Select a date and time to book
Select Date
Select Time
medium dead is a thorny solo comedy about suicide, celebrity, jobs, and purpose.
Bennie really puts the ‘ghost’ in ghostwriter. She writes suicide notes for a living. It’s soul-purging work, and her record of seeing people through to the bitter end is less than perfect. After a difficult meeting with HR (Death), she’s assigned a challenge to prove herself and keep her place in the Office. But she's landed an impossible client: beloved chef and TV presenter Anthony Bourdain. Bennie is torn, but Chef has unlocked a secret to the universe and can’t live to keep it. And if Bennie doesn’t see this one out, she’s going Downstairs.
The pitch for medium dead was longlisted for the Bitter Pill Prize in 2023 and the show has been in development since. After being workshopped at Arcade with Brightmouth Productions and A Pleasance Scratch, the full piece premiered in March of this year as part of SPRINT Festival at Camden People’s Theatre. Following the Bitesize Festival, medium dead will head up to the Edinburgh Fringe for a full festival run at ZOO Playground.
Creative Team:
Written & Performed by Eleanor Shaw
Eleanor Shaw is a bold new voice in theatre, sick of shows that ask questions we already know the answer to. She’s an alumna of the Royal Court Writers’ Group, and her name is often found on impressive shortlists.
Directed by Ellie BW
Ellie BW is a director, comedy producer, promoter and sometimes performer. She directed Derek Mitchell's "Goblin", which recently ran at Soho Theatre in March 2025. She runs SE London based comedy-cabaret Piñata and founded comedy production company Liebenspiel with Benjamin Alborough. She is the winner of Sketch Off 2023.
Set & Costume Design by Eve Oakley
Eve is a theatre, film & performance designer based at SET Lewisham in South East London. She trained in Costume Design at Wimbledon College of Art and Set Design at Central St Martins. Her work centres around the themes of folk horror, dark comedy & historical narratives told through sustainable theatre practise.
Produced by Julia Salkin / Serpentine Productions
Serpentine Productions was founded by creative producer Julia Salkin and operates with support from the Stage One Producers Bursary. Julia holds a master's degree in Creative Producing from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, and her work aims to platform emerging writers and artists creating bold new work.
Technical Direction by Lewis Hedges