[UN]LOVABLE, A Work In Progress Performance
Not So Nice! Theatre CompanyAbout
NOT SO NICE! are proud to present the return of [UN]LOVABLE! Five work in progress performances showcasing local theatre makers in Scotland.
The new year rolls in and the countdown begins…to Valentine’s Day! An entire day dedicated to romance and love, a day of hope, celebration and joy (for some). But what about the rest of us? Those who feel isolated and experiences of love are more complex. Whose rose-tinted glasses have been smashed beyond repair. What does Valentine’s Day mean to us?
Bizarre breakups, absurd affairs and eccentric entanglements are just some of the hilarious, heartfelt and horrific stories waiting to be told. Delve into the other side of love: being ‘unloveable’.
Photo credit: Jack Mawby and gordanaphotography/ Design credit: Matthew Attwood and Grace Ava Baker.
[UN]LOVABLE, A Work In Progress Performance is part of the Traverse's £1 Ticket Project.
Meet the teams:
Clown Divorce by Russ Russel
“I usually start with a joke about big feet, but my b*tch ex took the good clown shoes in the divorce.”
A one-person dark comedy about a clown processing a toxic marriage and bitter divorce. Whilst reflecting on a love that burned fast and hurt deeply, Clown explores their heartbreak, bitterness and how it feels to be left behind.
Playwright: Russ Russel (they/them)
Director: Sarah Docherty (she/they)
Clown: Chris Veteri (he/him)
Wish Me Luck by Melissa Ainsworth
Cassie plans to throw herself into traffic—not to die, but to get hurt enough that her ex will visit her in hospital and fall back in love.
Explaining this plan to a bewildered stranger, her logic becomes hilariously devastating. Beneath the comedic façade is loneliness and trauma, exploring the fear of being unlovable and the unhinged ways people try to feel worthy again after heartbreak and rejection.
Playwright: Melissa Ainsworth (she/her)
Director: Adele Tunnicliff (she/they)
Cassie: Hannah-Mae Engstrom (she/her)
Tony: Jamie Cowan (he/they)
Tit For Tat by Ryan Lithgow
Set in the bathroom of a theatre awards ceremony, writers Darcey White and Nathan Black are both nominated for Best Writer—and still reeling from their very public breakup.
What begins as barbed banter becomes a raw confrontation as they weaponise their art against each other, play for play, line for line. Caught between them, their friend Ellie grieves for the changing relationship. Can she force a reckoning or will they remain uncomfortably in denial?
Playwright: Ryan Lithgow (he/him)
Director: Cormac Myles (he/him)
Nathan: Chris Veteri (he/him)
Ellie: Samuela Noumtchuet (she/her)
Darcey: Stan Ross (he/him)
La Solitude by Emma McCaffrey
Welcome to Lee’s world: a funny, honest, and quietly devastating insight into people with autism trying to find someone to see them.
As Lee navigates family struggles, missed connections, and long stretches of loneliness, they expose how isolating it can be to want love in a world that doesn’t make space for you.
Playwright: Emma McCaffrey (she/they)
Director: Becca Donley (she/her)
Lee: Emma McCaffrey (she/they)
Defective by Grace Ava Baker
In a world where every newborn baby’s future is projected at birth, society has established a policy to eliminate any baby destined to commit a serious crime.
One mother, whose child is marked as ‘defective’ and destined to cause great harm, a risk to society, refuses to accept the verdict. She believes that love can alter destiny, that nurture can outweigh nature.
Playwright & Director: Grace Ava Baker (she/her)
Abigail: Indigo Buchanan (she/her)
Assessor: Eleanor Tate (she/her)
Reviews:
★★★★★ “It is truly heartening to see young talent taking the initiative and creating superb quality on a shoestring. This collaborative enterprise has a bright future.” - North West End
★★★★ “Hilarious throughout and…unexpectedly poignant” - All Edinburgh Theatre (Ring That Bell!, 2024)
★★★★★ “This is a phenomenal piece of work” - A Youngish Perspective (Living With the Dead, 2025)
★★★★ “Under The Bed remains an excellent piece of new writing, well-realized by solid casting and a director who instinctively grasps the material.” - The Quinntessential Review (Under The Bed, 2025)
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Credits
- Artistic Director & ProducerMatthew Attwood (he/him)
- Artistic DirectorGrace Ava Baker (she/her)
- Head of ProductionEleanor Tate (she/her)
- Co-ProducerStaci Shaw (she/her)
- TechnicianJack Elvey (he/him)
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This performance is currently sold out