The Bi Productions bring their show Unleashed to the Camden Fringe this year. Containing adult themes and frank discussions around sex, Unleashed explores shame, identity, and societal expectations through the lens of a dominatrix’s client encounters. Written by Siobhan Healey, who co-stars with Nathan Dowling, this play has already received attention at Buxton Fringe.
“Through fascinating client encounters, provocative revelations and playful audience interaction, a Dominatrix unpacks shame in today’s chaotic, judgmental world – exploring the cost of defying society’s expectations. At its core, it’s a show about identity – who we are, who we’re expected to be, and the cost of living authentically.”
Where: Etcetera Theatre
When: 14-15 Aug
Ticket link: https://camdenfringe.com/events/unleashed/
Your show Unleashed is about the BDSM scene and promises to be educational and entertaining. Tell us more about how the show has evolved and what audiences might expect.
Unleashed is set in the world of BDSM, but at its heart, it’s really about identity, shame, and societal expectations. That really resonates with people because we’re all expected to play so many different roles in our daily lives depending on where we are and who we’re with. The Dominatrix is just the doorway into a bigger conversation about why so many of us carry shame and what it costs to live authentically in such a judgemental world.
The show’s grown a lot since its early days at The Albany Theatre’s Spring Playwrights’ Workshops in Coventry. We had our first public preview there with Arts Council England funding, and every audience since has shaped it. It’s funny looking back at the original stage directions and then seeing what the show has become “in 3D”, especially as it’s been so heavily shaped by an incredibly strong directorial lens – the development process has been an absolute joy.
As for what audiences can expect…it’s been called ‘delightfully uncomfortable’, ‘powerful’, ‘educational’, ‘thought‑provoking’ and ‘surprisingly emotional’ – which is exactly what we were aiming for. Our audience feedback and the official review from Buxton Fringe were stellar, and I picked up a ‘Best Actor’ nomination whilst we were there too!
Do you think that the culture in this space is better understood since the explosion of Internet sites and live clubs at the start of the 21st century, or is there still a certain amount of misunderstanding about power play and informed consent?
I think visibility has helped a lot – people have more access to communities and conversations that allow them to explore their desires without shame, which can only be a good thing. But visibility without context can be messy, and the more sensationalist portrayal of the world in the mainstream media doesn’t help anyone understand the care, negotiation and trust that actually sit at the centre of it.
I wanted to try to address the fear that’s often associated with misunderstanding, and look to break some stereotypes in the process – some of the core principles of BDSM – clear consent, honesty, safety, trust – should be the building blocks of any good relationship and I wanted to highlight that in a safe, accessible way.
What made you want to take this show to Camden Fringe?
Buxton was meant to be our only Fringe this year, but a last‑minute cancellation meant that we were given the amazing opportunity for a prime Friday and Saturday night slot at the Etcetera Theatre, and we grabbed it. Camden does feel like the right home for Unleashed, and it was on our list for 2027 – the audiences are curious, open to being challenged, and not easily shocked, so we think it’ll land really well there!
Have you engaged with Fringe performance before? What do you value about it?
Buxton was our first fringe festival as a company, and it was a brilliant experience – we learned so much. Fringe audiences choose to take a chance on something unknown, and they want an experience, and for a show like Unleashed, where the audience is part of the storytelling, that energy is everything. They are also really keen to share feedback, which is such a gift when you’re developing a show.
What’s next for you/the show?
Edinburgh Fringe has always been the big ambition for Unleashed, and everything we’re doing this summer is building towards that. (We’re going as audience members this year after a spectacular failure last year due to a disastrous combination of storms and back spasms – zero stars; do not recommend.) The cost of taking a show up there is a huge constraint though, even if you do things on a real shoestring, so that’s a hurdle we’d need to tackle first.
But more broadly, the conversation we’re trying to start feels really important. We need to look at the root causes of why society feels so fractured at the moment, and I think a more open, informed relationship with sex and identity is a not-insignificant part of that. I did a lot of research when I was writing Unleashed, and I’ve collated some useful resources and included them in our show programme – in the future I’m hoping we’ll be able to develop partnerships with some of the organisations I’ve listed and see what that might lead to.