Award-winning Hull-based theatre company Silent Uproar Productions brings a bold new production to stages across the North of England this May and June.
Shit Life Crisis, written by Olivia Hannah (Braids), is a darkly hilarious karaoke play exploring survival, illness, grief, and friendship — all set to a soundtrack of queer pop bangers from Chappell Roan to Icona Pop.
The production opens at Junction Goole on Tuesday 20 May before touring to Hull’s Polar Bear Music Club, The Dukes Lancaster, Theatre by the Lake in Keswick, and Alphabetti Theatre in Newcastle.
“No one tells you that survival turns your life inside out, especially when everyone seems to be so much better at living than you.”
Directed by Silent Uproar Artistic Director Alex Mitchel, Shit Life Crisis follows Grace, a cancer survivor, and her ride-or-die best friend Abbie. Despite beating cancer, Grace finds herself stuck in a spiral of fear and disconnection, even as she follows Abbie’s 100-step plan to reclaim life.
Brimming with humour and heart, the show culminates in a karaoke party celebrating friendship, survival, and the chaos of modern life. Audiences are invited to sing along with lyrics projected on set, and join a karaoke after-party following each performance.
“This play has been percolating for a long time, mainly because it feels so important to get it right,” said writer Olivia Hannah. “It’s not just about the story itself, but how it’s told. Making it a karaoke show feels like the perfect evolution for it and Silent Uproar are the perfect collaborators. I’m so excited to see it come to life!”
Silent Uproar is known for creating challenging and camp nights out, with previous hits including A Super Happy Story About Feeling Super Sad, Dead Girls Rising, and The Night of the Werewolves.
Director Alex Mitchel added: “We first came across Olivia’s work when she applied for our writer support programme Troublemakers in 2021 with an early version of Shit Life Crisis. We loved Olivia’s humour and skill when talking about complicated, raw and knotty experiences in life. We are really overjoyed to bring this show to life, and give it and Olivia Hannah the platform they deserve.”
Each performance will be supported by a local service for audience members who wish to talk about the themes of illness and grief. Silent Uproar also offers concessions for cancer support and survivor groups.
Listings and ticket information can be found here
