Steph McNeil and Helin Ekin on their debut play, Hoops and Hookups
We’re really excited about the upcoming Camden Fringe, so we’ve decided to focus the next few weeks of interviews, both written and recorded, to it. Camden Fringe runs from 29 July to 31 August, with more than 200 shows performing across a host of venues (full details below).
One of those shows is Hoops and Hookups, from emerging artists Steph McNeil and Helin Ekin. The play promises us “a new dark comedy about sexuality, identity and family relationships”. And you know we’re always keen to support young artists at the start of their careers, so we invited the pair along for a chat.
We talk about how the play grew from a short monologue into a full length duologue, via a 10 minute short at a scratch night, what brought them together to write, and why they are playing across three different venues during the festival. Plus we also get quite heated on whether spaghetti hoops are an acceptable food!
Hoops and Hookups
Two cousins go on a journey of self discovery, finding themselves exploring LGBTQ+ relationships and hidden truths about each other. Chantal, the clueless and energetic of the two, prepares for a date with a girl whilst her older and more mature cousin Georgia helps helps her. Although frustrated by her cousin’s immaturity, Georgia also finds herself wishing she could be as free spirited and reckless as Chantal. Chantal then disappears for a week and upon return, tangles herself in a web of lies. Georgia becomes increasingly frustrated as she has to cover for her cousin’s lack of responsibility and risk her aunt’s trust. As their relationship starts to get messy, the two uncover a secret that could destroy it forever.
The show plays at the following venues:
The Cockpit: 10 & 11 August. Tkts here.
The Water Rats: 15 – 17 August. Tkts here.
The Hope Theatre: 13, 14, 22, 23 & 24 August. Tkts here.
