Francesca Moody Productions have confirmed that Steven Webb will star in the US premiere of Feeling Afraid As If Something Terrible Is Going To Happen, running at Studio Theatre in Washington DC from 4 June to 12 July 2026.
The darkly comic one‑man show, written by Marcelo Dos Santos, premiered at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2022, where it won a Fringe First, before transferring to the Bush Theatre in 2023. It later toured across Australia, playing at Arts Centre Melbourne, Adelaide Festival and Sydney Opera House.
Webb, whose extensive credits include The History Boys, The Book of Mormon and Shucked, began his career as the title character in Sam Mendes’s Oliver! at the London Palladium.
Speaking about joining the production, Steven Webb said:
“I’m exploding with excitement about bringing Feeling Afraid As If Something Terrible Is Going To Happen to the Studio Theatre this summer. This project holds immense significance for me for several reasons. After over three decades as an actor, I’ve always dreamed of performing in the States. Not only is that dream finally coming true, but ‘Feeling Afraid…’ will also mark the fortieth show of my career.
“When I first read the script, two thoughts immediately came to mind. Firstly, Marcelo Dos Santos is one of the most exciting playwrights the UK has to offer, and secondly, I HAVE TO GET THIS PART. I was prepared to part with money to secure the deal, but thankfully, the offer came without the need for bribery.
“The cherry on top of the already delicious cake is the opportunity to work with Matthew Xia. Matthew has industry-wide respect and unparalleled talent. Finally, it feels like a full circle moment reuniting with Francesca Moody Productions. About fifteen years ago, Francesca produced four short-form comedy musicals that I appeared in. We performed under a tent in the middle of a wet field in England. And now, here we are, bringing this extraordinary play to the U.S. capitol. A dream job. A dream team. And hopefully, it’s not actually just a dream.”
Directed by Matthew Xia, the US premiere is currently rehearsing in the UK. The play follows a permanently single, neurotic stand‑up comic who finally meets Mr. Right, only to sabotage the relationship at every turn.
Matthew Xia said:
“I’ve been a fan of Marcelo and his writing for a while. So when he shared this new play with me… I leapt at the chance to be involved. There is so much that appeals to me in this piece – a deeply flawed, but loveable, protagonist trying to work through his issues in front of an audience, the conflicting themes of desire and self-sabotage, and formally it’s an incredibly clever play sitting at the confluence of stand-up, storytelling and theatre.”
The creative team includes Kat Heath as set and costume designer, Elliot Griggs as lighting designer, Max Pappenheim as sound designer, Sophie Drake as associate director and Jack Boissieux as production manager.
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
