We sat down for an exclusive interview with Olivia Hannah, playwright of Shit Life Crisis, which tours the North of England from 20th May – 7th June. Directed by Silent Uproar AD Alex Mitchel, Shit Life Crisis follows Grace, who has smashed cancer with the perennial support of her ride-or-die Abbie, but victory has begun to feel like a bad joke. Find venue dates and more here.
- Tell us about Sh*t Life Crisis, what inspired you to create the show?
The catalyst for this story was my sister having stage 4 Hodgkin Lymphoma and going through chemo when she was in her early twenties. She’s been in remission for over 10 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 happy 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?
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 just want the show to be a good time, the humour and music are an important part of that. It should feel life-affirming.
- 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?
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, and that invite people to sing along.
- The show tours various venues across the North of England, what’s your favourite thing about living in the North and what’s the best thing about making theatre in the North?
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?
I hope people leave with a better understanding of the impact of cancer treatment, if that’s not something they’ve experienced before. And for people who have experienced it, I hope they feel seen and represented in some way. And I hope that people leave feeling moved but uplifted.
- What’s next for you after this tour?
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 come back to it and bring it to life.
What a play I lost my wife to cancer and I took my partner to this, she had lost her husband to cancer and is now going through breast cancer … remarkable play well constructed and relatable we cried laughed and sang what a journey …loved it