A controversial comedian. A money hungry manager. Nothing is off limits for this dirty and dangerous climb-to-the-top.
But when a joke is mistaken for a call-to-arms, a fan commits a violent crime, and Rodney’s head is on the chopping block…
Tackling cancel culture, misogyny and freedom of speech in an age of outrage: this is not a comedy, it’s an interrogation of it.
Award winning writing and bold new talent, coming in hot from Gilded Balloon at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe.
ALPINE FELLOWSHIP THEATRE PRIZE WINNER 2024, BITESIZE FESTIVAL BEST WRITING WINNER 2025, POPCORN WRITING AWARD SPECIAL MENTION 2025 and ILFELD PRIZE SHORTLISTED 2025.
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Running time
60 minutes -
Age guidance
16+ -
Content warnings
"A challenging piece of theatre full of the hallmarks of one of the best new emerging companies right now. Sadie Pearson is one of the most exciting writers currently breaking into the industry"
"Sadie Pearson writes like a demon. She is funny, clever, perceptive and sharp and it is an intoxicating combination"
The Company
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Ben Willows
Rodney Black
Ben Willows
Rodney Black
Ben trained at East 15 Acting School.
Theatre includes: Run at it Feuding (Mark Ravenhill/Run at it Shouting), Vandals (Reboot Festival), Peter Pan (Hurricane Theatre), Man and Brain (Bread and Roses), LAIKA (New Wimbledon Theatre/Barons Court Theatre), Death of a Disco Dancer (Edinburgh Fringe)
Short Film includes: Rider (Sticker Studios), Breakout Room (ULTRAVIOLET Productions)
Writing includes: Vandals (Reboot Festival), Before the Water Gets Too High (longlisted for RSC’s 37 Plays), Cottage (Edinburgh Fringe)
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Bertie Taylor-Smith
Manager
Bertie Taylor-Smith
Manager
Bertie trained at The Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama
TV includes: Trying (Apple TV)
Theatre includes: Far Out (Omnibus/Vault Festival), Framed (Theatre 503), If I Can Get This Right (Nottingham Playhouse), You’re Human Like The Rest Of Them (Finborough Theatre) A Mad World My Masters (RSC), Tuck Shop (Arcola), PLAY (Old Red Lion), Pomona (Gate Theatre), The Exclusion Zone (Southwark Playhouse).
Short film: Line Of Sight (Nominated – Best Romantic Film at Venice Short Film Awards), Right Place Wrong Tim (Channel 4 Random Acts)
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Merida Beasley
Woman
Merida Beasley
Woman
Merida is a recent graduate of Rose Bruford College.
Theatre includes: Phaedra Backwards (Greenwich Theatre), Anna Karenina (The Rose Theatre).
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Hen Ryan
Director
Hen Ryan
Director
Hen is an actor, director and theatre maker who, previous to Bristol University, trained as an actor at the MetFilm School. Co-founder of Full Frontal Theatre, they directed To Watch a Man Eat to five-star critical acclaim across the UK and have since began development with Rodney Black, from a WIP at the Lion & Unicorn to Riverside Studios, Gilded Balloon and – now – Arcola. Notable roles outside of Full Frontal have included directing CANINE TEETH with Side Hustle Scratch (2025), co-directing a sold-out immersive interpretation of Caryl Churchill’s ‘Love and Information’ at Loco Klub (2022), acting as Community-Group Assistant Director in conjunction with Travelling Light Theatre Company, Assistant Facilitator of 14-19s youth theatre group with Travelling Light, and performing with international theatre company Complicite in ‘Seen and Not Heard’ (2016).
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Sadie Pearson
Writer
Sadie Pearson
Writer
Sadie is a Mancunian prize-winning playwright. Her debut play To Watch a Man Eat saw a UK tour, including a five star showing at The Shakespeare North Playhouse, and was named Backstage Bristol’s top 3 plays of 2024. Her second play, Rodney Black: Who Cares? It’s Working, was a winner of the Alpine Fellowship Playwriting Prize 2024, the winner of Riverside Studios Bitesize Festival’s ‘Best Writing’ award 2025, is currently longlisted for the Ilfeld Prize 2025, and is shortlisted for The Popcorn Writing Award 2025, at Gilded Balloon for this year’s Edinburgh Fringe. She was the winner of The Wickham Theatre’s 75th Anniversary Playwriting competition, gained mentorship under playwright Mike Akers in Tobacco Factory Theatre’s Writer’s Scheme & her debut short-play, Man Hater Eater, premiered as one of the competitively selected works at Stockroom’s Inaugural new writing night with Not Long Stockport.
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Grace Shropshire
Producer
Grace Shropshire
Producer
Grace Shropshire is an emerging producer with a focus on new writing and politically engaged theatre. Securing highly-prized Keep it Fringe funding two years running, she has mastered the metrics of the Edinburgh Fringe, using the festival to platform two self-produced UK tours through her company Full Frontal Theatre. Winning competitive festival slots at acclaimed venues such as The Shakespeare North Playhouse, Gilded Balloon and Riverside Studios, she has led numerous sold-out productions across the country.