OPAL FRUITS

2022. Available for Touring.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

”An often-spiteful piece, occasionally tender, aesthetically pleasing and very, very poignant.” Everything Theatre, as seen at Edinburgh Fringe 2022

★ ★ ★ ★

“A quiet slice of genius”. The Wee Review, as seen at Edinburgh Fringe 2022

★ ★ ★ ★

“Humour fills the show”. Bristol Live

★ ★ ★ ★

“[A] skilled, funny, angular performance”. ThreeWeeks Edinburgh, as seen at Edinburgh Fringe 2022

★ ★ ★ ★

Breaking The Fourth Wall

★ ★ ★ ★

Plays To See

“An invigoratingly punk experience” The Scotsman, as seen at Edinburgh Fringe 2022

“One of my all-time favourite shows” Paul Smith, Artistic Director - Middle Child Theatre

“Utterly engaging” Lyn Gardner, Stagedoor

“One to watch” A Younger Theatre

“Truly one of the best pieces of theatre I have seen” Audience feedback, as seen at Edinburgh Fringe 2022

“So refreshing...unlike anything I’ve seen” Audience feedback, as seen at Edinburgh Fringe 2022

Armed with pick n mix, politics and UK Garage, Holly Beasley-Garrigan wants to talk about the fetishisation of the feral female. OPAL FRUITS is about class, nostalgia and five generations of women from one council estate in South London. An anarchic reimagining of the self-congratulatory solo show and a wry interrogation of faux-working-class cultural trends.

OPAL FRUITS is Holly's debut solo show. It’s undergone significant redevelopment with an expanded creative team from W/B/U/C-class* backgrounds. The show explores what it means to be an artist who grew up in poverty... to have a stake in two worlds but to feel as though you don't really fit into either.

In 1998 Opal Fruits changed their name to – we don’t say that name here. It was all downhill.

Supported by: Arts Council England, Bristol Old Vic Ferment, Knowle West Media Centre, Streatham Space Project.

Further Press:

“Beasley-Garrigan is an engaging performer, clearly alert to the paradox of mining her own background to make art that will be consumed by a primarily middle class audience.” - Natasha Tripney, The Stage

“a highly personal debut… demonstrates an ability to play with humour and injustice, and calls for wider representation on our stages” - Kate Wyver, The Guardian

“Beasley-Garrigan manages to give a voice to the women who have no voice and in doing so, lays the ghosts of regret to rest as she reconnects to her matriarchal forebears and society’s silent majority.” - Breaking The Fourth Wall

*working class / benefits class / under class / criminal class