A bunch of local theatre makers, comedians, dancers, musicians, actors and clowns are going to try some new things – and you’re invited to experience it.

Join us as we sample the delights of a smorgasbord of bold, fresh, new work in progress performances.  It’s the first crucial part of a journey for the acts and a left-field night like no other for the audience.

Our promise to you:

This’ll be…

Unpolished. Random. Uproarious. Vulnerable. Inspired. Awkward. New. Joyous.

May Line Up

Florence Limb – Closeted

Closeted is a darkly comedic one-woman show that dives into the tangled web of secrecy, identity, and self-acceptance. Following the journey of a 30-year-old closeted lesbian, this sharp and fearless production explores the hilarious, heartbreaking, and often absurd realities of living a double life. With biting wit and raw honesty, closeted sheds light on the struggles of coming out—when you’re no longer the age people expect you to be figuring it all out.

Age Guidance: 18+ (Contains mature language, sexual references, and adult themes.)

Millie Parker – Oh How I Love Being a Woman

Exploring how your idea of what it means to be a woman changes whilst growing up, ‘Oh How I Love Being A Woman’ is a solo dance work in progress, drawing on the artists personal stories and emotions through life until now. The work travels through themes of nostalgia, joy, innocence, indignation, female friendships, grieving change, finding inner strength and harnessing quiet anger. The solo hopes to encourage female audience members to reflect on what being a woman meant to them in the past and how that might feel different now. ‘How I love being a woman’ is a quote from the Netflix show Anne with an E, that became a viral sound on social media, prompting people to use it with videos sharing their experiences of ‘being a woman’. Millie Parker is an emerging dance artist from Devon, now developing her creative practice where she grew up, here on Dartmoor.

Age Guidance: 12+

Mark Jardine – Quadruple Threat: Actor, Singer, Dancer, Admin.

A retrospective of my career as a performer since graduating from the East 15 School of Acting in 1987. A theatrical recycling of experiences, thoughts, past productions and temp jobs into a variety show format.  ‘Actor’, ‘Singer’, ‘Dancer’ and ‘Admin’ are the four strings to my bow that have helped me survive 38 years of auditions, rejections, successes, unemployment, office work and Covid lockdowns. From Reality TV show winner, to dancing James Bond, to shopping centre emcee, to counting parking money in a windowless council basement – these are some of the things that acting dreams are made of. ‘Quadruple Threat:  Actor, Singer, Dancer, Admin’ will also feature self-penned songs of inspiration and musings on what it’s like to navigate a career in the performing arts.

Age Guidance: 14+

Menghan Chen, Yirui Fu, Jia Zhuang – The First Ripple/ 人之初(or Rén Zhī Chū)

This piece delves into the theme of female sexual awakening through a poetic, metaphorical lens. At its heart, the image of the fish serves as a central symbol of desire and longing. Through a tapestry of puppetry, movement, poetry, and Chinese Sign Language (CSL), the performance constructs a sensory landscape that invites the audience to feel, rather than interpret.

Rather than depicting sexuality in a literal way, the piece aims to evoke sensations, emotions, and unspoken narratives surrounding female pleasure, agency, and self-discovery. Through abstract physicality, object manipulation, and evocative imagery, we seek to create living, breathing metaphors for women’s sexuality.

We are excited to present this work at Scratch Night as an opportunity to experiment with audience perception and engagement. The piece is still in development, and we’re curious to see how its intimate, abstract nature resonates with you.

Age Guidance: 16+ (includes depictions of sex and masturbation, featuring symbolic and metaphorical imagery that explores themes of sexuality and sensual experience.)

VENUE: AUDITORIUM, EXETER PHOENIX

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LITTLE SCRATCH NIGHT

*Subject to a £1.50 ticketing system charge. We don’t charge this to make a profit. Find out more >>