Show interview: Adrien Rosza on The Bitter Pill (21 Soho)

Read on for my interview with Adrien Rosza, writer, producer of The Bitter Pill.

“Part poetic ode to queerness, part zany jukebox musical and full existential crisis, The Bitter Pill follows aspiring poet Flood into “The End Of The World”, the nightclub for the damned.”

One of the most interesting entries in last summer’s Camden Fringe, Adrien Rosza’s The Bitter Pill took over the basement of the Libra Cafe and invited us to enter ‘The End of the World’.

At that time I called it “a hint of Rocky Horror, the films of Derek Jarman, and more than a spoonful of attitude”.

Now, the show is new and improved! The show has been given a complete fresh coat of paint; with the new venue comes new songs, new casting and a sleek rewrite which brings the show down to an hour exactly.

Where: 21Soho, Soho Square

When: 21 Jan

Ticket link: http://events.talentbanq.com/events/talentbanq/1958046

The Bitter Pill has changed quite a bit since Camden last summer. Can you share anything about how the show has evolved?

Ever since The End Of The World closed its doors at Libra, OUT OF THE CLOSET theatre and I have been set on taking The Bitter Pill as far as it can go.

Days after the run was over, the team was still passionately finding new ways to develop the show- from rewrites, to new songs, to new cast, to even a new venue at 21Soho!

We were also quick to make our company name oficial with an ethos for making fresh, out-of-the-box theatre taken straight from young, queer perspectives.

If we can give audiences a voyeuristic peak inside our lives and tell our stories through raw emotion and music, then we would have succeeded in our mission. 

You’re at 21Soho this time round, which is known best for its comedy nights. Why did you choose this as a good fit for the show?

Soho is the mood board for The End Of The World; as the cultural gay capital of London, I have been eager for a Soho run ever since the show’s creation.

It is full of theatre and life around every corner and feels, in a word, unapologetic. 21 Soho, by extension, is an absolute playground for theatre making with so much character and space for ideas.

We are using the majority of the ground floor for our performance, spanning multiple rooms to give The End Of The World an authentic, nightclub scale.

To OUT OF THE CLOSET Theatre, the stage is a suggestion, and if we can turn an entire venue into our personal performance space, then we will bring you a true nightclub for the damned.

The Camden run was semi-immersive. Was this an important dynamic you felt you could explore further?

Absolutely! And 21Soho is the perfect place to explore it- both physically and structurally.

Puck, our actor playing Flood, has exprience with immersive theatre and has been a massive help in bringing the audience into our world.

We want everyone who walks through that door to feel they have entered something far bigger than they imagined, with the songs and dances playing like clockwork so you leave knowing every routine like the back of their hand.

We encourage our audience to take part, sing along, and take a bitter pill or two. (They’re all normal sweets really!)

Gender fludity and kink positivity, music and drugs, all have their place at The End of The World. How did you first come to create The Bitter Pill?

The Bitter Pill was heavily inspired by my first time moving to London. I had come from the rural Midlands where I was the only trans person I knew and constantly had to explain myself to the people around me.

Compare that to London, where the second I joined university I saw loads of people who were in the same boat as me meaning that I didn’t need to justify myself as they only wanted to know who I was.

At university, you have the chance to redefine who you are, and this led to me thinking about “leaving your gender at the door”.

Then there was the nightlife; partying with drama students means bringing the theatrics with you, so course the atmosphere was incredible, and the music often featured songs from the ’80s and even before, since that resonated with the queer-scene.

This felt like the perfect concept for a musical where every character was lead by the songs they experienced. 

Can you tell us about the cast of characters, and who’s playing them?

The characters were one of the most fun parts of writing this script and watching the cast fall so naturally into their roles was such a wonderful experience.

Flood is the newbie to The End Of The World; a jaded yet naive poet brought out of their comfort zone and desperate for a hit of something real.

They air towards the dramatic and a need for approval fuels every move they make; the audience see The End Of The World through their eyes.

Puck Wyse brings so much life to Flood; they are such a source of positivity during every rehearsal and have a brilliant way of throwing themselves head-first into everything.

As the newest member of the cast, they have really lived through the role of Flood, picking up choreography in real time with the character and immersing themself in every facet of the process.

Root is Flood’s conduit to The End Of The World as their sassy and sarcastic former friend. They deliberately left The End Of The World to find Flood knowing it would exile them from the group, but Root is resigned to live with the consequences.

Beth Corrigan was with me when I first wrote the play and has made a point of looking over my shoulder and asking a million questions ever since.

She was my first supporter and has been a dedicated part of OUT OF THE CLOSET since the beginning; enthusiasm is her middle name! I truly would not be here without her.

Ash is Flood’s charismatic lure to The Anachronists, leading the group through seduction and coercion. Underneath their frivolous facade, they are temperamental and highly strung, craving distraction from the pains of their relationships and the world.

Percy Harte has a wonderful way of bringing the group together with their magnetic energy and warm-hearted nature. They instantly took the role of Ash in their stride and have been so incredibly dedicated that they rival my knowledge of Ash themselves!

Breeze plays the role of parent for The Anachronists- bubbly and overbearing- they try and fail to keep the peace. However, there is a suppressed anger that brews but never boils within them, and until someone reaches out, Breeze will never realise their feelings.

Lizzie Peters is a human firework; she explodes on stage with no room for error and every she move she makes feels like a dance. She has been such a grounding force throughout rehearsals and is a master of bringing the words to life.

Spark is an outspoken thrill-seeker who has merciless flirting down to a fine art. However, Spark prides themself on knowing more than they let on, and their boisterous persona often gives way to honest conversation.

Leo Beswick is the walking definition of work ethic- they are so committed to making every little insane idea possible and always turn up ready to take on anything. 

And finally there is Ray, played by yours truly. Ray is the eldest of The Anachronists and bartends The End Of The World with a silent but deadly demeanour.

They are always watching and act as if they have seen this story play out a million times over, waiting eagerly for the next catastrophe to happen just so they can watch the world burn.

I had not initially planned on playing Ray, but after stepping in late into the Camden Fringe production, found myself incredibly drawn to playing the character.

Ray is outside of my usual casting type, so it has been thrilling to act intentionally manipulative with a considered proximity to the other characters. 

Can you sell The Bitter Pill to audiences in one sentence?

Leave your gender at the door and take a dose of queer-nightlife from The Bitter Pill!