The Stupid Hug, Barons Court Theatre
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The Stupid Hug is a tragicomedy about men, performed by women. Three friends meet on a Friday night before a school reunion. Drinks, jokes, memories. But a fourth friend – absent for years – reappears in their words, in their silences, in a memory they can’t quite name. Something happened. Something that didn’t fit the script of what a man is supposed to be. What follows explores the emotional paralysis of male friendship, the tenderness that can’t be shown, the desire that can’t be spoken, and the violence that fills the void.
Making one of the longest and most challenging journeys to Camden Fringe La Joda Teatro promise to bring some transformative ideas to this year’s festival. Sofia Urosevich was on hand to answer our questions about what to expect.
Is Camden Fringe going to be the show’s first time on stage, or have you already performed elsewhere?
The play has had a short but powerful journey. Premiered in 2023, it was awarded the PAR development grant for stage creation by the National University of La Plata, Argentina. Since then, it has had four seasons in Argentina, participating in various national and international festivals and theatre showcases.
Its participation in the Camden Fringe is part of an international tour that includes several cities in Spain and the city of London.
How long have you been working on the play?
We worked on the play for two years, through a continuous process of dialogue between writing and stage experimentation. With the hypothesis that content can become form, we explored topics related to the construction of hegemonic masculinity — aiming to turn those very themes into the way the story is told. Repetition as a system, dialogues that don’t truly communicate, sexualisation without sex, and fragmented memory all became part of the play’s form.
Is this version how you originally envisioned it or has it changed drastically since you first put pen to paper?
The signature method of our group, La Joda Teatro, is collective creation — which means any original idea inevitably evolves over time. The text always reaches its final form through stage experimentation.
The performers contribute to the dramaturgy not necessarily through words, but through their interpretations — often shaping the final piece as much as, or even more than, the written script. These are long working processes — in this case, years — but incredibly enriching for us as a group.
What was it that drew you to this show and role?
As female performers, having the opportunity to embody these masculine energies has been a deeply enjoyable challenge. Stepping into these ways of inhabiting the world — the weight, the space, the physical presence, the kinds of relationships — was both fascinating and fun for us.
It was a real challenge in our careers, because it wasn’t about simply portraying men or falling into exaggerated masculine stereotypes. On the contrary, we worked on building a subtle language that could capture small gestures, behaviours, glances — aiming to embody these characters in an honest and nuanced way.
What brought you all together?
We are a group with 18 years of experience. Over time, we’ve developed pedagogical, audiovisual, and theatrical projects that arise organically, and which the group engages in—either partially or fully. In that sense, The Stupid Hug was a research-based project that involved six members of the group and spanned over two years.
Being a fringe festival, we all know sets have to be bare minimum, how have you got around this with your set and props?
In our case, we’re travelling all the way from Argentina, which meant the staging had to undergo a significant adaptation. Back home, we perform in our own theatre, which allows for a much more elaborate setup. It was a real challenge to rework certain elements we initially thought were unchangeable — but we’ve managed to create a more raw version of the show that is no less honest or powerful. We truly hope the audience enjoys it!
What has been the biggest challenge in realising the writer’s vision for the show?
The biggest challenge was finding the masculine energy in non-male performers without relying on external transformation or imitation. The performances reveal the power and impunity traditionally granted to men, embedded in dialogues written by male voices. The play explores the complexity of what society unconsciously allows men to do simply because they are men: insult, speak loudly, laugh freely, intimidate, and so on. These subtle behaviours reflect how masculine bodies move through a patriarchal world. The play seeks to challenge this by having female bodies occupy the stage in this way, and that creates a particular discomfort for the audience that is hard to put into words.
How important is audience interaction to you?
It’s vital — not only for the creative act to take place, but also to put the material into tension.
On many occasions, we’ve followed the performance with post-show discussions or gender workshops, in order to explore the themes from different perspectives. The play doesn’t engage with all audiences or generations in the same way — some people relate to it personally, others find it funny, and some even feel deeply unsettled or distressed. All emotional responses are valid and unique — even when what the play generates is discomfort.
If you could perform this show anywhere in the world where would it be?
In the Oval Office at the White House for Trump and his friends. We’re sure they’d love the idea that in order to be freer and happier, we need to destroy gender stereotypes.
If budget or reality was not an issue, what’s the one piece of scenery/set you’d love to have in your show?
In the play, we use an old overhead projector, a device that’s now almost obsolete, and we create images on it live. If we could dream big, we’d love a self-sufficient digital version of it: a device that’s part projector, part artificial intelligence, capable of generating images in real time. It doesn’t exist yet… but who knows? Maybe one day we’ll invent it.
What words of advice/encouragement would you give anyone thinking about doing Camden Fringe next year?
To fellow theatre artists from Argentina and Latin America: go for it. London might seem like an impossible dream from so far away, but it’s a city that welcomes you with open arms. Don’t hesitate, colleagues! The way we tell stories is fresh and unique in other parts of the world, and it’s truly appreciated.
What is the biggest challenge for you bringing this show here?
For an independent theatre group from Argentina, even with 18 years of experience, beginning an international tour in the current context has been incredibly challenging. We are living through one of the harshest economic and political periods, with mass layoffs and severe budget cuts in the arts and culture sector. Every day, the national government attacks Argentine artists, accusing them of terrible things, simply because they do not understand art, cultural expression, or their own people. We are truly grateful to be here, even as we face such difficult times back home. We come not only to share our work, but also to feel the support of a community that values freedom of expression. Today it’s us, tomorrow it could be any artist, anywhere. International solidarity keeps art alive. We really appreciate London welcoming us, it means more than you can imagine.
Thanks for taking the time to explain the ideas behind the show and the novel way that you work together, Sofia. You can catch The Stupid Hug at the Barons Court Theatre on Wednesday 30 July and Sunday 3 August.
