TURN YOUR F***ING PHONES OFF (WIP) at Waterside
Kristy Stott, Theatre EditorVisit now
TURN YOUR F***ING PHONES OFF - Work In Progress Sharing and Long Table Discussion
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Ever wondered what a theatre show looks like before it heads to Edinburgh Fringe? This summer, audiences at Waterside are being invited to watch a work-in-progress performance of Hannah Maxwell’s TURN YOUR F*ING PHONES OFF, with the opportunity to help shape the show before it premieres in Edinburgh.
Hannah Maxwell has emerged as one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary theatre. Her autobiographical work blends storytelling, performance art, stand-up and musical theatre, finding the extraordinary in everyday life. Previous shows including I, AmDram and Nan, Me & Barbara Pravi have earned widespread critical acclaim, while last year’s BABYFLEAREINDEERBAG sold out its Edinburgh Fringe run and was described by The Guardian as “delightfully meta”.
So, what do we know about TURN YOUR F***ING PHONES OFF? Well, Maxwell seems to be deliberately resisting neat categorisation. A theatre show? A piece of performance art? A town hall meeting at the end of the world? A karaoke booth in a nuclear bunker? According to the artist, it might be all of those things at once.
What we do know is that the show explores our increasingly complicated relationship with technology. Drawing on Maxwell’s own struggles with phone addiction, it blends personal storytelling with wider questions about big tech, surveillance capitalism, disinformation and what it means to remain connected in an increasingly fragmented world. Described as a dark, absurd and fiercely hopeful exploration of human connection in the age of information – it asks how we arrived at this particular moment in history, and where we go from here.
Following the performance, audiences will be invited to take part in a long table discussion, an open and informal format developed by performance artist Lois Weaver that transforms the dinner table into a space for public conversation. Expect debate, curiosity and public disagreement.
At a time when so much of modern life is mediated through screens, there’s something refreshingly direct about gathering in a room to watch a new work take shape. Blurring the boundaries between performance, discussion and social experiment, TURN YOUR F***ING PHONES OFF offers a fascinating glimpse into the creative process – and the chance to have your say before the show heads to Edinburgh.
