone else by my side.

Our stage manager Skyler Reid has been a huge supporter of this project from day one, and I feel incredibly touched and honoured that he is flying from NYC to be part of our run at Camden People’s Theatre. Tyler Agnew composed most of our music with his band Toy Factory — he’s a wildly talented musician and composer, and we’ve known each other for close to 20 years, so he has really been present for my entire journey with OCD, which feels very special.

Julian Deering is designing our lights, and he is just amazing. We met at Queen Mary University while I was doing my MSc in Creative Arts & Mental Health (which is where I first started writing UnTethered), and Jules has really been with this project from day one. His support is what kept me pushing through those early days of creative insecurity.

Answering this question made me a little emotional! I feel so lucky to be doing this play with such a solid and talented crew.

Jake: Given the themes of Binge Fringe, if your show was a beverage of any kind (alcoholic, non-alcoholic – be as creative as you like!), what would it be and why?

Tana: Hmmm… I suppose at its core, this show is about taking the steps you need to take in order to stay healthy, and embracing your current self without apology, so I’m gonna get bold here and say it’s a green juice with a shot of mezcal — it’s dynamic and spicy and leaves you with plenty to chew on.

You can catch UnTethered at the Camden People’s Theatre on Tuesday March 25th at 9pm (70mins). You can also catch it later this year between the 21st and 26th May at The Glitch in Waterloo from 7pm (70mins). Tickets for both can be found online here.

Image Credit: Skyler Reid