FemFest Scratch Night 2.0 - 22nd July 2023

Bored of the same-old Summer Saturday nights? Fed up of listening to your neighbors kids screaming in the garden? Want to get away from the topless chanting lads who invade Brighton every summer? We’ve got you covered babes.  

Join us at the second official FemFest scratch night set up for artists to come and explore new ideas in a supportive space. Our first Scratch night in March sold out, so be sure to snap up your tickets before they’re all gone! The line up will be released very soon so keep your eyes peeled and don’t miss out.

You’ll be speaking of this night for years to come, where you’ll be able to say to your friends, “Oh yeah, I saw them when they first started at the legendary FemFest Scratch Night in 2023.” 

Scratch nights are all about creating a joyful and encouraging environment that allows performers to take risks. From clowning to cabaret, character comedy to contemplative monologues, we welcome anyone and everyone to come and see art in its formative stages and give it the opportunity to grow. We’ll be inviting six artists to showcase 20 minutes of their new work. Audiences will be able to give feedback helping these artists develop their work further.

Join us at 7PM on the 22nd of July at The Actors (4 Princes St, Brighton, BN2 1RD) for a night of summer scratch joy. 

The Line Up:

The night will be hosted by FemFest’s founder and Artistic Director, Maddie Ross.

Lucy’s Pharmakon from Open Handed Theatre, written by Jo Sutherland. Lucy's found the cure for her loveless marriage - the perfect virtual life generated by AI. But as reality starts to slip away, is her cure more of a curse? Previous work: Before The World Ends at FemFest 2023 (Open Handed Theatre), A Trans Fairy Tale (Open Handed Theatre) at Brighton Fringe 2022, FemFest 2022. 

Girlhood from Ellen Chelepis. Girlhood is a one-woman autobiographical performance about female friendship and finding yourself through platonic love. Previous work: To Whom It May Concern - The Angriest Person in the Universe at the Etcetera Theatre (Apr 2023 - Salt Circle Productions)

LINDA(?) from Eleanor Hope Brewster. What does it mean to create the perfect woma- cake? What does it even mean to be the perfect cake? LINDA(?) is a clown(ISH) piece exploding in response to these questions. Previous Work: Artist in Residence at the Grotowski Institute in Wroclaw, Poland. Performer in Diary of a Hole at The Knalt, Berlin (June 2022).

That Witch Helen from Catie Ridewood. A solo show retelling the Trojan War from the perspective of the woman who gets blamed for it all – because, let's face it, there's always a woman to blame. Previous Work: Blue Blood (Blue Devil Productions) at Brighton Fringe 2023, Measure 2 Measure (Different Theatre) at FemFest 2023.

The Line from DifferenT Theatre. The Line is an extract from a new full length play which explores the impact of loss on family connections, and the morality of medical intervention in mental illness. Previous Work: Clean at Brighton Fringe 2021, 2019 - Winner of the Outstanding Theatre Award and Best New Play. Sary at Edinburgh Fringe 2019 - Winner of the Infallibles Award for Theatrical Excellence. Metamorphosis at Soho Play House, New York 2021.