SNADS present two striking and uncompromising works by Claire Dowie that come together in a bold, immersive double bill that is as provocative as it is deeply human.
Directed by Nicole Forbes- Marshall (Sweet Sorrow – SNADS / Comfortable – Shaftesbury Fringe), this production blends live performance with integrated technology to bring both stories to life in immediate and unexpected ways - drawing the audience directly into the worlds of the characters and heightening the sense of intimacy and complicity at the heart of each piece.
All Over Lovely centres on two middle-aged women – former lovers, still bound by a complex, toxic but enduring connection. Set against the feminist politics of its time, the play examines identity, desire, and the social pressures that shape relationships and silence taboos. As the women reconnect, reflecting on their shared past and the lives they have built, questions of regret, longing, and possibility emerge. Rejecting reductive, male-defined portrayals, Dowie presents two complex, contradictory women navigating power and unresolved attraction through familiar jokes, shared history, and carefully avoided truths.
In Easy Access (For The Boys), Dowie shifts to darker territory. The play follows Michael, a rent boy whose life has been shaped by early sexual abuse. Through a personal video diary, he documents his daily life - his work, his relationships and his past, with disarming openness.
Here, the integration of live action and technology becomes central: audiences are placed in the position of witness, receiving his testimony in real time as both recorded footage and live action. As a series of figures emerge, the gap between what is shown and what is understood becomes increasingly unsettling.
Together, these two plays offer a powerful exploration of intimacy, identity, and the lasting impact of human connection. Audiences can expect bold writing, finely observed character work, and a theatrical experience that is both inventive and emotionally resonant.
Challenging, immersive, and deeply affecting—this is theatre that doesn’t just tell stories, but surrounds you with them.
Warning Content
All Over Lovely and Easy Access (For The Boys) contain subject matter that some audiences may find distressing or challenging.
The plays explore themes of childhood trauma and abuse, sexual exploitation, mental health struggles, family betrayal, toxic and co-dependent relationships, politicised lesbianism, and societal marginalization.
The language is at times explicit and confrontational with tone shifts between loving, comic, and openly hostile, and the narrative engages with trauma in a direct and uncompromising way which may be distressing for those sensitive to interpersonal conflict. There is occasional partial nudity.
While not visually graphic, the verbal references and emotional rawness may be overwhelming for some.
The plays are intended for mature audiences (16+) Viewer discretion is advised.
