WONDER DRUG: A Comedy About Cystic Fibrosis goes to Edinburgh Fringe!

Congratulations for selling out at VAULT Festival! How did you find it all?

It was fantastic! I only performed for two nights at VAULT festival but really made the most of it. The energy was amazing, and we sold out both days, and as a result got transferred to the King’s Head in Islington for two weeks. It felt amazing to be shown that confidence and to hear how people related and responded to the show has been incredibly humbling.

What was it like managing your CF and performing a show most nights?

I could have written a show for myself which is just me in a chair, but I wanted to push myself. I find laughter is the best physio so performing a play where I’m constantly laughing and moving around is good for me. I did one performance a day and it’s no more than an hour long so it felt manageable. I made sure that leading up to the play I took it easy and had lots of rest.

How did you get told you got into Edinburgh Fringe? How did it feel?

It was wild. I sent my application in the same week the run at the King’s Head finished, and less than 24 hours later I got an email to say they wanted to take on the show and offer me the slot I applied for. Having that response was a real vote of confidence and made me feel like I was doing something worthwhile. I was actually in the CF clinic getting scans done on my bones as I received the email. To receive the email in that setting felt like a real privilege given the topic of the play.

Writing the play, I always had Edinburgh Fringe in my mind, so it felt amazing to be accepted. We got offered our first choice of venue, Pleasance Courtyard, which is known as the heart of the Fringe and the comedy hub. To be performing on that stage alongside comedy giants like Adam Kay from This Is Going To Hurt is surreal, especially as his play is about NHS Doctors, people I’ve interacted a lot with in my life.

How are you feeling for Fringe Festival? Is there anything you’re concerned about CF wise?

I’m so excited to be presenting a show about cystic fibrosis at the Fringe which sees hundreds of thousands of vistors per year. I’m so honoured to be flying the flag for cystic fibrosis and long term health conditions and I’d like to imagine I’m also helping to raise awareness of CF.

The Fringe is hard to judge but I’ve given myself three days off in total which amounts to one day off a week. The show is 12:30 in the afternoon so I’ll be able to get my physio done with more than enough time and not be too tired. The one thing I am wary of is that a big part of Edinburgh Fringe is getting out on the streets and getting people interested in your play. I don’t want to exhaust myself with both promoting and performing so I’ll have to work out how to pace myself.

This is my fifth time going to Edinburgh Fringe (I’ve previously been with some university groups and acting groups) so I’m aware of how to manage myself. There’s always so much going on that it feels like you have to do everything all the time, but on the flip side, because there’s so much going on it’s okay to take a night off.

I think overall, I’ll make sure I’m being wise and taking all the steps I can to stay healthy and I’ll figure out my energy levels when I’m there and adapt. I’m excited though! I’ve never experienced anything like Edingburgh Fringe in terms of atmosphere and creativity, so I’d recommend it to everyone at one point in their life.

For people that may not know, could you give us an overview of the play?

WONDER DRUG: A Comedy about Cystic Fibrosis takes the audience through my experience of March 2020 through to June 2021. Kaftrio was on the horizon and I’d just started seeing a girl called Sarah - but then, not only did I have to start shielding when the pandemic hit, I also had to learn how to administer my own intravenous antibiotics at home for a separate CF bug. It was a crazy time to say the least, terrified of scaring Sarah off, the audience help me come up with absurd excuses; lockdown TV starts to infect the play with gameshow sequences; there are animate antibiotics, singing syringes, even politicians in their pants - and it’s all set to a soundtrack of 80s bangers!

What has the response been to the play so far?

The response has been fantastic which feels amazing as it’s so personal to me. I’ve had people with CF who watched the live streaming get in touch and tell me they feel seen in a way they never have before and also a lot of doctors telling me it’s illuminating to see patient perspectives and how consultations come across.

I hope it’s the right balance of entertainment and information, and it’s all strung together by a love story.

One occasion that particularly sticks with me is after a show, a couple who had just had a baby girl with CF came up to me - a very turbulent time for them - and they told me the show had given them hope for their daughter’s future, which was very humbling indeed.

I think it’s important to say though, that everyone’s story and experience of CF is unique and WONDER DRUG is mine. My experience of Kaftrio has been really positive but it’s important to acknowledge that not everyone has the same experience, so the only story I can tell is my own. Kaftrio is a huge step forward and should be celebrated for what it’s achieved, and what it will mean going forwards, but not everyone can access it and it’s important to me to point that out.

What’s one thing you want the audience to take away from your show?

That people are people first and foremost, and any other label like disabled is secondary. I want to promote an understanding that we’re not that different and we all have our own silly things to deal with, but before all that, we’re all unique and our own person. I feel very proud to present the life of someone with CF.

WONDER DRUG: a comedy about cystic fibrosis will be performed at Edinburgh Fringe Festival from the 2-28 August (excluding the 9, 14, 21 Aug) at the Pleasance Courtyard. Tickets can be purchased here: https://www.pleasance.co.uk/event/wonder-drug-comedy-about-cystic-fibrosis

It is recommended no one with CF attend Charlie’s show at Edingburgh Fringe due to the risk of passing on harmful bacteria (also known as cross infection). There will be a pre-recorded streaming of the show available from the 6^th to the 10^th September for others with CF who won’t be able to attend Charlie’s show in person. Further information about the stream and the show can be found here: https://www.wonderdrugplay.com/

There will also be London Previews of WONDER DRUG at the Omnibus Theatre in Clapham, 17 & 18 July at 7pm. Tickets can be purchased here: https://www.omnibus-clapham.org/wonderdrug/