EdFringe Talk: Man or Bear

Posted in *EdFestivals 2026, *Written Interviews by

“We started with research and development workshops with girls and women from our local area. From this, we created our characters, heard stories that inspired our narrative and played games that fed into the playful, funny and absurd moments of the show.”

WHO: Sarah Hehir & Katie Hurley

WHAT: “Man or Bear is a fast-moving, darkly comic new play about fear, friendship and survival inspired by the viral question: Would you rather be alone in the woods with a man or a bear? Blending kitchen sink realism, music and bold physical sequences, it follows three generations of women in the lead up to an act of violence. Rather than centreing the perpetrator, the play turns its focus to women’s resilience, humour and solidarity, offering a poetic and unsettling reflection on modern day misogyny.”

WHERE: Red Lecture Theatre at Summerhall (Venue 26) 

WHEN: 13:45 (60 min)

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Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

I’m the writer of Man or Bear and co-created the show with Katie Hurley who is also producing and acting in it. It’s my second time at Edinburgh as a playwright – the first time was in 2016 when Katie and I brought Zero Down to The Pleasance Bunkers.

Since then, Katie has been back with her hit one-woman show ‘You’re So F**king Croydon.’ (and as a punter most years). She’d hardly cleared the set for the last time before getting on the phone to me to chat about where and when and how we could make a show for EdFringe 2026.

The two of us were determined to return a decade after our first venture into Fringe land, with all the experience we now have. Man or Bear is a show made for Edinburgh and we’re excited to be at Summerhall with an amazing female cast and creative team directed by Ursula Martinez.

I’m looking forward to flinging my computer over my shoulder and spending a wild summer watching theatre and performance art. Even flyering feels like a thrilling prospect – a world away from my day job writing The Archers. Ask me if I’m still excited when you pass me flyering on a cold and rainy August morning when I’m being told for the thousandth time that bears are actually more dangerous than men. Grrrr.

What are the big things you’ve learned since 2025 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?

That I couldn’t do the show on my own! I know that sounds ridiculously obvious but at some point, as the writer, you have to sit down and write the words in an order that’s compelling and entertaining and makes people laugh and cry. When I’m in role as a poet or novelist, I really am on my own but in this team, gathered together by Katie, the script was only ever one part of the Man or Bear puzzle.

We started with research and development workshops with girls and women from our local area. From this, we created our characters, heard stories that inspired our narrative and played games that fed into the playful, funny and absurd moments of the show.

And now we’re rehearsing, it’s such a privilege to be in the room watching the team work collaboratively – we’re still experimenting, still laughing and every now and then chilled to the bone by the stark reality of the story we’re telling.

Have I absorbed the lesson yet? I think I have – the lesson that if you work with a fierce and friendly troupe of talented women, you’ll create a great show without losing your mind.

Tell us about your show.

Man or Bear is a new piece of theatre exploring violence against women and girls. It was co-created by myself and Sarah Hehir, and is being produced in collaboration with Croydonites.

The company has come together through a mixture of long-standing creative relationships and exciting new collaborations. Our director, Ursula Martinez, was someone I’d wanted to work with for a long time, so it’s been a joy to finally collaborate. Our movement director, Nevena Stojkov, is someone I work with on all of my projects, while our lighting designer, Imogen Clarke, is another returning collaborator. Our sound designer, Jovana Backović, and costume designer, Moa Johansson, both joined the team through recommendations, and our stage manager, Millie Graham, is a recent graduate of Rose Bruford.

Our cast is made up of three performers: myself (Katie Hurley), Amaia Naima Aguinaga and Lesley Ewan. I first saw Amaia perform at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2024 while I was there with my solo show, and immediately thought, “She’s exactly who we need for Man or Bear.” Thankfully, she joined the project during the earliest stages of R&D and has been part of its journey ever since. Lesley joined the team more recently, and from the moment she auditioned, we knew she was the perfect fit.

Edinburgh will be the show’s official premiere, following preview performances at Jacksons Lane and Omnibus Theatre in London. After the Fringe, we’re heading out on a mini autumn tour with dates in Norwich, Colchester, Bedford, Croydon and Brighton. Looking further ahead, we’d love to bring the show to London for a full run in 2027.

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

There are so many brilliant shows, but I’d definitely recommend our friend Hannah Maxwell’s ‘Turn Your F**king Phones Off’ and Sh!t Theatre’s ‘Evita Too’, directed by our own Ursula Martinez.

I’d also send people to House of Life at Underbelly, and Abandoman is back at the Fringe this year. If you’ve never seen him before, he’s one of the quickest and funniest improvisers around.

They’re all completely different shows, but that’s one of the best things about the Fringe, there’s something for everyone.

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