July 15th to…, Rosemary Branch
For Camden Fringe 2025 we set out to publish 100 interviews to celebrate the range of shows on offer at London’s best fringe festival. As we reach the final day, we’ve surpassed 100, and so reckon there is something for everyone in our collection of interviews, all of which you can here.
Putting on one show at a festival is impressive enough, but some people decide one is just not enough and go for two! That’s the case for Wangjiayu Chu (Stephanie), who along with July 15th… also has Buds Revolt showing earlier in August.
July 15th to… is a one-act Physical Theatre exploration of bipolar disorder and healing, and will be playing at Rosemary Branch Theatre from Friday 22 to Sunday 24 August, tickets here.
We caught up with Stephanie for a second chat, and this time she brought along Peiyi Zhong, Jie Li, and Juno Chen to tell us more about the show.
What can audiences expect from the show?
Stephanie: July 15th to … is a bold, movement-driven journey into the mind of Ella, a young woman gradually uncovering her bipolar disorder. Through shifting memories and raw physical storytelling, the show invites you to experience her soaring highs, devastating crashes, and the silence that follows.
It asks: Can we truly heal after trauma? Or do we simply learn to live with it?
This is not just a story – it’s a space to reflect, to feel, and to begin a deeper conversation about mental health and what healing really means. Rather than observing from a distance, the audience is pulled into Ella’s world – feeling the intensity of her mania, the weight of her depression, and the quiet, difficult path toward self-understanding.
July 15th to … breaks away from traditional storytelling to offer an immersive, emotional experience that lingers long after the final scene – inviting us to rethink trauma, resilience, and our shared need for connection and hope.
Is Camden Fringe going to be the show’s first time on stage, or have you already performed elsewhere?
Stephanie: Yes, the team came up the concept last year and we want to make it come true from small stage to bigger one, Camden fringe is the best choice for us.
What was your inspiration behind the show?
Juno: The idea began through conversations with the director, where we discovered a shared interest in bipolar disorder and psychosomatic conditions. At the time, I was also undergoing trauma-focused therapy, and during my final session, I remember asking my therapist a question: “Do you believe trauma can be healed?” For me, that question became the starting point of this play.
How long have you been working on the play?
Juno: I honestly don’t quite remember – haha! Probably around three to four months? The longer phase was in the beginning, when the director and I spent time discussing and developing the concept together. Once we had the story structure, the writing came more quickly – I think the first draft was completed within a month. After that, I made minor adjustments based on the director’s notes.
Is this version how you originally envisioned it or has it changed drastically since you first put pen to paper?
Juno: I didn’t have a fixed idea of what the story had to become. Maybe like the healing process itself, it’s unpredictable and constantly evolving – so I’m happy with how it turned out. That said, my intuitive understanding of the protagonist, Ella, hasn’t changed. That might be the anchor I held onto throughout the writing.
What was it that drew you to this show and role?
Peiyi: I was really drawn to this piece because it tackles something incredibly nuanced and emotionally complex – bipolar disorder, especially in its early stages. The writing explores mental health through a deeply personal and human lens, without sensationalising it. I was particularly moved by Ella’s quiet vulnerability and the way the script captures the subtle shifts in her emotional state. Also, the fact that she’s an artist navigating both her inner world and her creative identity really resonated with me.
What is it about your character that you most enjoy?
Peiyi: What I love most about Ella is how layered she is. She’s gentle and reserved on the surface, but there’s a lot happening underneath – memories, fears, longing. I enjoy exploring her small, habitual gestures and emotional patterns, especially when she’s trying to manage her feelings during a bipolar episode. It gives me a chance to dig into the psychology of the character and find truthful moments in stillness.
How challenging has this role been for you?
Peiyi: Since it’s a piece of physical theatre, I’ve been constantly thinking about how to let Ella’s inner world be expressed not only through the text, but also through her body – especially in moments of silence or when words aren’t enough. Finding that balance between movement and speech, and making sure the audience can still follow her emotional journey, has been both demanding and rewarding. It’s pushed me to explore a more embodied approach to storytelling.
What brought you all together?
Stephanie: The producer, who also directs the piece, came up with the idea for July 15th to … last year. Our team has known each other for a long time, including the playwright and lead actor, and we’ve always shared the same goal: to create meaningful theatre that reflects the world around us. With this show, we wanted to bring something to the stage that speaks to real, personal struggles while opening up space for wider social reflection – something that resonates with everyone.
Being a fringe festival, we all know sets have to be bare minimum, how have you got around this with your set and props?
Jie: My personal creative style is minimalist, which actually aligns with the minimal nature often seen in fringe productions. But I don’t use the bare minimum, I use minimalism as an approach to deeply listen to the inner voice of the story and the creator. By using minimal yet intentional objects, I aim to bridge the script’s emotional core with tangible elements on stage.
Are there any plans for what comes next after the show has finished its run – for you or the show?
Stephanie: After this run, I’d like to explore other topics on stage, diving into new stories and perspectives, before returning to July 15th to … with fresh insights and ideas. My hope is to eventually bring it back to a bigger stage, with a deeper understanding and an even more powerful impact.
If you had to describe your show as a colour what would it be?
Stephanie: Blue holds a deep and layered meaning in this show. It’s more than just a colour, it becomes a language of emotion. Blue often represents sadness or depression, but in July 15th to … different shades of blue; dark, pale, vivid, or soft, reflect different emotional states. Each tone carries its own weight, helping to express Ella’s shifting moods without words.
If your show had a soundtrack what songs would definitely be on it?
Stephanie: Moonlight Becomes You is a slow, jazz ballad with a gentle, melancholic tone. There’s a softness to it, but also a heaviness, something quietly sad that lingers beneath the melody. Its mood perfectly captures the emotional undercurrent of the show: reflective, tender, and a little broken.
If you could perform this show anywhere in the world where would it be?
Peiyi: I’d love to perform it in a small black-box theatre in Tokyo or Berlin. Somewhere intimate, where the audience is really close and can feel every breath and shift. Because this story is subtle and personal, I think it works best in spaces where that emotional closeness can be felt, and where the physicality of the performance doesn’t get lost in a big room.
If budget or reality was not an issue, what’s the one piece of scenery/set you’d love to have in your show?
If budget and reality weren’t a concern, I would love to have a real, moving prop as the sea as part of the set; a living, breathing ocean on stage. The sea represents so much in this story: freedom, fear, memory, and the overwhelming nature of emotion. Having waves rise and fall around Ella would mirror her inner world; calm one moment, stormy the next, and create a powerful, immersive experience for the audience.
Thanks, dates and links
July 15th to … plays at Rosemary Branch Theatre from Friday 22 to Sunday 24 August.
