Tumble Tuck, written by Sarah Milton and presented by BackHere! Theatre, tells the story of a young woman struggling to accept herself and realise her strength.
It explores what it means to be successful in a world where medals matter. Daisy’s relationship with water is complex; it’s the only place where she feels safe so why must she be judged for how well she performs in it?
This funny, brutal and heartfelt piece seeks to examine the pressure we put on young
people, when sometimes just taking part is truly an achievement. A bronze medal to one person, is someone else’s gold; a C grade is someone else’s A. Tumble Tuck questions the system that tells us that if we’ve not got the best result we’ve failed.
Tumble Tuck is a fast-paced, one woman show, with original music by Harry Blake, that examines self-worth in young women today. Milton was prompted to write Tumble Tuck after noticing the rise in television shows with panels. Judging panels on TV are successful due to the immediate drama that arises when someone doesn’t achieve; there are shows where contestants are judged on baking, ice skating, singing and even one’s ability to barbecue. Viewers at home can vote and judge too and judgement has become omnipresent in today’s society.
Writer Sarah Milton said :”Tumble Tuck arose from dealing with my own mental health issues and re-establishing a sense of self-worth. The pressure on young people, in particular young women, to aspire to look a certain way and achieve certain things in ways that conform to social expectations is enormous. There’s so much pressure on young people to obtain top grades and go to top schools. We don’t reward young people enough for their personal attributes like being kind and loyal. For the character of Daisy, just getting out of bed in the morning was once a big step for her and Tumble Tuck’s aim is to make us think that actually, we all have something to contribute. And we’re doing okay.”
Tumble Tuck will be offsetting their very minimal carbon emissions by planting trees in the East Midlands. They will be using 100% recycled paper and vegetable ink for their flyers to ensure the show is as green as possible.
Underbelly Cowgate (Iron Belly)|66 Cowgate | EH1 1JX | 3-27 August 2017 (not 14), 13:30
