At Edinburgh Fringe pull up a chair and let me tell you about the new receptionist in your head — and no, I haven’t been at the sherry again.
Imagine your brain has a front desk. There’s a little bell, a stack of complaint forms, and a line of thoughts and feelings stretching out the door. Now imagine the poor soul in charge of sorting it all is Bea P. Deigh — and she’s… well, let’s just say “not your usual PA.”
Bea is the star (and sole employee) of Bea P. Deigh, a darkly funny, semi-autobiographical one-woman show by Arden Winant that takes you straight into the messy, world of Borderline Personality Disorder. We’re talking absurd humour, unexpected tenderness, and just enough office politics to make HR nervous.
The whole thing’s set inside “Brain, Inc.” — a place where Bea’s supposed to process every thought, feeling, and existential crisis that strolls in. Trouble is, her own mind keeps wandering into reception, demanding priority service. Honestly, if my own thoughts had to queue up, I’d be getting daily complaints about the wait times.
Directed by Grainne Robson, it’s part surreal comedy, part raw honesty — and absolutely no attempt to tidy up the truth. It’s mental health served with a wink, a filing cabinet, and probably a missing stapler.
Already a Keep It Fringe Award winner, the show’s racked up rave reviews — “absurd and heart-breaking in equal measure” (London Pub Theatres) and “amusing, heartrending… did her subject justice” (Audience Review). Translation: you’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll maybe want to send Bea a fruit basket.
Details
11–24 August 2025
13:05 (50 mins, no interval)
The Space Triplex Studio
Tickets here
Bea herself says:
“I’ve got a headset, a swivel chair, and absolutely no idea what I’m doing. My first day and I’m already juggling intrusive thoughts, bad decisions, and a VERY persistent sense of dread. Bring tissues — for laughing or crying, your choice.”
I say: go see it. She might just be the only receptionist who can make your brain feel… oddly understood.
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