Camden People’s Theatre’s SPRINT Festival returns with a packed programme throughout March. London’s “best-established carnival of new and unusual theatre” features artists with bold ideas, artists who don’t play by the rules, and artists, in many instances, making their first professional work.
This is the ninth of a series of interviews highlighting artists and work within the Festival, as I chat with Francisco Diaz about his show, SIGH, which is part of the second Big Bang Scratch Night during the SPRINT Festival.
“Big Bang is CPT’s regular scratch night: an explosion of performance from which new universes of theatre may one day emerge. These jam-packed platforms are highlights of the CPT programme: the place to see wild and wonderful new projects take their first steps.”
Where: Camden People’s Theatre, Basement
When: 17 Mar 2026, 7pm
Ticket link: https://cptheatre.co.uk/whatson/Big-Bang-Scratch-Night-17th-March-2026
Your show SIGH forms part of the regular Big Bang Scratch Night during SPRINT – can you tell me a bit more about it?
Yes, I’ll be presenting a 20-minute extract of my solo show SIGH at the second Big Bang Scratch Night on 17 Mar at 7pm in the theatre.
SIGH follows a queer man who is triggered by a phone call, pulling him into a series of memories that begin to unlock his inner world. Through this journey, the piece explores how personal memory collides with collective history.
I believe that in Chile, and in any country that has lived through a dictatorship, there is a trauma that continues to haunt us.
The inheritance of that trauma lives on in different ways, consciously or unconsciously, in everyone. SIGH looks at how that inherited weight is carried in the body, in our memory.
And what about you? What’s your background, and how did you get into theatre?
After school in Chile, I studied Industrial Design for three years at Diego Portales University.
However, I always had a deep passion for the stage and for creating worlds for theatre, so I paused my studies and began training in drama at Finis Terrae University, where I studied for four years between 1999 and 2003.
Soon after, I started working with La Patriótico Interesante, a company specialising in large-scale outdoor performances. Through this work, I travelled across Europe, Latin America, and Africa.
I worked with the company for 12 years, alongside other roles such as teaching drama in schools and universities and developing independent theatre projects.
In 2015, I moved to London and built a strong network of community artists who became close collaborators and friends.
After Covid, I didn’t have the space or stability to return immediately to performing or directing, so I focused more on design work, including set, costume, and makeup. I also studied makeup at the London School of Makeup.
Two years ago, I stepped away from theatre-making, and now I’m returning after this time to create a new show.
What do you hope will happen with SIGH after the scratch performance – are you hoping to develop it further?
I hope the scratch performance allows people to connect with the work and offers me useful feedback.
If the response is strong and I see that there is a possibility, my intention is to develop SIGH further and build a small team around it to support and protect the project as it grows.
The themes the piece explores feel especially important to talk about right now, and I’d like to deepen them with the support of a director, designer, producer, and writer.
I already work with a musician, Coki Del Bruto, who has collaborated with me since the beginning and created the music for the CPT showing, and I’d like to continue developing the piece together from this foundation.
How did you find Camden People’s Theatre, and how have they helped you so far?
I found Camden People’s Theatre through friends and social media and decided to apply.
Since then, the team has been very supportive, offering clear information and communication at the right times throughout the process.
The technical support has been particularly helpful, and having access to professional, well-equipped facilities has made a real difference.
Beyond the space and equipment, it’s the people. Their openness, guidance, and willingness to help have made me feel comfortable, supported, and genuinely welcomed.
Where can we see your work after SPRINT?
At the moment, there are no confirmed plans for where the work will be shown next.
My focus after SPRINT is on developing the piece further, reflecting on the feedback from the scratch performance, and meeting collaborators to begin shaping a team and a future pathway for the show.