Precarious Theatre bring One Hundred Percent to the Voila! Festival next month.
Note: an earlier version of this interview omitted some responses from Ben Sumrie. This has now been updated.
Written by Benjamin Sumrie, Marco Biasioli, and Liam Grogan, “in a claustrophobic studio apartment, an embittered failed actor confronts the examiner who once gave him a perfect score in an acting exam – a moment which, the actor believes, destined him for greatness.
As tea turns to tension, years of suppressed rage unravel in an unsettling psychological showdown that spirals into obsession, shattered dreams, and a desperate bid for catharsis.
Both must now face the devastating consequences of misplaced hope, harsh truths, and lives derailed by ambition in this darkly comedic exploration of artistry, identity, and the human need for validation.”
Where: Playground Theatre
When: 11-12 Nov
Ticket link: https://www.voilafestival.co.uk/events/one-hundred-percent/
Ben, Marco and Liam tell us more about the show.
Tell me a bit about your show. Where did the idea come from?
Marco and Liam: Towards the end of 2024, Ben Sumrie (the originator and one of the writers of the show) was feeling quite worn out and was really questioning why he’d pursued such a challenging career as becoming an actor.
By coincidence, he came across a LAMDA certificate, an award for which he had received one hundred percent. He realised that despite this supposedly inspirational moment, the certificate wasn’t actually his inspiration to act at all; he had actually gone to university to do a ‘safe’ degree.
Ben: The idea for the original script came from a semi-autobiographical piece. The play isn’t about my experiences, it’s a version of myself which is a metaphor for me, and all struggling actors out there.
At the time, I felt disheartened about pursuing my career, like many people do, and thought “this is a ridiculous grade”. I began wondering about the examiner – who gave them the authority to decide what good acting is? Can you grade an art form? Is it irresponsible to give a perfect grade to an impressionable young actor, potentially pushing them towards an unstable career?
I went on to do a ‘normal’ degree, but the thought stuck with me – a kind of a sliding doors moment. What if I’d believed that grade guaranteed success in the industry? Why wasn’t it a sign of future success? Why hasn’t any casting director made me the next James Bond yet?!
In a funny, twisted way, I was laughing at myself and the ridiculousness of it all that someone could get a perfect grade for anything. I mean, who cares, right? Well, some people do. I did. So, I created a character who was an extreme version of myself who believes he’s destined to succeed because of getting 100% in his acting exam as a young adult, only to have that belief crushed by the reality of the industry itself.
That’s the crux of the play: how can you feel successful when the reality of the industry isn’t guaranteed, no matter how ‘talented’ you are. It explores the consequences and pitfalls of unbridled ambition and the subjectivity of art.
This all seemed a pretty dark but also comedic road-not-travelled (albeit somewhat-travelled with his eventual choice to become an actor) and a fertile idea for a play.
And so, Ben wrote the first draft of One Hundred Percent, the story of an obsessive and maladapted actor who has not lived up to the expectations that were implied by their early achievement and the examiner who supposedly set them on that path.
Marco and Liam: Ben brought this draft to us at Precarious Theatre, we decided to help take the play through its evolution and ultimately produce it!
The play is now a fantastic locked-room thriller with real threat, real pain, and also real comedic and carthatic release.
We really feel it speaks broadly to anyone who has followed or wondered about following their dreams and understands the sacrifices that this has taken or would take.
Why should audiences choose your show? How would you sell it in one sentence?
Marco and Liam: Audiences should choose our show because it is contradictory, open-ended, and adopts multiple perspectives on what it means to create and our very human need for validation.
We don’t tell anyone what to think – we just try to show how complex it is to be alive today and leave the conclusions to the audience.
Ben: Audiences should see One Hundred Percent because it’s a zany way to make fun of why we, and I, take it so seriously. It’s for anyone who’s struggled with achieving what they want – and wondered why it’s so hard to feel content in an industry full of glitz and glamour. I hope people leave wanting to talk about the show, relate to one another, and realise we’re not alone in our frustrations.
In a darkly humorous way, “Nothing hurts quite like finding out your ambitions were the reason for your lifelong downfall.”
What does being part of the Voila! Festival mean to you?
Marco and Liam: It is a huge achievement and a springboard into the future. Or, better, it helps us imagine what comes next as a theatre company, no matter how difficult or frightening it (the future) may be.
The idea is to raise the bar with each show we produce, and we think that our participation in Voila! confirms we are in the right direction.
Ben: It’s made me realise that the story’s themes are more universal than I first thought. I never wanted it to be just about acting or the creative industries – I wanted people to think about why we value certain things over others.
Ironically, it’s humbling to be invited to another theatre festival with a show that questions the art of the theatre itself, through humour. It means a lot to perform at Voila! and be given a space where we can all take a cathartic sigh of relief and share this story with new audiences.
It’s a real honour to be part of an international festival and to be surrounded by such fantastic artists from around the world.
How did you make a start in the industry?
Marco and Liam: Marco has been writing and putting on shows since 2017 and had two shows produced for the Manchester and Edinburgh Fringes before he and Liam established Precarious Theatre in 2019.
The first thing that happened after our foundation was Covid, so we really started in earnest in 2021. It hasn’t been easy, but we think that we do shows which are different from the majority of productions that we see, and that people appreciate this difference.
Ben: That’s a hard question – I wasn’t really on track to pursue acting. I think I was always intrigued by the job, but it organically grew into a possibility for me as I admired those who pursued it so passionately. To quote a line in One Hundred Percent, “acting chose me”, as sycophantic as that sounds!
In retrospect, I suppose the moment I consciously decided to take it seriously was during the pandemic. I’d been doing it casually alongside studying, but when the world stopped, I was horrified. It took that pause to make me realise what truly mattered to me – what actually fed my soul.
Like the real drama queen I am, I felt like my life was over, and whilst clutching my pearls, that I’d never perform again! I had a eureka moment when the world ‘reopened’. I had to give it everything. I had to act, write, produce, direct, all the multi-hyphenates. Life’s too short and if I didn’t, I’d probably become this mad character from the play I wrote!
It felt like a second chance to become who I wanted to be. I’m very lucky to be pursuing it and I hope I’m fortunate enough to keep going to the age of Ian McKellen and fall off a stage or two!
What’s next for the show?
Marco and Liam: Some rest! These will be performances 11 and 12 of One Hundred Percent and we’re going to be moving on to concentrate our energies on a new show we are currently finalising called Taxi!.
It is the story of a taxi ride into the night, but where it’s going and with what purpose is to be revealed (something we believe might be a nice metaphor for the state of the world today) – quite how we’re going build a taxi on-stage, remains to be seen!
Ben: Right now, I’m not entirely sure – there are so many possibilities. After such a positive audience response, I keep thinking of new directions it could take. But I also feel it’s time to pause and take stock. I wrote the show during a personally difficult time, and now that I’m more settled, I think the story might evolve, just as I have.
I also have some other exciting career goals, like performing at The Criterion’s new writers showcase. It’s paramount for me to give each project my full attention. So naturally, I don’t want to rush One Hundred Percent! before I even know what its future may hold. This version is a work in progress, but I’m confident you’ll be seeing Mr Full-Marks again very soon.
Liam (Artistic Director, Producer and Writer)
Marco (Writer and Producer)
Ben (Writer, Producer, and Actor)