The 2nd solo show of actor and writer Callum Hughes is a showcase of sympathetic yet humerous diaries on his battles with people-pleasing, its effect on previous romantic relationships, and how a recent ADHD diagnosis might have answered a lot of questions that have remained dormant for years.
Told through tales of years working in the service industry, from call centres to cafes, How Can I Help You is a musical ode to Callum’s 33 years as a chronic people pleaser, an exploration of the power of no, and a look at how scary it can be to set boundaries; For yourself and for those you love. With a guitar in hand and performing original music, Hughes delves into anecdotes both ridiculous and relatable, as he weaves his audience through a sporadic and nomadic voyage around his CV; shedding light on a life lived in a state of anxiety and subservience.
This is Hughes’ follow up production to his debut solo show Thirst, which was met with critical acclaim, including a sold-out performance in Bristol and a successful four-night run at VAULT Festival 2022, before opening at Pleasance Courtyard for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2023, where it played to sold out audiences and won the prestigious Mervyn Stutter Pick of The Fringe award.
Fake Escape was founded in 2013 and has since been committed to spearheading exciting new artistic projects that not only entertain and engage audiences, but open a dialogue with a new generation of theatregoers and theatremakers alike. Fake Escape has seen over a dozen productions in the last nine years, including productions at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, London, Paris and across the country. They are best known for their 2021 WhatsOnStage Award nominated production of Saving Britney, which toured the UK extensively and transferred Off-Broadway to New York City in 2022, as well as Joakim Daun’s The Boy at The Soho Theatre in 2023. Previous Edinburgh shows include Hughes’ debut show Thirst in 2023, alongside Raising Kane at Assembly Venues George Square that same year, My Father The Tantric Masseur at Assembly Venues George Square (2019), and A Dream of Dying at SpaceUK@Surgeon’s Hall (2016).
Callum Patrick Hughes has been making theatre as an actor, writer and musician for over a decade in a variety of genres including musical theatre, live/performance art, immersive theatre, site specific theatre, folk/story-telling, classical texts, film and television. Callum was a long-time member of Bob Carlton’s award-winning ensemble of actor-musicians where he performed in countless productions including Godspell, The Great Gatsby, As You Like It, Treasure Island and Return to the Forbidden Planet. Since then, Callum has performed in UK No1 tours, at fringe festivals, in films and commercials and regularly records audiobooks as a narrator.
