Utterly Facinorous Productions on bringing And Kill Him in the Shell to Camden Fringe
After the success of our 2025 Camden Fringe Interviews, we thought it only right to attempt a repeat for 2026. So throughout July we published over 60 interviews to give a taste of what to expect from London’s best fringe theatre festival. The plan was to stop there, but as shows are still coming to us asking for interviews, we thought we’d do a few more! But we have to stop soon, we’re also very busy seeing the shows now.
You can find out more about Camden Fringe, along with details of every show playing here. You can also find all of this year’s interviews at here.
Faced with a world that feels increasingly on the edge, Utterly Facinorous Productions brings And Kill Him in the Shell to the Canal Café Theatre for this year’s Camden Fringe. Composed of two distinct one-act plays; Mt Glorious and The Small Hours, the production serves as a darkly comedic, emotionally raw exploration of escape, chaotic choices, and generational hopelessness. Writers Byron Lankester Howells and Leonardo Londono sat down to reflect on the real-life crises that sparked these stories, the deep trust built between drama school peers, and why creating a fleeting, powerful connection with an audience is the ultimate metric of success.
If you had to describe the vibe of your show in just one sentence, what would it be?
A gripping, beautiful, darkly comedic roller coaster of emotions.
Why is 2026 the perfect time for this show to be seen?
And Kill Him in the Shell speaks to a certain hopelessness and complacency among the current emerging generation. The stories were both written as a response to a generation living on the edge. If the world is ending and there’s nothing we can do about it, why should we watch?
What was the ‘eureka moment’ that made you realise this story had to be told right now?
Byron: I originally began writing Mt Glorious after a breakup when I was stuck on a boat for a week with my mother, my brother and their partners. Both couples were on the precipice of breaking up, and as a result they were always fighting. It was a very tense environment, but I was surrounded by the most beautiful islands and spent my days swimming amongst the great barrier reef. I became hyper aware of my escape mechanisms and Mt Glorious was a way for me to explore that.
Leonardo: In the ER, I was waiting for them to finish my friend’s examination, who, after a long week of swaying to and from debauchery, was vomiting blood; nearly 4am and midwinter black seeping in through the automatic doors. Two young actors from across the many oceans with no one to call but each other and no one to blame but themselves, waiting to hit a seven on the dice, and there I am shrugging it off, thinking ‘these are just things that happen in the small hours of the morning’. And so I thought about a play where I could discuss the always imminent chaos of a life driven by unreasonable, unshakeable choices. That’s how The Small Hours happened.
What is the “secret sauce” that makes your group dynamic work?
All three of us trained at drama school together. We have seen each other at our most vulnerable and most pathetic. We all know each other’s habits and strengths and as a result we are able to push each other in a way that is very rare. We have been able to make something incredibly special as a result of this professional intimacy.
What does “success” look like for you this August, beyond just selling tickets?
Theatre is something that can only exist in a specific moment in time. When a piece of theatre reaches an audience, something special happens. This moment of connection is what success looks like to us.
Who would play you in the Hollywood adaptation of your future autobiography?
The first time I appeared on stage was in preschool. My teacher had written a play based on all the staff-members in our school. I was cast as the groundskeeper. I only had one line, but as soon as I stepped onto the stage in my costume with the fake moustache, the audience erupted with laughter. I was hooked. I have been obsessed with acting ever since. I would play that groundskeeper.
If your show was a love letter to a specific era, what would it be?
Our show would be a lovely letter to 1920’s Bohemian Paris. An idea to figures like Henry Miller and Anaïs Nin. A world inhabited by destitute artists, the poorest souls in the world and the happiest people alive.
If budget or reality was not an issue, what’s the one piece of set you’d love to have in your show?
A solid gold jacuzzi.
Many thanks to Byron and Leonardo for their time. And Kill Him in the Shell plays at Canal Cafe Theatre from Monday 17 to Wednesday 19 August.
