The Paper Birds have announced their latest production, 48 Thoughts Per Minute, a new verbatim theatre work co-written with comedian Jessica Fostekew and starring Mark Thomas alongside The Paper Birds’ Kylie Perry.
The production will premiere at New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich on 27 January 2027 before embarking on an extensive UK tour through March, visiting venues including Southampton, Newbury, Sheffield, Coventry, Chelmsford, Nottingham, Huddersfield and Manchester.
Returning to the company’s verbatim theatre roots, 48 Thoughts Per Minute combines real-life testimony with comedy and new writing from Jessica Fostekew and The Paper Birds’ co-directors Jemma McDonnell and Kylie Perry. The piece has also been informed by academic research, including contributions from Professor Charles Fernyhough, Director of the Centre for Research into Inner Experience at Durham University.
The show explores the idea that the average human brain produces 48 thoughts every minute. Set across three minutes as one woman awaits potentially life-changing news, the story journeys through four minds, capturing the constant stream of thoughts that shape our everyday lives.
Mark Thomas, known for works including Ordinary Decent Criminal, England & Son and The Mark Thomas Comedy Product, joins Kylie Perry in a production that promises rapidly shifting staging, sound and visuals. Audience members will also be invited to participate by sharing their own thoughts via smartphone.
“The way our minds work is rarely neat and tidy, dark thoughts and humour regularly co-exist alongside the chaotic and the absurd,” explains Jemma McDonnell. “Collaborating with exceptional stand-up comedians has allowed us to explore heavier themes including grief and infertility through a comedic lens, proving that it is possible to tell profound, thought-provoking stories whilst generating belly laughs and ensuring that audiences not only have a fantastic night out, but also leave with brilliant conversation starters.”
Jessica Fostekew added “Collaborating with Jemma and Kylie on this project has been the most excellent fun. They are a joy to build characters and worlds with. I have particularly loved the academic research involved in the making of this play and learning so much about thinking, internal experience and what that looks like in scientific terms. It’s been so mind-bending that it has been like becoming a philosopher and a child-again all at once. And I’m proud of how funny we have been able to make this show too, especially considering the messy complexity of the subject matter. I’m excited to set it free and see it fly.”
Founded in 2003, The Paper Birds has become one of the UK’s leading devised verbatim theatre companies. The Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation is also widely recognised for its educational work, with its methods studied by AQA, WJEC and Pearson drama students across the UK.
Co-produced by New Wolsey Theatre and co-commissioned by Corn Exchange Newbury and Warwick Arts Centre, 48 Thoughts Per Minute is recommended for audiences aged 14+ and contains strong language alongside themes of infertility and grief.
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
