Choo Choo! (Or…Have You Ever Thought About Pushing Someone Off Of A Train Platform? (‘Cos I Have))
Stammermouth UK in Partnerhsip with Sherman Theatre & Pleasance
Supported by the John Ellerman Foundation, as part of the Edinburgh National Partnership programme.
Winner of a 2023 Fringe First Award, The Mental Health Foundation Award 2023 from The Scotsman, and nominated for the Neurodiverse Review Exceptional Theatre Award in association with Birds of Paradise.
Ever had intrusive thoughts? Yea, us too.
A silly and surreal insight into obsessive compulsive disorder, in equal measures very funny and profoundly moving. CHOO CHOO! is a show about a misunderstood condition, told by people who know a bit about it.
Nye and Duncan live in their dream house. They sing songs and play together all day with their best friend, Radio. Everything's alright! But when Nye opens up about his intrusive thoughts, things start to go off the rails... A funny and moving tragi-comic adventure into a mind that refuses to play nicely from the award-winning StammerMouth.
What People Said:
“original and audacious exploration of mental health and theatrical form”
“The balance between danger and safety is something that this deceptively playful show takes a lot of pleasure in exploring.”
“a piece that creatively and cleverly reveals its purpose: an exploration of the kind of intrusive thoughts that we might all have at some point, but which affect some more than others”
★★★★
Fringe First Award 2023
— The Scotsman
“Yes, a definite ten out of ten for Choo Choo”
—Jon Gower, Nation Cymru
“an hour full of humour, heartfelt fun, and the best portrayal of OCD I’ve ever seen in a theatre production”
“built with accessibility at its core, and it was masterfully weaved through out”
“A surprisingly powerful piece. Everyone should go to see this show to gain the much-needed understanding and empathy for OCD that is so sorely lacking in our current society.”
★★★★★
— Laura Crow, Neurodiverse Review
“it may well be the most entertaining sixty minutes of fringe theatre you’re likely to find anywhere this year.”
“plays out like a CBeebies bedtime story by way of Black Mirror and The Mighty Boosh”
“Nye and Duncan have perfect chemistry on stage, and both play with improvisation with masterful restraint.”
“"Its magnificently sprawling script, enhanced by the cast’s improvisation, makes this show a boiling pot of theatrical ingredients.”
★★★★★
— Rhys John Edwards,
Plays to See
Nerida Bradley - Director/Co-Writer
Tafsila Khan - Assistant Director/Co-Writer
Nye Russell-Thompson - Performer/Co-Writer
Duncan Hallis - Performer/Co-Writer
Laura Golden - Performer/BSL Interpreter
Ceriann Williams - Producer
Danny Muir - Production Manager
Rosey Brown & Heledd Evans - Sound Design
Garrin Clarke - Lx Design