Single Use

Aim: Single Use is one-woman comedy by Orange Squeeze Theatre. We're asking for your valuable support to help take the show to Edinburgh Fringe.

Hello kind people of the internet 🤩

We are Verity Mullan, Writer and Director and Emma Jones, Director and Co -Creator of Single Use. We are looking for funding support to take our show SINGLE USE to Edinburgh Fringe 2025.

🎭 SINGLE USE at Edinburgh Fringe

A one-woman comedy about takeaways, trash, love and lonliness.

SINGLE USE tackles themes of destruction of the planet, human isolation and community, reminding us why we should still care about the least sexy of all environmental issues…recycling!

We have secured a slot at The Pleasance, one of the largest and most prestigious venues at the Fringe, performing 26 shows throughout August.

Performing at such an iconic venue, alongside some of our comedy heroes is a sign of how far the project has come…but there is still a long way to go.

We are raising some vital funds to help cover venue costs, marketing, accommodation, staging, accessibility, and to pay our wonderful collaborators and ourselves for our work.

♻️ What's the show about?

Ever thought ‘what's the point’ when your washing out their hummus pot or  ‘f*** it!’ when you don’t recycle your milk bottle? Same!

Ella, a karaoke-loving procrastinator with a taste for Deliveroo, felt the same – until her water bottle washed up in Malaysia. Rather than confronting her demons, she takes on the problem of plastic instead. Haunted by her past which she can't seem to bin, she'll do anything other than look at her own life, until life becomes unavoidable. Come spend an hour not feeling so bad about failing to fix the planet.

Ella learns what it means to take responsibility for the past and clean up her mess, as the play explores identity, purpose, and the weight of what we leave behind across generations.

🏆 Why support this project? 

Recycling and plastic waste is the least sexy and most boring of all the environmental issues, but it’s important. With only 9% of plastic recycled globally and 2 million plastic bags used every minute — we all try to do our bit, but can recycling really make a difference? Can individual efforts truly turn the tide — and at what personal cost?

SINGLE USE raises urgent questions about pollution and the impact of human consumption on the individual. 

Theatre is the right form to encourage action as it connects with people emotionally and inspires thoughts and behaviour changes. 🎭 🤝

The Guardian describes the Fringe as "too long, too expensive and too gruelling" (harsh but true!) but performing at the biggest arts festival in the world and home of creativity and opportunity is the platform the show deserves.

💰 Where’s the money going?

We don’t expect huge lump sums (we’re knocking on the door of business for that) but donating just a fiver or a tenner all adds up to help cover:

• Venue hire (top venues don’t come cheap!)
• Accommodation (2 bed flat for the month)
• Travel for the team
• Marketing, PR, posters, billboards, flyers, merch
• Production, set, lighting, sound and paying creatives
• Tech operator so the show runs smoothly

The £3500 we raise through this page comprises roughly 50% of the total budget of the show. Verity is covering the rest through personal savings and hopefully some corporate backers. 🤞

On the topic of money. We know the world is falling apart and even buying your friend a drink can even feel like a stretch on the purse strings, so we don't ask for money lightly. We hope this project can add genuine value, make people laugh and we have added a few rewards to sweeten the deal. If you are not in the position to donate, simply sharing this with someone who would like the story would be hugely appreciated. 🙏 

🏔The backstory

Verity has never liked taking the bins out (does anyone?!)  After years of living in flat shares worrying about the recycling and spiralling into environmental doom, she thought how useful is all this worry? So she started writing..

Verity first shared scenes of SINGLE USE with Emma in an empty theatre above the Rosemary Branch pub in Summer 2023. Luckily, Emma thought there was something in it and development began 👩‍🦰👩‍🦰

• Apr 2024 - Actors East, Hackney - First sharing of the script
• Sep 2024 - The Cockpit Theatre, Marylebone - Theatre in the Pound Scratch Night
• Jan 2025 -  The Hen & Chicken Theatre. Highbury - Three night working progress run - sell out!
• Apr 2025 - The Cockpit Theatre, Marylebone - Theatre in the Pound Scratch Night

Coming up

• Jul 2025 - Seven Dials Playhouse, Soho -  London press and Industry Preview
• Aug 2025 - The Pleasance, Edinburgh Fringe Festival!

Our big goal for 2026 is applying for further funding to secure a London run and UK tour.

❤️ Thank you

We deeply appreciate your support and hope to see you in Edinburgh or our London preview at Seven Dials Theatre, Soho, Saturday 25th July.

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 28th July 2025 at 1:23pm