The hotly anticipated and hilarious dark comedy, Auntie Empire, will premiere at Summerhall Arts in February as part of Manipulate Festival 2026. The latest work from Scotland’s form-defying theatre company, Disaster Plan - the formal identity for the long term collaboration between multi-award winning theatremakers Julia Taudevin and Kieran Hurley - Auntie Empire is an outrageous contemporary satire on Britannia and the grotesque absurdity of her imperial self-regard.
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| Photo by Brian Hartley. |
Auntie Empire makes her splendiferous entrance to the stage at Manipulate Festival 2026, before transferring to Glasgow’s Tron Theatre, with previews at Dundee Rep and CatStrand, New Galloway; having first conquered the screen in a short film of the same name, directed by Julia Taudevin and Niamh McKeown (BBC and Hulu’s Dinosaur), before making sneak peek appearances as part of Manipulate Festival 2025’s Snapshots and Summerhall Arts’ pop-up performances at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2025.
An absurd and rambunctious solo show blending bouffon comedy, satire and audience interaction, Auntie Empire is a bloody, messy, hilarious and timely lampoon of the myths of nationhood.
We sat down with multi-award-winning playwright, director and performer Julia Taudevin to learn more about the piece.
What can you tell me about Auntie Empire?
Auntie Empire is a satire about Great Britain made from the perspective of being a Scot which, regardless of what anyone might feel about it, also means being a Brit. It uses the traditional French theatrical form of bouffon, the dark clown, to satirise myths of nationhood, societal relationship to and complicity in Empire and imperialism both historical and contemporary.
Auntie Empire is a satire about Great Britain made from the perspective of being a Scot which, regardless of what anyone might feel about it, also means being a Brit. It uses the traditional French theatrical form of bouffon, the dark clown, to satirise myths of nationhood, societal relationship to and complicity in Empire and imperialism both historical and contemporary.
Can you share a bit about what inspired this outrageous satire on Britannia and her imperial self-regard?
In 2019 I had a summerhall lab which I used to experiment with realistic live gore techniques and I needed a character to try them out on. I created Auntie Empire as a character who I might like to most disembowell - a sort of Maggie Thatcher, The Queen, Liz Truss mash up. Through the scratch at the end of that lab I discovered two things: 1. Doing live gore on stage repeatedly was not sustainable and 2. audiences loved Auntie! It’s the sort of hate to love, love to hate relationship. Which made me then think about what it means to be a Scottish Brit and how, even though as a native Gael I still bear the generational wounds of colonial oppression, I cannot fully claim to be a victim, nor a full oppressor. Like everyone living under contemporary capitalism in liberal democracies like ours, I benefit from the spoils of Empire every day. Which is a complicated and uncomfortable reality. And one worth satirising.
In 2019 I had a summerhall lab which I used to experiment with realistic live gore techniques and I needed a character to try them out on. I created Auntie Empire as a character who I might like to most disembowell - a sort of Maggie Thatcher, The Queen, Liz Truss mash up. Through the scratch at the end of that lab I discovered two things: 1. Doing live gore on stage repeatedly was not sustainable and 2. audiences loved Auntie! It’s the sort of hate to love, love to hate relationship. Which made me then think about what it means to be a Scottish Brit and how, even though as a native Gael I still bear the generational wounds of colonial oppression, I cannot fully claim to be a victim, nor a full oppressor. Like everyone living under contemporary capitalism in liberal democracies like ours, I benefit from the spoils of Empire every day. Which is a complicated and uncomfortable reality. And one worth satirising.
It’s fascinating to see how this work evolved from a short film into a full-fledged stage production. What was that transformation like, especially considering the intricate blend of audience interaction and various theatrical styles?
As I say the summerhall lab taught me that realistic live gore was unsustainable in a theatre context, but my pal Niamh McKeown was in the audience for that scratch and we decided to turn it into a short film. That film came out in lockdown so even though it did very well I only got to see it in the cinema with an audience once and I was so excited by the reaction - a giddy combination of horror and excitement and hilarity - that it convinced me i needed to find a live form for the character. I had a year at IASH with the Traverse fellowship there and tried her out in a traditional 3 act play structure. The intellectual aspect of what I was exploring came on leaps and bounds in that year but the satire and the character were limited by the theatrical form. I then tried the character as a stand up with support form another pal Josie Long after which disaster plan took the show on. We teamed up with our peers Jordan & Skinner on a phase exploring devised physical theatre possibilities. Out of that phase emerged some surprising and delightful puppets doing surprising and unpleasant things and a firm suspicion that Bouffon was the form the show needed: a physical, political, satirical, surreal and fearlessly outrageous form of performance that activates its audience. So we brought onboard Bouffon Director Tim Licata and finally all the many elements I had been experimenting with for 6 years began to make sense and come together.
As I say the summerhall lab taught me that realistic live gore was unsustainable in a theatre context, but my pal Niamh McKeown was in the audience for that scratch and we decided to turn it into a short film. That film came out in lockdown so even though it did very well I only got to see it in the cinema with an audience once and I was so excited by the reaction - a giddy combination of horror and excitement and hilarity - that it convinced me i needed to find a live form for the character. I had a year at IASH with the Traverse fellowship there and tried her out in a traditional 3 act play structure. The intellectual aspect of what I was exploring came on leaps and bounds in that year but the satire and the character were limited by the theatrical form. I then tried the character as a stand up with support form another pal Josie Long after which disaster plan took the show on. We teamed up with our peers Jordan & Skinner on a phase exploring devised physical theatre possibilities. Out of that phase emerged some surprising and delightful puppets doing surprising and unpleasant things and a firm suspicion that Bouffon was the form the show needed: a physical, political, satirical, surreal and fearlessly outrageous form of performance that activates its audience. So we brought onboard Bouffon Director Tim Licata and finally all the many elements I had been experimenting with for 6 years began to make sense and come together.
You have an impressive roster of talent on your team. How does collaboration complement your vision for Auntie Empire?
Well collaboration has always been a key part of my practice. It’s how I met my long term collaborator, and husband, Kieran Hurley and one of the reasons we set up Disaster Plan. The joy of collaboration is that in doing so you make something you would never make alone. And on a solo show as a lead artist in which you’re playing multiple core creative roles that is a balancing act between staying true to your original vision and being open to where your collaborators lead you. In this final phase of Auntie we have hugely experienced practitioners with a diversity of lived experience but really what makes our team so exceptional is the integrity of the individuals. It is a rare privilege in Scotland to be funded to make political satire. And making effective satire demands a level of commitment, analysis and interrogation that, in my experience, isn’t always a given in this conflict avoidant age. And I am hugely grateful to those of the team who have returned to the project from one phase to another, and to those who have come on board at this final stage to take it to the finishing line. It is a joy and an honour to engage in political and creative debate with some of Scottish theatre’s finest talents and come home every day laughing.
Well collaboration has always been a key part of my practice. It’s how I met my long term collaborator, and husband, Kieran Hurley and one of the reasons we set up Disaster Plan. The joy of collaboration is that in doing so you make something you would never make alone. And on a solo show as a lead artist in which you’re playing multiple core creative roles that is a balancing act between staying true to your original vision and being open to where your collaborators lead you. In this final phase of Auntie we have hugely experienced practitioners with a diversity of lived experience but really what makes our team so exceptional is the integrity of the individuals. It is a rare privilege in Scotland to be funded to make political satire. And making effective satire demands a level of commitment, analysis and interrogation that, in my experience, isn’t always a given in this conflict avoidant age. And I am hugely grateful to those of the team who have returned to the project from one phase to another, and to those who have come on board at this final stage to take it to the finishing line. It is a joy and an honour to engage in political and creative debate with some of Scottish theatre’s finest talents and come home every day laughing.
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| Photo by Brian Hartley |
How do you physically and mentally prepare for a show?
Well everyone is sick aren't they? The joys of a February premiere! So self care is crucial. But it's also a hugely exposing form for a performer. It's a solo performance, extremely physical and vocally intense. So I'm hitting the steam room in my gym as often as I can. But also auntie is a hugely powerful character. I put her costume on and teeth in and she takes control. This is a gift to a performer because I go places with her I wouldn't ever dream of going alone - but it's important that I am still in control which requires a good deal of self awareness. So de-roling is a huge part of my process at the end of each day.
Well everyone is sick aren't they? The joys of a February premiere! So self care is crucial. But it's also a hugely exposing form for a performer. It's a solo performance, extremely physical and vocally intense. So I'm hitting the steam room in my gym as often as I can. But also auntie is a hugely powerful character. I put her costume on and teeth in and she takes control. This is a gift to a performer because I go places with her I wouldn't ever dream of going alone - but it's important that I am still in control which requires a good deal of self awareness. So de-roling is a huge part of my process at the end of each day.
As you prepare for the premiere at the Manipulate Festival, what are you most looking forward to about this run of shows?
The audiences! Bouffon needs an audience because as an art form it is inherently a provocation. The audience plays an active role - literally with audience participation, but also emotionally and intellectually. So every new audience means a different show!
The audiences! Bouffon needs an audience because as an art form it is inherently a provocation. The audience plays an active role - literally with audience participation, but also emotionally and intellectually. So every new audience means a different show!
What was the first piece of theatre you remember having a big impact on you?
My mum took me to see a touring production of Brecht’s Mother Courage when I was 8 and I was utterly spellbound. Although I’m from Lewis and spent every summer at home with my Seanair in Stornoway, I grew up as an expatriate in Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and East Timor against a backdrop of civil unrest and violence. Watching Mother Courage clarified something for me about my privilege growing up as a white expatriate, even though I couldn’t have articulated how to anyone. And even if I could have, I wouldn’t have been able to because I stopped breathing. There was a moment towards the end of the production where feathers were thrown around the stage and they triggered my first ever asthma attack. But I refused to leave until the show was over. And when it was over - I was hospitalised.
My mum took me to see a touring production of Brecht’s Mother Courage when I was 8 and I was utterly spellbound. Although I’m from Lewis and spent every summer at home with my Seanair in Stornoway, I grew up as an expatriate in Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and East Timor against a backdrop of civil unrest and violence. Watching Mother Courage clarified something for me about my privilege growing up as a white expatriate, even though I couldn’t have articulated how to anyone. And even if I could have, I wouldn’t have been able to because I stopped breathing. There was a moment towards the end of the production where feathers were thrown around the stage and they triggered my first ever asthma attack. But I refused to leave until the show was over. And when it was over - I was hospitalised.
What keeps you inspired?
My children, my husband ( and co-artistic director of Disaster Plan), and the natural world that continues to bless us with her astounding beauty whilst our species blunders on towards climate catastrophe.
My children, my husband ( and co-artistic director of Disaster Plan), and the natural world that continues to bless us with her astounding beauty whilst our species blunders on towards climate catastrophe.
What would you want someone to take away from seeing Auntie Empire?
Sore ribs from laughing a lot.
Sore ribs from laughing a lot.
Auntie Empire plays at the following venues;
University of the West of Scotland [Preview]: Wednesday 4 February
CatStrand, New Galloway [Preview]: Thursday 5 February
Book tickets
Dundee Rep [Preview]: Friday 6 February
Book tickets
Manipulate Festival, Summerhall Arts, Edinburgh [Press Nights]: Sunday 8 - Monday 9 February
Book tickets
Tron Theatre, Glasgow: Thursday 12 - Saturday 14 February
Book tickets
CatStrand, New Galloway [Preview]: Thursday 5 February
Book tickets
Dundee Rep [Preview]: Friday 6 February
Book tickets
Manipulate Festival, Summerhall Arts, Edinburgh [Press Nights]: Sunday 8 - Monday 9 February
Book tickets
Tron Theatre, Glasgow: Thursday 12 - Saturday 14 February
Book tickets
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