Edinburgh Fringe Chats (#55): Suzy Crothers, TROUBLED

8 Jul

Conducted by Emmie for Theatre and Tonic

As anticipation builds for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2025, we’re catching up with a range of exciting creatives preparing to bring their work to the world’s largest arts festival this August. In this series, we delve into the stories behind the shows, the inspiration driving the artists, and what audiences can expect. Today, we’re joined by Suzy Crothers to chat about their show, Troubled

Can you begin by telling us about your show and what inspired it?

Troubled is a semi-autobiographical solo show about love and division and the power of human connection - served with tea and biscuits.

This is Alice’s journey. From being a wee girl growing up during the Troubles, to being an adult who is still wrestling with that past and its impact on her parents, her relationships and her mental health. She’s searching for peace within herself, but how can you find peace when you only know division?

Troubled is a story of renewed hope, and a reminder that things really can change.

When I started writing Troubled I definitely didn't know I was writing a show, I simply wanted to get some thoughts out of my head and onto paper. And as I continued, I found that these fragments and bits of writing started to form a narrative story. This felt quite exciting, because story is really important where I come from (Belfast). It's a means of communicating and connecting with each other and we find great enjoyment in telling stories. My Mum always said 'tell your story, tell it well, and for heaven's sake don't bore' so that's always in the back of my mind.

I didn't realise how strange growing up during the Troubles was, until I moved to England and understood that not everyone had had that kind of experience (which of course seems pretty obvious now, but at the time, it was all I had known). Writing about living during that time has helped me to make sense of it, and to continue to make sense of the impact of it.

What made you want to bring this work to the Fringe this year?

With a resurgence in interest in stories about Northern Ireland and the Troubles and their impact (Kneecap, Say Nothing, Trespasses), it felt like the right time. Sadly division is still rife in the world today. We found peace in the North of Ireland and I never, ever thought that would happen. That gives me hope. Under everything, Troubled is a story of hope, and that things can change for the better. I wanted to bring that to the fringe at this time.

How would you describe your show in three words?

Exhilarating, devastating, hilarious.

What do you hope audiences take away from watching your performance?

A feeling of having been looked after for an hour. A renewed sense of hope for the future. A Wagon Wheel.

What’s your top tip for surviving the Fringe?

Get out in nature, try and eat green things (hard when macaroni pies feel so tempting), check in with your mates and get them to tell you that they are proud of you for doing this big thing.

Where and when can people see your show?

Summerhall, Anatomy Lecture Theatre, 11:45am