Mercury Reads: To Be You & Self Control

Show Bio

Join us for Mercury Reads a series of lively rehearsed readings celebrating local voices and fresh new writing. Each event spotlights an exciting playwright from our region, giving audiences the chance to see new stories take shape for the very first time.

In this session, join us in the Upstairs Bar on Tue 3 Mar from 3.30pm as we look at Mercury Reads: To Be You by Esohe Uwadiae and Self Control by Ted Marriott.

3.30pm: To Be You by Esohe Uwadiae

She’s dumped her fiancé, quit her job and packed her bags. Now what?

To Be You is a semi-autobiographical character study into black identity, chosen family and childhood. It follows an unnamed British Nigerian woman at the pivotal point of spontaneously moving to Nigeria to complete her youth service and how she got here.

While packing up her childhood room in preparation, our protagonist soon realises that secrets never lay dead. As photo albums and teenage memorabilia lead her down memory lane, something in the shadows won’t stay buried and she is forced to confront the worst thing she has ever done.

4.45pm: Self Control by Ted Marriott

“I thought I should come here today, because I reached a point where I wasn’t sure if I was here anymore. Or I was here to begin with.” 

Self Control is a one-man show that follows the story of Matthew, who is on a quest to win back his boyfriend, prove to everyone he’s got his shit together, bury years of self-loathing and grief, and throw his mum the best birthday party anyone has ever seen – easy. But with every step he takes forward, he finds himself back in time, in a club, the ceiling of his flat, his childhood bedroom, or his flooded bathroom. He must do all he can to maintain some self control and get back to a reality of stasis and comfort before he loses himself forever.

Self Control is a funny, heartbreaking and time-travelling tragicomedy, exploring the contradictions and connections between men’s mental health and queer identity, family, love, loss and how these are experienced physically and temporally.

Ted Marriott is the writer and performer of this piece.