Look, No Hands at the Edinburgh Fringe & on Tour

Look, No Hands was the 2021 recipient of the National Partnership Award with Pleasance Theatre and Pitlochry Festival Theatre. Following a successful run at London’s Pleasance Theatre in August 2021 and a seven-week run on global streaming platform Stream.Theatre, Look, No Hands is preparing for its next outing in 2022. 

Where is it going?

Look, No Hands has just been programmed SUMMERHALL at one of the top Edinburgh Fringe venues, which has won multiple awards in its ten years as a festival and year-round venue. We are delighted to be making our Fringe debut here and reaching audiences from across the globe. The Guardian has named it “One of the world’s great arts venues” and we’re thrilled to be performing alongside a number of other prestigious companies at the same performance space this August. 

Inspiration for the show

This new one person play is inspired by a real life cycling collision Lila experienced in 2010. Exploring the female identifying cycling experience and the phenomenon known as Post Traumatic Growth, Look, No Hands has been made in partnership with the fantastic female and non-binary cycling club .

While this play centres around a road trauma, ultimately it's an uplifting story of hope and survival for our times, which speaks to anyone who's had their life turned upside down.

"Wind in my hair. Homeward bound. Eyes on the evening ahead. Collision 15:26." 

When Vee embarks on her cycling commute, she has no idea she’ll never make it home. Appearing in Court to face the driver - suffering from amnesia, armed only with her hospital notes, a surprise appearance on 24 Hours in A&E and a bag of ripped clothes - she tries to piece together what happened to her that day. But what she can’t work out is why something so awful... can make her feel so fantastic.

“And if that was dying. What is this? What is this magic?” 

Reviews

★★★★ “Look, No Hands makes for a genuinely exciting piece of theatre...Clements’ show is clever and engaging.” ~ A Younger Theatre 

★★★★ “Directed by Anna Ryder, this is a very intimate production that is focused and detailed in every way. This piece incites us to ask questions of ourselves, assess how we can make things better and regain our freedom...”  ~ West End Best Friend 

★★★★ “An inspiring and uplifting play that celebrates human endurance in the wake of tragedy.” ~ Love London Love Culture 

Why now and why the Fringe?

As we mentioned, last year, the show had a successful run at Pleasance, London. However, the 2021 planned Edinburgh Fringe production was cancelled due to uncertainty around Covid19. This was a great disappointment to the whole creative team, as it limited the show’s potential to reach wider audiences and cut short the possibility to establish the new partnerships and exposure that the Fringe offers to artists at our career stage. 

Following a hugely challenging two years, this piece offers a timely and poignant message for audiences today, exploring the phenomenon known as Post Traumatic Growth - which is the theory that trauma can be the catalyst for positive growth and life choices. Sharing this semi-autobiographical play with audience in 2022 will provide a safe space for catharsis and reflection for audience and creative team alike.  

The show will reach new audiences by further democratising the cycling experience and speaking to some of the 1.3 million people who bought bicycles during lockdown (ref. British Library) for the positive physical, mental & environmental benefits cycling provides. 

Edinburgh itself is a well know ‘cycling city’ and we will reach out to the cycling community there, particularly female cyclists and their experiences in a male dominated sport and hobby. Overall, we hope to share the joy of cycling!

How will your donation help?

As a small team of artists, we can't get to the Fringe without your help. Any donation, no matter how small, will go a long way in supporting us and our work, especially after the challenges faced by the arts during the pandemic. 

The funds from this Crowdfunder will go towards:

• Edinburgh Fringe registration fee
• Production costs. Rehearsal space, production costs, venue hire and wages for all the creatives involved.
• Marketing. We want to make sure we reach the widest audiences possible in Edinburgh and across the UK. By engaging a marketing company, we'll make sure new audiences come to see the show and we connect with local cycling communities.
• Creating a Care Pack.The time and resources towards creating a care pack for audience members who engage with the show. This digital pack will cover areas such as trauma support, cycle safely information, road accident charity details and cycle clubs/ orgs in the local area.
• Accessibility. We want to make Look, No Hands as accessible as possible, so these funds will go towards paying for a BSL interpreter for a performance during the run.

Thank you for your support. We hope this show pedals into your hearts this August!