Straight off the back of a successful run at the Brighton Fringe, HEADACHE comes to Edinburgh! This one woman show presents the realities of supporting a loved one with a brain injury and how grief can tangle its way into every part of one’s life. Heartwarming and sad in equal measure, HEADACHE explores loss, the mortality of parents and working up the courage to go to karaoke.
After her dad’s brain injury and she realises that life is terrifying and fragile, AJ struggles to find the courage to piece her life back together.
AJ is a normal third year English literature student…or she was before her dad’s brain injury. Now everything feels so big and out of control and WHY did she agree to go to karaoke tonight? She hates karaoke!
But she really likes the girl that invited her to go. Join AJ as she tries to get ready for karaoke while coming to terms with her dad’s brain injury and the ripple effect it has had on her life.
This year will not only mark the Edinburgh Festival Fringe debut for HEADACHE but for both writer/producer/performer Tanieth Kerr and director Katy Livsey.
Tanieth Kerr writes from personal experience as HEADACHE is based on her lived experience with her dad’s brain injury. She states “I felt so alone because I couldn’t find anyone outside of my family who understood. I wrote this play with the hope it would help others feel seen and less alone.”
Katy Livsey is an emerging director from North Derbyshire, a recent graduate from Rose Bruford College, she enjoys tackling classical texts and adaptation work, finding new ways to make story-telling more accessible to contemporary audiences. She states “I’ve really enjoyed collaborating with Tanieth on this project. It’s been an amazing opportunity to help her re-explore this very personal play with fresh ideas and spread awareness about this incredibly important topic.”