F*ck You!, Camden People’s Theatre
We’re into the last few days of our Camden Fringe 2025 interview series, and we think we’ve easily passed the 100 mark we were aiming for. With the festival all set to start tomorrow (28 July) we’re excited to finally get the chance to see many of the shows we’ve told you about through our interviews.You can find all our Camden Fringe interviews here and you can find details of all the shows playing over the four weeks of the festival here.
Yes yes yes, we know, it’s not big and it’s not clever to swear, but it is fun to watch our editors trying to work out how to deal with show titles that sometimes need a little censoring! It can play havoc with search engines as well.
Bradford and Hunnam Studios‘ F*ck You! explores a toxic, dysfunctional relationship which revolves around Mia and Jess’ day to day life as things go from bad to worse, which does give that title a new perspective doesn’t it.
We caught up with the duo of Danielle Bradford and Alix Hunnam to ask them a few questions about the show, on the condition they didn’t swear too much and give our overworked editors a headache!
F*ck You! will play at Camden People’s Theatre on Sunday 17 and Monday 18 August, tickets available here.
What can audiences expect from the show?
Borrowed time… A feeling most of us have experienced when a relationship is coming to an end, right? The feeling that things will never quite be what they were and you are just waiting for someone to pull the trigger. But what happens when two people are holding the gun and no one fires?
Jess and Mia have been dating for almost a year but their relationship has begun to turn sour. This rollercoaster of toxicity hits full speed when lust and revenge are thrown onto the tracks by the pairs’ wandering eyes. Both of them know this can’t last forever, and both have made mistakes, but you get to decide who’s the real villain.
F*ck You! explores a toxic, dysfunctional relationship which revolves around Mia and Jess’ day to day life as things go from bad to worse. The love they once felt for each other is replaced by a passive aggressive atmosphere and ongoing conflict. Witness their relationship’s last few precious moments be snatched away as they rapidly lose love, interest and care for each other.
Is Camden Fringe going to be the show’s first time on stage, or have you already performed elsewhere?
We first performed a section of our play during our final year at University. Since then, we have been developing, devising and adapting the performance to create an hour long piece. The performance itself has changed drastically but the morals and messages about revenge and dysfunctional toxic relationships remains at the centre of our piece.
What was your inspiration behind the show?
We both drew from our own experiences of dating to develop our understanding of these characters struggles and the challenges of being stuck in a toxic relationship.
How long have you been working on the play?
We have been developing this play for around 18 months.
What is it about your character that you most enjoy?
AH: What I love about playing the character of Mia is she doesn’t like to take shit from people. She is very sure of her herself and knows how to stand up for herself.
DB: Jess has similar tendencies to myself, she stresses an awful lot and struggles when she doesn’t feel in control of situations. It’s fun to see parts of myself in this character especially during rehearsals, but it’s also refreshing to portray a character who would react completely differently to myself when faced with certain dilemmas.
How challenging has this role been for you?
DB: My character goes through some very vulnerable moments which means delving into raw emotions. It’s those feelings of “not being enough” for someone, which is present throughout the performance. These moments can feel so heartbreaking to portray. I guess also, the way Jess reacts to certain situations makes me want to scream at her and say “Stop! What are you doing!”
AH: I don’t always agree with Mia’s actions, but I guess that is the point of “acting” and playing a different character.
What brought you all together?
We both met whilst studying Drama and Theatre Arts at Goldsmiths, University of London
How important is audience interaction to you?
We have a lot of direct address and pure interaction with the audience throughout our piece. Therefore the audience’s reactions to the show is vital for us, we want to make them laugh, cry and above all relate to some elements of the piece.
Are there any plans for what comes next after the show has finished its run – for you or the show?
We are hoping to perform in Edinburgh Fringe in 2026
If you had to describe your show as a colour what would it be?
DB: RED! Definitely Red. I am biased because Red is my favourite colour. But Red symbolises so many feelings: anger, love, lust, romance and danger. All feelings our characters experience during our piece
If you had to describe your show as a meal what would it be?
AH: Picky Bits, because you’ll keep coming back for more.
If your show had a soundtrack what songs would definitely be on it?
Back to Black, Amy Winehouse with a sprinkle of Adele.
What’s the most valuable piece of advice you’ve received during your career, and how has it influenced your work on this show?
To keep going. Keep pushing and keep creating. This industry is tough and it’s always a risk showcasing your work but believe in yourself and your theatre pieces. Don’t stop doing something you love.
Our thanks to Danielle and Alix for only swearing the once, we reckon we can get away with that in the edit! F*ck You! will play at Camden People’s Theatre on Sunday 17 and Monday 18 August.
