About me
My debut one-woman play about mental health, Dear Eliza, premiered in Manchester in 2023. It has since been on the road, performing in numerous cities across the UK and featuring at various fringe festivals. In 2024, it was awarded the BEST PLAY award at the Greater Manchester Fringe Festival, and it has consistently received 4-5 star reviews. More info: dearelizaplay.co.uk
Currently, I am developing my next 2 plays - a 2 Act, 4-hander about manipulation and trust in relationships (MEAT.), and a 60 minute duologue exploring quarter life crises and the ethics of wealth (Inherited Wealth).
My Plays
Dear Eliza
Synopsis:
Dear Eliza is a brutal and exposing analysis of a friendship under the strain of mental ill health and the fear of being a burden. Raw and cynical, yet rich with playful allegories, this one-woman play is very much about confronting unexpressed emotions within relationships, and saying out loud what you’d rather keep inside of your head.
Trigger warnings include discussion of mental health, mentions of self-harming behaviours, and suicide. Features strong language. Recommended 16+
Number of Characters: 1
Minimum Number of Actors Required: 1
Length (in Pages): 19
Location: N/A
Key Words: mental health, suicide, monologue
Has the Play Been Produced? Yes
Are the Rights Available? No
Has the Play Been Published? No
Award nominations/wins: BEST PLAY - Greater Manchester Fringe Festival (2024) Shortlisted BEST NEWCOMER - Greater Manchester Fringe Festival (2023) Top 40 of 800 for the Audience Choice Award - Brighton Fringe Festival (2024)
Reviews:
“Raw yet playful and utterly compelling, Dear Eliza is fringe theatre at its best.”
— British Theatre Guide (https://www.britishtheatreguide.info/reviews/dear-eliza-kings-arms-sal-23440)
“It is a difficult task to capture the audience as beautifully as Diesel does, but boy did she achieve that spectacularly.”
— Adventures In Theatreland (https://www.adventuresintheatreland.com/post/dear-eliza-bn1-arts-centre)
“It’s definitely worth seeing this unique and authentic piece of theatre. It brings to the spotlight what needs to be said about the things no one wants to talk about.”
— Backstage Bristol (https://backstagebristol.com/review-dear-eliza-at-the-alma-tavern-theatre/)
“Barbara Diesel’s performance was captivating from start to finish and I can’t wait to see what she produces next.”
— A Youngish Perspective (https://ayoungishperspective.co.uk/2024/02/20/review-dear-eliza/)
“Diesel is very engaging. Direct, intelligent, frank and bold. Her pragmatism is both magnetic and truthful and we feel stable in the telling of her story of unstable mental health.”
— North West End UK (https://northwestend.com/dear-eliza-the-kings-arms-salford/)
“She had us hooked on every single word she said… This is a must watch performance.”
— Better Than Words (https://betterthanwords534916541.wordpress.com/2024/02/19/dear-eliza/)
“Intimate, edge-of-your-seat, darkly funny and captivatingly vulnerable…an unmissable project.”
— The Leopard News, Goldsmiths University
“A hidden gem of Greater Manchester Fringe.”
— Lostintheatreland (https://lostintheatreland.co.uk/dear-eliza-review-greater-manchester-fringe/)
“Writer and performer Barbara Diesel gives a fascinating, raw performance. At one point she claims that conversations around mental health are boring, but it is a testament to Diesel’s performance that at no point in this play is that true.”
— Robbie Carnegie (https://www.buxtonfringe.org.uk/reviews2024the.html#3564)
“Dear Eliza has a very specific remit, but does the good job it set out to do, with an important message about really looking out for your friends.”
— Chris Neville-Smith (https://chrisontheatre.wordpress.com/2024/07/02/whats-worth-watching-buxton-fringe-2024/)
