Following a warmly received premiere at Newcastle’s Alphabetti Theatre in 2023, Tiny Fragments of Beautiful Light is preparing for a UK tour. This immersive and interactive piece gently delves into one woman’s complex journey of self-discovery, offering an insightful look at the often-overlooked female experience of autism through sincere storytelling and humour. The narrative centres on Elsa, a kind-hearted, amusing, and unique young woman whose life has been anything but ordinary or easy. Her school years were fraught with challenges, and romance remained an enigma—until she encounters Carmen. Carmen appears to hold the key to helping Elsa embrace her true self. This comedy-drama humbly celebrates the joy and liberation that come from living authentically rather than conforming to societal expectations.
Whilst attitudes towards autism are changing, with more guidance around autism diagnoses for
men and boys, many autistic women and girls still struggle to receive the support they need.
Tiny Fragments of Beautiful Light is Davies’s response to this lack of visibility, in which she shifts
the focus to highlight the intricacies of living with autism as a woman. Informed by her own
lived experience of being diagnosed with autism, she creates an important platform for female
neurodiversity.
Writer Allison Davies comments, As the saying goes, if you’ve met a neurodivergent person,
you’ve met one neurodivergent person. So, while it might represent a group of people, at its
heart Tiny Fragments of Beautiful Light is a human story about an autistic woman who’s as
strong and as flawed, as funny and as irritating as the next person. When I began writing the
show during the doldrum days of lockdown I had no idea if it was a story people might want to
engage with. I gave myself permission to write with the brakes off, with the result that the story
is closer to my heart than anything I’ve presented up to now. It’s been an absolute joy and a
privilege to work on it with such a talented and dynamic creative team. Thanks to their input I’m
proud of where Tiny Fragments of Beautiful Light is today, with all its party quirks, and I hope
people enjoy it and find it relatable
Dates Thursday 6th February – Saturday 8th February
Gala Theatre, Durham
https://galadurham.co.uk/galapost/tiny-fragments-ofbeautiful-light/
Thursday 13th February
Enable US, Drama Studio, Sheffield
https://performancevenues.group.shef.ac.uk/event/tinyfragments/
Saturday 15th February
Derby Theatre
https://derbytheatre.co.uk/event/tiny-fragments-ofbeautiful-light/
Wednesday 19th February
Queens Hall Arts, Hexham
https://www.queenshall.co.uk/whats-on/tiny-fragmentsof-beautiful-light
Thursday 20th February
Darlington Hippodrome
https://www.darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/whatson/Tiny-Fragments-of-Beautiful-Light
Friday 21st February – Saturday 22nd February
Alphabetti Theatre, Newcastle
https://www.alphabettitheatre.co.uk/tinyfragmentsofbea
utifullight
Tuesday 25th February
Theatre @41 York
https://tickets.41monkgate.co.uk/events/d8fc1a0a-da44-
4600-b1bd-1e1fd4914717/booking
Thursday 27th February
Storyhouse Chester
https://www.storyhouse.com/whats-on/tiny-fragmentsof-beautiful-light/
Friday 28th February
The Atkinson, Southport
https://www.theatkinson.co.uk/events/tiny-fragmentsof-beautiful-light-relaxed-show/
Tuesday 4th March – Thursday 6th March
Birmingham Rep
https://www.birmingham-rep.co.uk/whats-on/tinyfragments-of-beautiful-light/