Offies 2025 “OFFest” Winner - NeuroChatter

This @offwestendcom award win would not have been possible without reviewers who gave their input, contribution and valuable time to an amateur emerging artist like me.

To say that I did not expect to be a finalist, let alone actually win for my solo produced and performed show ‘Neurochatter’ is an understatement. As a working class, single mother, who almost lost their life to psychiatric ill health back in 2023, this story is one based on literal blood, sweat and tears. As an isolated independent emerging artist, with little to no connections or experience in theatre, I am in deep gratitude to the Offwest End staff and the reviewers for recognising this piece of work, despite my inexperienced background.

The show aimed to showcase a story that is too often hidden behind the walls of psychiatric institutions, secretive trauma therapy treatments, an internal psyche at war with itself and the concealment of mental ill-health due to societal shame. The Offie recognition is helping me to remain motivated to keep diluting those walls, to keep finding ways to showcase the inner workings of a fractured psyche and to explore the love, beauty, flaws, madness and potential of such a mind through the powerful container of Theatrical Arts.

I will take this moment forward in the improvement and development of Neurochatter; The show is far from perfect, with many flaws to still iron out and many performance elements to keep aiming to perfect, but the last 12 months have been invaluable to the show’s future direction. I am now months into the development of a draft screenplay, whilst also re-writing for a return to Brighton Fringe in 2026 and Edinburgh in 2027. The pause from stage (but not the creative process) is needed as I am just about to enter maternity leave and am expecting to meet my second son Baby Arnold in May 2025.

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