Alright Team,

We’ve made a show! It’s called Trouble, Struggle, Bubble and Squeak.We did a work-in-progress version at Brighton Fringe in May and we got a standing ovation. And it wasn’t even finished yet.

The best part? People from the local community came, and they lovedit. That means more to me than any five-star Guardian review (although a great review is still very welcome.)

Now we’re taking it on the road. We’ve set up a Crowdfunder to help cover the costs of getting this show in front of audiences. If you’ve ever been a fan of my work then it would be lovely if you contribute anything. There are some fab rewards—but mainly, you’ll have my heartfelt appreciation.

We are doing a little preview tour to tweak and perfect and then we are going to Edinburgh Fringe for the (gulp) month. Please share with your friends!

Preview Dates

11^th July London

16^th July Colchester

19^th July Eastleigh

26^th July Latitude

31^st July – 24^th August (not Mondays) Edinburgh Fringe
and we are touring Nationally Autumn 2025

I’ve loved researching, embedding myself in the community, and making and performing this show. It’s probably been the most enjoyable creative process I’ve ever had making a show.

That’s down to the incredible people I’ve been surrounded by, the fact that I care deeply about the story and the people behind it, and because this isn’t just a show—it’s part of a much bigger project with a lasting legacy in the form of a community garden.

Working with Mark Thomas has pushed me. This show doesn’t use film, which I’ve relied on in the past to do a lot of the heavy lifting. Without it, I’ve had to really sharpen my writing and find other ways to bring people, places and stories to life — through Simon James’ssound recordings with local kids, and through words alone.

For the first time, I’m playing other people on stage. I was nervous about it at first but because I’ve spent so much time with them, I’ve got a sense of their essence. I focus on the real conversations we’ve had.

I think all of that has pushed me up a notch.

Crew Roots Community Garden

The garden has officially begun! It’s in an area where around half the kids live in poverty, and we’re not just growing veg — we’re growing growers.

I’ve worked hard to get this off the ground, chasing funding and pulling together the right people. And it’s already taken off. The kids have really taken to it.

Every Monday, a professional market gardener runs two sessions: one for adult volunteers and one for young people. Everything we grow goes towards a free lunch club.

We’ve started with some quick-growing veg and fruit like courgettes and salad leaves and strawberries that they’ll be able to see ripen and taste for themselves. We’ve also got a young orchard in place.

And we’re not stopping there. We’re planning to add a sensory garden and more spaces where people can gather, learn and get their hands in the soil.

Oh, and they made a scarecrow. It’s… quite frankly, terrifying. To humans.

Recommendations

Reading: Islands of Abandonment by Cal Flyn
Listening: Doechii I’ll be hot stepping/ mud stepping to see her at Glastonbury, and also getting my rage on for Alanis Morissette (interview).

Thanks for reading

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Love Vic x