James Robertson discusses Deadcrush
Running throughout January 2026, Write Club is The Hope Theatre’s premier festival of new writing, dedicated to showcasing bold stories and expansive ideas. Designed to breathe life into the London fringe during the winter months, the festival provides a vital platform for up to thirty selected shows to make their debut. Under the curation of Joint Artistic Directors Laurel Marks and Toby Hampton, Write Club fosters a collaborative community by offering playwrights and theatre-makers multi-night runs, professional venue support, and dedicated networking opportunities.
To showcase some of the shows taking place, we will be publishing Q&A interviews throughour January, all of which can be found here.
Next to take their place in the hot seat is writer/ director James Robertson, whose play Deadcrush is a zany and darkly comedic play exploring what we risk for love after Bron’s soulmate dies. It will be playing Wednesday 28 and Thursday 29 January.
What can audiences expect from the show?
Bron has finally found her soulmate – the only catch? He died three and a half months ago. But she will try anything to make their love a reality. Steal his remains? Check! Take the Eurostar to the city of love? Check! Seek blessing from a higher power? Not a problem. As delusion takes over her world, how long can Bron dance with death before reality comes to break them apart? A zany rollercoaster ride through life and death, Deadcrush questions what we are willing to risk when love is all we have.
Is Write Club going to be the show’s first time on stage, or have you already performed elsewhere?
Developed across scratch nights in multiple London venues, this is only the next stage in this play’s development. With multiple scenes with different actors gracing the stages of the Golden Goose Theatre, Omnibus Theatre, Greenwich Theatre, Drayton Arms Theatre and London Art Bar, Deadcrush is a play born from ongoing development and collaboration with a wide variety of artists.
What was your inspiration behind the show?
My housemate was doing some family research and found a picture of their great, great grandfather. He was admittedly quite fetching and my housemate said you better not be getting a DEADCRUSH. “Say that again,” was my reply. From there I developed the concept of loving someone who has died and the play snowballed from there.
How long have you been working on the play?
Since summer of 2025, so a short period of time.
Is this version how you originally envisioned it or has it changed drastically since you first put pen to paper?
The play has changed drastically over the last few months, almost unbelievably so. And I’m sure it will continue to change after this run.
What brought you all together?
I cast the crew and actors from the many actors who brought their voices to the characters during the development period. Stealthily auditioning people without them knowing!
Are there any plans for what comes next after the show has finished its run– for you or the show?
Nothing is locked in yet, but this is a show designed to be on at fringe festivals, so hopefully there will be many more in its future.
If you had to describe your show as a colour what would it be, and why?
Bright pink on a grey background! Vibrant light amidst the crippling dark.
If your show had a soundtrack, what songs would definitely be on it, and why?
All the romantic hits of the Carpenters.
What’s the weirdest or most unconventional prop used in your show, and how did it come to be part of the production?
We had to design realistic ash to be placed in an urn which was no hard task.
What’s the most valuable piece of advice you’ve received during your career, and how has it influenced your work on this show?
You can’t make a masterpiece by yourself overnight. It takes time and the input of other voices to make a masterpiece.
Thanks to James for his time. Deadcrush will play as part of The Hope Theatre’s Write Club 2026 for two nights from Wednesday 28 January.
