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Evie Fehilly and John-Luke Roberts - Oh My Pain, My Beautiful Pain Interview

When does making this work start to help? When does the healing bit start?

Natalia makes the type of work people describe as ‘RAW’, ‘BRAVE’, and ‘HEARTACHINGLY VULNERABLE’. And everyone loves it - critics, audiences, the people who do bookings for TED Talks. They all want more, and she’s promised it to them. Only she’s run out of trauma to write about. More specifically, her own trauma. Perhaps she can borrow some from those around her? Or can she create some?


This fast-paced satirical play uses drag, cabaret and clowning to explore the cultural impetus on artists to exploit deeply personal stories in their work, and exposes the personal cost of working in an industry that wants more pain, more truth, more trauma.

The production runs as part of a double bill alongside Acid’s Reign at The Pleasance in London from 6th February until 1st March 2025.

Ahead of the run we sat down with playwright and performed Evie Fehilly and performer John-Luke Roberts to learn more.

What can you tell me about Oh My Pain, My Beautiful Pain?
It’s a satirical piece about the performing arts world, specifically looking at the industry’s hunger for “true” stories, and the pressure for writer/performers to share their trauma with an audience. But it’s also a nuts to the butts rollercoaster ride of lipsyncs and choreo and party wigs. 
 
What can you tell me about Oh My Pain, My Beautiful Pain and your character?
John-Luke: OMP is a comedy about the temptation and the pitfalls of autobiographical art, it’s a really exciting mix of straight theatre, cabaret numbers and clowning. 
 
The main character I play Matts, who’s Natalia’s partner. He’s a solid base or support for her and her work, but she really puts his loyalty to the test. 
 
Where did the idea for the piece come from?
Evie: I originally wrote a different play all the way back in 2019 - that was an autobiographical play, which would be based on traumatic events that really happened to me. Then it was delayed because of covid, and when I came back to it when it was programmed by Relish Theatre in 2022, I thought “Why do I want to put myself through this?” And then, sitting in that feeling, thought “maybe there’s a play in this.” Luckily, Relish thought there was, and so here we are.
 
How did you approach the writing and development of the piece?
Evie: I like to bash out drafts really quickly, so I did that. Then I rewrote and rewrote in dialogue with the brilliant director John King, and Relish, and then finally tweak and change and progress it with the wonderful actors Posey and John-Luke. Writing is, for me, rewriting. You’ve probably never heard anyone say that before... maybe I coined it... that's I lie I absolutely didn't... but I do think it’s true.
 
What drew you to this piece?
John-Luke: First, I always trust that if Evie is making something then it’s going to be good. Then, when I got to read the script, I was really excited by it: it manages to look at “heavy” issues in a really fun, silly and funny way, while also not trivialising those issues. 
 
How did you approach blending the styles in the piece together?
Evie: Recklessly. There’s no real way of making the different styles live together elegantly or subtly, so the only way to do it is to be bold, and then see if it works. That clash of styles is what makes it exciting anyway. Maybe people will love it or hate it but I am happy to be trying something bold, taking a big swing. 
 
What is it like when you get to see the work come from the page for the first time?
Evie: Exciting and nerve wracking. But the first time isn’t everything - there’s loads of moments through the rehearsal process where you see it and go  “yes, this is it!” Even if you didn’t know what “it” was.
 
How do you mentally and physically prepare for a run?
John-Luke: To be honest, the performance schedule for this is so kind, with three performances a week, that I feel very looked after by the production anyway. Two shows five days a week is very different. That said, I look after myself the same way - rest, exercise, cook things at home. What’s sometimes harder to deal with is when the run finishes - the sudden drop-off can be discombobulating. The way I deal with that is Going On Rollercoasters, which I just discovered in September is a great way to replace the adrenaline of performing for an audience.
 
Why do you think this is a piece for a 2025 audience?
Evie: Trauma - in fringe theatre, in comedy, in TV - is being used as capital all the time these days. It for sure makes for very compelling art, but the question of what about the downsides seems to be bubbling up more and more, what's the personal cost? Also we use a Scissor Sisters song in a bit of the show, and they’re going on tour soon, so that shows I’ve got my finger on the button.
 
John-Luke: It feels very current to me, but I’m 39 years old so I don’t really get to define the zeitgeist. It’s vibrant and noisy, and it deals with almost frustratingly topical themes in a way which doesn’t reduce their complexity. It doesn’t feel like anything else I can think of. 
 
 
Where did your arts career begin?
Evie: I spent a holiday in Greece when I was about 8 indoors on an exercise bike watching Blackadder for the first time and I thought, 'That! I want that!' I did lots of theatre as a kid, I trained at Gaulier in France, and then found my voice on the London Drag scene, winning man up in 2019. I now mainly write and direct for film so coming back to the theatre and live performance has been such a glorious treat. 
 
John-Luke: At the Newcastle Upon Tyne theatre royal pantomiming when I was three years old - Les Dennis took me up on stage and the audience laughed at me which I thought was amazing. It counts as a professional engagement, because he gave me several bags of toys to take home with me, and that’s better payment than most live performance nowadays. 
 
What was the first piece of theatre you saw that had an impact on you?
Evie: I saw a production of Midsummer Night's Dream where the fairies were in umbrellas and they flew around in them and I must have been tiny but I can picture every moment so clearly. Then a little later on I saw Rocky Horror and I thought... hello... this is interesting. 
 
John-Luke: Peter Pan, according to my mother. He flew right up to the circle we were in, and I was like “well this is magic.”
 
What gives you inspiration?
Evie: Klaus the Sausage dog- he is in rehearsals most days and he is the best.
 
John-Luke: - It’s not hard to find. I’m always excited to see new artists mucking around - there’s so many people making and sharing brilliant and and creative and joyful work.
 
What do you hope an audience takes away from seeing Oh My Pain, My Beautiful Pain?
Evie: I find thinking about what the audience takes away at this point a bit scary, it spins out my head a bit. At this stage I just want to try and get to the end of the mission of telling the story I have set out to tell in the best way I can think of doing. But I suppose I just hope they find the joy in it we have had making it. I also hope they think I look hot in a bald cap of course. 

Oh My Pain, My Beautiful Pain! runs at the Pleasance Theatre from Friday 7th February until Saturday 1st March 2025. Tickets are available from https://www.pleasance.co.uk/event/oh-my-pain-my-beautiful-pain


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