What's Phoebe up to now? I thought she was writing a book.
I am, I am, but way before that started, I had a baby and that experience inspired me to write a play. A play which has now been programmed for a 3-week run at a leading off-west end theatre with an amazing female-led team behind it and an award winning director at the helm, and we want to make it the best show it can be.
I already like the sound of this. Tell me more...
Although I am now a happy, healthy mum to a very happy, healthy little girl (two in fact), bringing her into the world didn't go as smoothly as planned, so after some recovery, I poured all my birth related questions, frustrations, research and realisations into the fictional story of Bec, a woman in labour, alone, at home. Well, that is until her ex shows up and refuses to leave. The pair have to make it through the night while navigating their breakup before everything changes with the birth of their first child.
In writing this play, I wanted to shine a new light on the experience of birth with all the vulnerability, emotion and jeopardy it involves in a way that embraces the beauty and humanity at the centre of it all.
The portrayal of childbirth in theatre is often shied away from or overplayed for laughs. With this production, I want to tackle birth head on. The lead character is in labour for the entire play - it is the central dramatic focus. Everything birth entails - physicality, aural, visual and felt sensations for mother, baby & bystanders - will be presented with sensitivity and artistic integrity.
I don't think I've ever seen anything like that on stage before.
No, neither have we, which is why we can't wait to share it. With an average of 600,000 births per year in the UK alone, the experience of this momentous event often still feels little understood. Birth is a unique experience for each woman, parent, family member and individual involved. The way women and families are supported through pregnancy, birth & postpartum by healthcare services is often lacking; resulting in birth injuries to mother and/or child, PTSD and other avoidable tragedies. Furthermore, according to MBRRACE, “The risk of maternal death in 2020-22 was three times higher among women from Black ethnic minority backgrounds compared with White women.”
This urgent and necessary story has the potential to impact on the perception and experience of birth in domestic and hospital settings. It is one story out of many, but we hope it will provoke conversation and raise awareness of how vital it is to redress the balance of care provided and put the mother at the centre.
Has the play had any buzz already?
Lots! The script won the ‘Highly Commended’ Prize at the Tony Craze Awards in 2020 and has previously been long listed for Theatre503 International Playwrighting Award, The Bruntwood Prize and The Alfred Fagon Award.
In March 2021 a virtual reading took place for Soho Theatre with Vinnette Robinson (Boiling Point, The Gathering) as BEC and Luke Norris (Poldark, Strike) as ALEX.
In June 2022 A script-in-hand rehearsed reading opened the 10th annual Talawa Firsts new writing festival with Luke reprising his role and yours truly as Bec.
Tell me more about Team Soon Life.
Writer/ Co-Producer / Actress: PHOEBE MCINTOSH
I am an actor, playwright and author based in London. I wrote and performed in a sell-out run of my first play, The Tea Diaries, at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2013, followed by my solo show, Dominoes, which toured the South East and London in 2018. I have been a selected writer on the Soho Theatre Writers' Lab, Tamasha Playwrights and Talawa Firsts. I won a place on the inaugural Tamasha x Hachette creative writing programme and was also selected for the Penguin Random House WriteNow programme in 2020. Dominoes was longlisted for both the Bath Novel Award 2021 and the Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize 2024 and for the Authors' Club Best First Novel Award 2025.
Producer: MAEVE O’NEILL
Maeve O'Neill (she/her) is an independent arts producer who manages productions, national tours and projects for artists, theatre companies and arts organisations. Maeve is company producer for poet Simon Mole and executive producer for Neon Dance. Maeve is an experienced facilitator and provides mentoring and workshops in producing. Maeve produced the premier of Blind Summit’s award winning show, The Table at The Pleasance for Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2011 and both national tours of The Diary of a Hounslow Girl by Ambreen Razia with Black Theatre Live and House Theatre. She originally trained at The Gaiety School of Acting, Dublin and completed a BA in Modern Drama Studies at Brunel University.
Director: SARAH MEADOWS
Sarah is an award-winning director. Current projects include the English language premiere of hit Korean musical Marie Curie (Charing Cross Theatre) and the US premiere of Ride, which opened at San Diego’s Old Globe Theatre this spring. Sarah recently developed and directed new musical Ride at Leicester Curve & Southwark Playhouse Elephant. Its original run at Charing Cross Theatre received critical acclaim and was finalist for six Off West End Awards nominations including Best Director (Musicals), winning two. Ride was also finalist for Best Off-West End Production at the 2022 WhatsOnStage Awards.
How can I help?
We are over the moon to have been awarded Arts Council England funding to get the production off the ground. But with high ambitions to create a quality piece of theatre, any donations towards our crowdfunding goal would boost the production enormously. Funds raised will go towards Marketing and Production Managers, a Birth Doula to join rehearsals as well set design.
You can also help by sharing this crowdfunder and details of the production far and wide, to friends, family and followers.
Words of Support
“I was blown away by The Soon Life. Phoebe's writing is confident and delicately beautiful. I was absorbed. This is contemporary drama at its most poignant and the team at Methuen is thrilled to be publishing the play text alongside what I am sure will be a vital, conversation-starting run at The Southwark Playhouse.”
- Callan McCarthy, Former Commissioning Editor of Methuen Drama | Bloomsbury Academic
"By partnering with birth support charities and organisations, we think Phoebe is treading new and noble ground in her work as a playwright, with a story that could influence birthing policy. We are proud that our writing programme has had a role to play in supporting Phoebe’s career and this play so far and look forward to seeing how she and the creative team continue to grow the piece over the months ahead.”
- Jules Haworth, Creative Engagement Associate, Soho Theatre
"The Soon Life is powerful, honest and deserving of a wider audience. We wish Phoebe and the team success with their fundraising. We are pleased to offer our support by contributing to the provision of space for the cast and creatives involved during the rehearsal period.’
- Michael Buffong, Artistic Director, Talawa Theatre Company
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