OVERSHARE is anything but demure. ‘As if Bo Burnham’s Inside was made by Bridget Jones’s drug-addled cousin’ (British Theatre Guide) This ‘brilliantly original one-person show‘ (WestEndBestFriend) ‘makes Fleabag look like CBeebies’. A Youngish Perspective holds this exclusive dialogue with Eleanor.
how has the piece changed since those early DIY days, and what’s it been like bringing something so personal into a full theatre run?
Well, I’ve got funding now. Thanks, Arts Council (love you when you fund me, hate you when you don’t!). Back then it was just me, my room, my phone, and a small online following. That DIY spirit is still there, but now there’s also a live audience.
The show’s interactive. You can just watch, or watch and see the screen projection, or go full in: text me, send memes, vote in polls. It’s like choosing your own path through the piece.
The personal stuff is second nature.It’s my life. But performing it night after night takes a toll, so safeguarding my mental health is key. The hardest bit? If it flops, there’s nowhere to hide. It’s all me. Fingers crossed it doesn’t!
Performing during Mental Health Awareness Week, and after your own neurosurgery delay—how does it feel to be putting this show out there now, at this moment in your life?
eah, I don’t do things by halves! The show was meant to happen last October, but then I had brain surgery. Life’s felt on pause, and it’s surreal, scary even, o be doing it now while still managing ongoing neuro stuff.
I’ve changed about half the show after R&D, which is terrifying. What if I broke it? But the whole experience gave me perspective when you’ve faced brain surgery, worrying if people like your show feels… smaller.
Mental Health Awareness Week made sense. This show is raw, real. I’m tired of the corporate gloss. Just let the people who live it talk about it.
The audience is encouraged to leave their phones on during the show. What made you want to lean into that chaos rather than push against it like most theatre?
The show started as an Instagram series, where people watched, commented, and sent memes. I wanted that energy in the theatre, phones on, real-time interaction.
Social media is chaotic. You scroll from grief to cat memes to dancing monkeys. I recreate that by letting the audience message me, join polls, get DMs mid-show. It’s messy, but intentional.
Also, why ban phones? Let people take pics. It’s free marketing. I want a relaxed space where people feel welcome, even if theatre isn’t usually their thing.
The show explores trauma, heartbreak, and mental health with sharp humour and tech-savvy staging—what do you think makes comedy such a powerful tool when dealing with heavy topics?
Life without humour is hell. When you’ve been through trauma, you have to find something to laugh at, even if it’s dark. A laugh is relief, even when it comes with tears.
People forget you can feel more than one thing at once. I usually feel everything, all at the same time. Life is hard: hearts break, brains glitch, people die. So I steal laughter where I can.
Also, my play is basically a list of terrible things that have happened to me. If I didn’t make it funny too, it’d be a hate crime!
You’ve been praised for writing that feels raw, funny, and painfully relatable. How do you protect your own wellbeing while performing something so close to your lived experience every night?
Did my Associate Producer put you up to this? Honestly, protecting my mental health has become Rachel Thomas’s mission! Thanks to her, I’ve started working with an Artist Wellbeing Practitioner, Lou Platt. It’s new for me, but probably overdue.
In the past, I’ve really struggled with post-show blues, and because this show is so raw, audiences often want to talk after. I love the compliments, but sometimes I don’t want to unpack my life offstage too.
This time, I’m being more intentional: therapy, sobriety during rehearsals and the run, daily exercise – the boring stuff that annoyingly works. It’s a longer run than I’m used to, so keeping myself sane(ish) is a priority.
For people juggling burnout, healing, and an endless scroll of comparison—what do you hope OVERSHARE gives them permission to feel, laugh at, or let go of?
Laughter and curiosity, even in horror. That’s what I’m aiming for. Well, that and good reviews and future funding, obviously!
But seriously, I’m not here to tell people what to feel. I want to spark questions, start conversations. This isn’t a ‘social media is bad’ show. How boring! I made it because of social media. I’m interested in nuance, in conflicting ideas sitting side by side, and in reminding people it’s okay to be messy, cringe, unpolished and real.
Social media pushes perfection, but life isn’t filtered, and that’s okay.
OVERSHARE will be performed at Greenwich Theatre 6th – 25th May 2025. Tickets and info can be found here: https://greenwichtheatre.org.uk/events/overshare/