Award winning, cult theatre maker and performer Christopher Brett Bailey brings the London premiere of I SAW SATAN AT THE 7-ELEVEN to the Soho Theatre from 21 April – 2 May 2026. This run is the first opportunity for London audiences to experience Bailey’s unique monologue about a chance encounter in a 7–Eleven between our deadbeat narrator and the Devil himself. Death-black humour and visceral imagery collide, taking audiences on a surreal journey that is as romantic as it is horrifying.
‘A spectacularly brilliant wordsmith and performer. Not only his hair, but his brain is permanently on fire. Hop on the back of his Harley, hold tight, you won’t regret it.’ Terry Gilliam Tickets here.
1.I Saw Satan at the 7–Eleven has been described as “Fear and Loathing meets South Park.” Where did this outrageous collision of romance, buddy comedy and body horror first begin for you?
Ideas begin in the shower. So why don’t I shower more? Great question. Can I let you in on a secret? I actually hate this formula X plus Y way of describing things. Fans of South Park will be disappointed I’m not funnier, fans of Fear and Loathing will be disappointed I’m not telling a true story. Beavis and Butthead meets Bukowski or Kathy Acker remixes the Power Puff Girls, would be just as apt… The point is, my aesthetic is steeped in counter-culture novels of the 1970s and cartoons from the 1990s. Why? You are what you eat.
2. The piece started life as your own novella. What changed — or intensified — when you adapted it into a live monologue for the stage?
At first, I planned to perform the whole book. But guess what? That takes 3 hours. Nobody wants to sit through a 3-hour monologue. Well… there might be a hardcore fringe of masochists and perverts who’d dig it, but the general audience is bored after about an hour and ready to return to reality. Also, bladder capacity shrank during COVID and may never come back. So, what changed from page to stage is I cut lots of stuff out, including my favourite line in the book… ‘a pornographic movie is just a regular movie with the metaphors removed’.
3. Your work is often praised for its visceral language and physical intensity. As a solo performer holding the stage for 70 minutes, how do you sustain that level of momentum without losing the audience in the chaos?
Coffee. People often ask if I perform drunk. I guess I seem drunk when I’m on stage. But I’m rarely drunk up there, usually flying on caffeine. Without it I get self-conscious and time drags. Much better to be 4-espressos-jittery, which gels with the on-stage nerves perfectly. How do I not lose a few people in the chaos? You say. I reckon I lose plenty of people. Some of them come to get lost, I’m sure of that.
4. This play presents Satan not as an all-powerful force, but as a washed-up has-been who falls in love. What drew you to portraying the Devil as vulnerable — even romantic?
I’m a heavy metal fan and a horror fan, so the Devil is ever-present. But he came to the forefront of my imagination and demanded to be written about circa 2018 as the entertainment world wrestled with morality like never before. My work isn’t overtly socio-political, but there are little pieces of shrapnel from reality in it, or it’s like a funhouse mirror held up to the world. So in this piece, Satan is in decline, once the ultimate bad guy, now vulnerable and perhaps deserving sympathy or forgiveness. At the very least, you must give the Devil his due.
5. You’ve been called “the beat poet of our generation” and a “mesmerising, mouthy athlete.” How conscious are you of rhythm and musicality when crafting your monologues?
When I write, I speak out loud. Then write it down. Then read it out loud. Make some changes. Speak those out loud. And so on. It’s common practice for scriptwriters and poets to do this. I’d advise it to novelists and bloggers, and list writers too. Every piece of writing has a rhythm; written language is the sheet music, speech is the song. Heck, next time you’re writing a Get Well Soon card, try reading it out loud in a booming voice… it can’t hurt.
6. With collaborations ranging from Darkfield to Terry Gilliam’s upcoming Carnival at the End of Days, how does this Soho Theatre run mark a new chapter for you — and what excites you most about London audiences encountering this piece for the first time?
I’m a lucky mother, getting to work on so many different projects with different types of people. Back before COVID, I was mostly a performer, on stage about 100 nights a year. But I’ve spent the last few years writing: screenplays, stage plays, novels. Some of these will see the light of day, some are destined for the garbage can. So this run at Soho Theatre is a return to the stage… it will just be nice to get out of the house. And I’ve never played Soho Theatre before. Some of my favourite shows of all time (Kim Noble, Natalie Palamides, GETINTHEBACKOFTHEVAN) have happened in that joint so it’s wonderful to be invited. I just hope I’m not too rusty, and I remember what to do when the stage lights come on. I’m not one of life’s great rehearsers, you see. I rely on instinct, nerves and panic. I’m doing a horrible job of selling this, aren’t I? See you on opening night!