And Then I’ll Sleep, Lion and Unicorn Theatre
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And Then I’ll Sleep centres around two women meeting in a sexual assault survivors group where they bond over their shared trauma and past relationships as they try to move forward. This is a fresh look into how PTSD can interfere with romantic relationships.
We met up with Tasmin Wickremeratne (TW) the writer of the play and Elsie Youngman (EY) who has directed it, whilst they were preparing for their Camden Fringe performances at Lion and Unicorn Theatre from 11 to 13 August.
What can audiences expect from the show?
TW: A heartfelt, relatable and funny exploration into what it means to live with trauma that will have you crying and saying “that’s so me!”
Is Camden Fringe going to be the show’s first time on stage, or have you already performed elsewhere?
TW: This is the first time the full play will be staged! We performed the first ten minutes at Bespoke Theatre’s scratch night in January which was a great opportunity and incredibly helpful in the development process.
How long have you been working on the play?
TW: I’ve been writing the show “officially” since December 2024, but a lot of the scenes come from notes and rants I made a while ago, so it’s kind of like a collection of diary entries spanning the last three years.
Is this version how you originally envisioned it or has it changed drastically since you first put pen to paper?
TW: I originally planned a lot more plot, however when I was writing I realised I wanted to focus more on the inner thoughts from the two protagonists and smaller character moments as I think it better represents the themes of the show.
What brought you all together?
TW/EY: As a theatre company, we all met in university. We noticed that most of the theatre companies coming from our peers are male led so we wanted to create a place for women in theatre. We also focus heavily on working class stories as most of our company are from working class backgrounds so we all feel very passionately about making the arts more accessible.
Being a fringe festival, we all know sets have to be bare minimum, how have you got around this with your set and props?
EY: We will be using a stackable set of stage cubes for the show and use them for multi-purpose sets, from covering them with a white sheet to make a sofa to stacking and configuring them to make a table and chairs.
What has been the biggest challenge in realising the writer’s vision for the show?
EY: Because of how personal and character based our show is, it’s been difficult to make sure that the writer’s original aim has been realised and isn’t offensive to her.
Are there any plans for what comes next after the show has finished its run – for you or the show?
TW: We have plans to rework the show for screen. Ideally in the form of TV. Audience reaction is really important to informing the directions we take with this as if they latch onto certain moments or characters then we will definitely expand upon these.
If your show had a soundtrack what songs would definitely be on it?
TW: Definitely a lot of stereotypical “sad girl” music and guilty pleasures. A lot of Fiona Apple, Phoebe Bridgers and Lana Del Rey with a touch of Taylor Swift (specifically Folklore and Evermore)
What words of advice/encouragement would you give anyone thinking about doing Camden Fringe next year?
TW: Just do it! I wish that I had known that actually anyone can put on a fringe show, you just need a script! It’s a lot of work but as long as you’re willing to commit, you can learn how to produce/direct/write and even tech, you just have to go for it!
Thank you for giving us an insight into this very personal play.
If you would like to see And Then I’ll Sleep, then you will find it at Lion and Unicorn Theatre from Monday 11 to Wednesday 13 August.
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