The Golden Fly Bomb, The Cockpit & Barons Court Theatre
For Camden Fringe 2025 we are attempting to reach 100 interviews to highlight as many of the shows performing as we possibly can. Every day we will publish new interviews, so do keep coming back to see how close to our target we can get. You can find all our Camden Fringe interviews here.
Camden Fringe always has a wonderful international feel to it, and adding to that rich blend this year will be the team behind the intriguingly titled The Golden Fly Bomb, which promises us stunning visuals, physical theatre, and original songs as it asks: In a world we cannot change, how do we find the strength to go on?
It grabbed our interest, and so we were delighted to find time with Zoe Yingying Xie (Producer), Zhiwei Wu (Director), Alyssa Tianai Zhou (Co-Producer) and Cheng Qian (Co-Producer) to ask a few questions.
The Golden Fly Bomb will play at Barons Court Theatre on Thursday 21 August before two further evenings at The Cockpit on Friday 22 and Saturday 23 August, tickets for both venues available here.
What can audiences expect from the show?
Alyssa Tianai Zhou: Audiences will witness a raw, 24-hour journey through the mind of a woman working in a nightclub, desperately searching for a reason to keep living. On our stage, cats start talking and people turn into horses – come see how we play with multimedia to make these surreal transformations happen right before your eyes.
The protagonist creates something called a “Golden Fly Bomb” – a name that might sound puzzling, but if you’re curious about why this becomes her spiritual lifeline, you’ll need to see the show to find out. We tackle life’s crushing moments but with dark humour and genuine hope. This uncensored work by young Chinese artists couldn’t be performed in China, offering a completely fresh perspective on survival.
Expect to be moved, disturbed, and maybe even inspired.
Is Camden Fringe going to be the show’s first time on stage, or have you already performed elsewhere?
Zoe Yingying Xie: It’s going to be performed for the first time at Camden Fringe. The play was originally written in Mandarin a few years ago, rewritten in 2025 in London and went through a reading session at RCSSD.
The Golden Fly Bomb is being developed through The Cockpit’s Theatre Maker programme, with sharings at Theatre In The Pound in June and New Stuff in July. The production has also been awarded a bursary from The Cockpit to support its Camden Fringe premiere.
What was your inspiration behind the show?
Zhiwei: I originally trained as a director, but I became dissatisfied with interpreting other people’s stories – I wanted to create something from the very first line. That’s what pushed me toward writing, even though I’ve always found it to be one of the most suffering and challenging tasks in the world. You have to slide yourself over and over again to reach something truly meaningful. The show grew from this compulsion: to confront the absurdity, confusion, and grief I saw in the world – and inside myself – with honesty, surreal humour, and a refusal to look away.
How long have you been working on the play?
Zhiwei: The piece has been in development for about two years. It was originally written in Mandarin and later reworked in English after I moved to London. The current version has gone through several readings and rewrites across different platforms, including RCSSD and the Cockpit.
Is this version how you originally envisioned it or has it changed drastically since you first put pen to paper?
Zhiwei: It has changed drastically, mainly because my relationship with writing has changed. I used to write from a place of raw instinct, following only what I thought was personally important. The early drafts were painfully “genuine.” But now, I try to play with it. I imagine the audience more. The tone has become more conversational. I’ve started to have fun with the text. Writing in a second language also adds complexity: I want to keep my voice as a non-English speaker while exploring the rhythm and nuance of a new linguistic space. The shift from pure self-expression to dialogue with the audience has been transformative – not just for the play, but for me as a writer.
What brought you all together?
Zoe: Zhiwei and I first met at Theatre Young in Shanghai, where we were both presenting different shows. This script couldn’t be staged at the time due to its subject matter, but after seeing her work, I knew I wanted to collaborate with her someday.
Later, we both came to study at Central, and decided to finally bring this piece to life. We then teamed up with my producing classmates Cheng Qian and Alyssa Tianai Zhou to start working on the production together.
Being a fringe festival, we all know sets have to be bare minimum, how have you got around this with your set and props?
Zhiwei: There will be minimal props on stage, each serving a narrative purpose and connected through a thread-like mind map that guides the storytelling.
What has been the biggest challenge in realising the writer’s vision for the show?
Zhiwei: Since it’s a solo performance, our actor – Jiyeon Song must portray not only herself but also all the characters she encounters. The challenge in rehearsal lies in seamlessly shifting between people of different ages and energies, while integrating these transitions with projections and interactive elements.
How important is audience interaction to you?
Zhiwei: Audience interaction is closely tied to our use of projection. We want the visuals to respond to the atmosphere in the room, making the audience feel like they’re part of the protagonist’s internal world.
If you had to describe your show as a meal what would it be?
Roasted Chicken leg.
If you could perform this show anywhere in the world where would it be?
In a dugout.
What is the weirdest or most unconventional prop used in your show?
A cucumber.
If budget or reality was not an issue, what’s the one piece of scenery/set you’d love to have in your show?
Lots of pork.
What’s the most valuable piece of advice you’ve received during your career, and how has it influenced your work on this show?
Zhiwei: “Try to build an iPhone.” — This advice came from Dr. Jay at Central, and it really stuck with me. It means striving to keep the complexity of your artistic vision, while making it as accessible and friendly for the audience as possible.
What words of advice/encouragement would you give anyone thinking about doing Camden Fringe next year?
Zoe: Don’t rush your response. Give yourself space to think. Stay calm and take your time.
The Golden Fly Bomb will play at Barons Court Theatre on Thursday 21 August before two further evenings at The Cockpit on Friday 22 and Saturday 23 August.
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