Things to Say When I See You in Person, The Water Rats
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.
We’ve been big supporters of Act II Springboard Festival, which allowed new creatives to put on short shows and an opportunity to understand everything else that is needed to bring a show to the stage. And it’s always wonderful when one of those shorts finds a new life afterwards. That’s just what has happened with Nayib Jean Baptiste‘s Things To Say When I See You in Person, which we saw back in 2024. At that time we said it “promises much from all involved”, and now it is time to find out how that promise has grown.
We caught up with Nayib and director Valerie Mo to find out how the show has gone from Act II to Camden Fringe when it plays at The Water Rats from 18 to 20 August, tickets here.
What can audiences expect from the show?
Valerie: Funny, genuine and also difficult moments in a long-distance relationship that (hopefully) lots of people could relate to!
What was your inspiration behind the show?
Nayib: How I bring a play to life, the magic, so to speak, is through its title. A title can be a common phrase, a throwaway sentence, a text, or a joke, and the inspiration for Things to Say When I See You in Person came from the title of a note I wrote to myself. All of my family and most of my friends live abroad in the United States, so when I visit, I make a list of things to say when I see people in person. This title fascinated me, so I started writing a monologue about what a fictional character planned to say to their loved one upon reuniting.
How long have you been working on the play?
The original monologues were written on 31 December 2023. The 10-minute version of the play was completed in April 2024, with the full 60-minute version to be performed at Camden Fringe in August 2025.
Is this version how you originally envisioned it or has it changed drastically since you first put pen to paper?
Nayib: Originally, Things to Say When I See You in Person was seven pages, consisting of the final climactic monologues of both characters and their reunion after six months apart. When expanding into a full-length play, I thought the play would follow their entire three-year relationship. However, during the writing stage, I discovered the crux of the play was the day Roman left for Africa, the three months they spent apart, and the day of his return. The details of their three-year relationship, including their meeting, initial attraction and the conflicts that arose from their separation, would be communicated to the audience through telephone calls of incidental conversations, arguments, confessions and the charisma of the performers. By withholding information about this couple, I wanted to leave an opportunity for the audience to use their imagination and judgment to understand this romantic pairing.
What brought you all together?
Valerie: Nayib and I were paired together as writer-director duo last year at Act 2 Springboard Festival. Andy was one of our actors back then and we absolutely loved her!! The Act 2 team went to another scratch night organised by the fabulous Phab Theatre at the Hoxton Hall where we saw Conor perform in someone else’s piece. Months later Nayib and I saw him again in two other scratch nights and then he auditioned for our Camden Fringe comeback! I’m always amazed by how long a good collaboration could last, and how small the world is.
What has been the biggest challenge in realising the writer’s vision for the show?
Valerie: The fact that for 90% of the play the two lovers do not see each other at all! As this is a story about a long-distance relationship, there are only two brief moments at the very beginning and at the very end of the play where Faith and Roman physically meet. The actors basically have to establish strong chemistry straight away! The way this play is written also poses an interesting challenge for set design, which has to be flexible and breathable as the two worlds merge, separate, and collide.
If your show had a soundtrack what songs would definitely be on it?
Honestly, anything from 2003 to 2004, when the play is set. Specific songs:
“Where You Lead” by Carole King/Louise Goffin duet version: The theme song to Gilmore Girls. The TV show Faith and Roman watched religiously until his departure.
“Take On Me” by A-Ha: One of Roman’s favourite songs.
“All I Want For Christmas Is You” by Mariah Carey. When spending Christmas apart, you need something to get you in the holiday spirit.
“Bye Bye Bye” by NSYNC: Always great for a party in the post-Y2K era.
“Flowers” by Sweet Female Attitude: A classic.
What’s the most valuable piece of advice you’ve received during your career, and how has it influenced your work on this show?
Valerie: Be open, flexible, and cherish the little surprises we find in rehearsals or in life. Last year when we were doing the Act 2 scratch version, one of the key ideas of the final scene came to me in my sleep when I was on a plane. This year I would definitely keep that spirit- being open to everything and treating everything as a learning experience. After all, we make the best work when everyone in the process feels like they have the freedom to explore everything and make mistakes.
Thanks, dates and links
Things to Say When I See You in Person plays at The Water Rats from Monday 18 to Wednesday 20 August.
