I sat down with writer and performer Alice Mayer to find out more about Hourglass coming to the Bread & Roses Theatre this October.

Can you tell me a little about your show and what audiences can expect?

Hourglass is a one-woman dark horror comedy about Charlie, who thinks she’s turning into a Black widow spider because all of her exes keep dying. Audiences can expect a lot of laughs, a few tears and revenge.

What drew you to this specific story?

Hourglass began as a thought about how a lot of my exes ended up doing pretty badly after we broke up- getting into drugs, dropping out of school, even going to prison; I started to think I had cursed them. Then the black widow idea came to mind about how they kill and eat their sexual partners- but what if they didn’t mean to? Somewhere between the two, Charlie was created.

What has been the biggest challenge in bringing this production to life?

I am very much a one-woman band. So juggling all of the different hats you need to wear as a writer, a performer, a composer, a prop maker, a social media manager- it’s a lot! I luckily have a fantastic producer on board now, so I’m hoping he’s good at making severed body parts for me to eat; that’s what producers are for, right?!

How does the design of your show (set, sound, or lighting) impact the presentation of your story?

Music and sound are most definitely the unsung hero of Hourglass. There is no huge set; I trust the audience with their imaginations and the sound really helps to evoke a place or time immediately. 

If you could sum up the show in one word or phrase, what would it be and why?

Revenge. You’ll have to come see to find out. 

Hourglass runs at the Bread & Roses Theatre, London, on 29 – 30 October. Tickets available at https://www.breadandrosestheatre.co.uk/whats-on.html