Bedfringe 2021 Interview: Fruitcake – Ten Commandments from the Psych Ward

Posted in Bedfringe 2021, Written Interviews by

“I went back to nursing for 14 months over the pandemic and learned bugger all, except that I don’t look good in a nurse’s tunic. I look like I’ve nicked it, basically.”

WHO: Rob Gee: Writer and performer

WHAT: “From the writer and performer of 2019 Bedfringe sell-put show Forget Me Not – The Alzheimer’s Whodunnit Comic, poet and reformed mental health nurse Rob Gee presents a user-friendly guide to losing the plot.

Fruitcake charts a night shift on an acute psychiatric ward, seen through the eyes of a jaded nurse who hears the voice of God – a kindly Jamaican woman – who gives him ten benevolent commandments to help him through the shift; and life.

Fruitcake is based on twelve years Rob spent working as a registered nurse in psychiatric units around the UK and Australia.”

WHERE: Quarry Theatre

WHEN: 31 July 2021 @ 18:00 (60mins)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Bedfringe?

I did the 2019 Bedford Fringe with my show Forget Me Not, which is a whodunnit set on an Alzheimer’s Ward. It sold out and we all had a lovely time, by which I mean me and the audience.
This will be my 102nd international fringe festival. For me, the best ones are less like trade fairs (Edinburgh, Adelaide) and more like actual fringe festivals (Orlando, Winnipeg), although they’re all good in one way or another. Bedford’s a lovely one to do because it’s very well organised and everyone’s friendly.

What are the big things you’ve learned since 2019 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?

I went back to nursing for 14 months over the pandemic and learned bugger all, except that I don’t look good in a nurse’s tunic. I look like I’ve nicked it, basically.

Tell us about your show.

Fruitcake charts a night shift on an acute mental health ward, seen through the eyes of a jaded nurse who hears the voice of God. In this case God is a kindly Jamaican woman who gives him ten benevolent commandments to help him through the shift; and life. It’s won Best of Fest at Calgary, Ottawa and Winnipeg Fringe Festivals, Best Spoken Word at Minnesota Fringe and Best Solo Comedy at Buxton fringe.

The show is based on the 12 years I spent working as a registered nurse in mental health units around the UK and Australia before becoming a full-time writer and performer. When I first wrote it, I performed it to an audience of ex-patients. I was really nervous! Thankfully the feedback was very positive, it was a huge relief.

What should your audience see at Bedfringe after they’ve seen your show?

Gerard Harris (A Tension to Detail) is great. It’s like watching someone fail to organise their thoughts in the most entertaining way possible. A very witty fella too.

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