Preview: The Olive Boy at South Shields Customs House

Smash Hit Sell Out Edinburgh Fringe Show The Olive Boy Comes To South Shields For One Night Only.

 

The Olive Boy

South Shields Customs House

Thursday 16^th May 2024

The “brilliant and thought provoking” masterpiece The Olive Boy, written and performed by upcoming star Ollie Maddigan, will be performed at The Customs House South in May.

Let’s set the scene…You're 15 years old, struggling through school and coming to terms with the early stages of adolescence. Things are tricky when you're a teenager. You get dealt yet another devastating blow. But this time, it's worse. Your mum's passed away suddenly, and you’ve now got to move in with your, until that point, absent father. Now what? In a hopeless attempt to stay sane, you decide to pursue a girlfriend, but, shock, that doesn’t go to plan either. Surrounded by a great deal of olives, come on the journey of grief and hope through early adulthood.

Based on Ollie Maddigan’s real life story, The Olive Boy is a crude, but compelling comedy written and performed by Ollie Maddigan himself. Initially introduced at the Hope Theatre in 2021, the show quickly gained attention during its three-night run as part of the Camden Fringe and then in 2022 as part of its month-long sell out run at The Edinburgh Fringe. Renowned for its gripping narrative and Ollie’s remarkable onstage presence, The Olive Boy has received praise from both theatregoers and critics.

The Olive Boy explores the various facets of love and relationships, from awkward sexual encounters with a first love to family life and the challenges and complexities that arise within them. The Olive Boy delves into the search for identity and the profound transformations that individuals undergo as they navigate life's challenges and revelations.

Obviously, there is a large element of grief that is explored through the production; How do you cope with the loss of a loved one? Can you? Is there a coping mechanism that helps fill a sudden void in your life? The whole audience will go on a journey of self-discovery with The Olive Boy as we examine identity, society, and expectations. All sounds quite heavy, doesn’t it? Well, we can promise that with Ollie’s beautiful delivery, the darkness is wonderfully paired with breaths of fresh air and laughter.

Tickets:

The Olive Boy is at The Customs House on Thursday 16th May. Tickets are priced from £10 and available online at www.customshouse.co.uk, in person from the box office, or call: 0191 454 1234.