Finally making peace with her magpie, Molly lets him in through her window and faces him head on. After fearing him her entire life, she now can see that he isn’t the least bit scary at all and understands that she has only been running from herself; that it is now time to stop. And to live. A post shared by Grace Petrie (@gracepetriemusic) DIVA: Hey Grace. How’s the vibe up there in Edinburgh?

The story is one that, as it evolved, felt like it could have been told about so many of us. Our self-doubt following us around, sat on our shoulder, like the magpie metaphor the story is staged around. Molly develops a lifelong learned habit of being a people pleaser, putting others first, being always altruistic. How many of us do the same traits apply to? She makes us think of the different ways we deploy to fend off our insecurities, which can sometimes be self-sabotaging. These strategies are very common: Abraham Lincoln, Michelangelo, John F. Kennedy and George Washington all experienced some aspects of self-sabotage before they made history – so we are not alone. The project’s development was supported by Inn Crowd, a brilliant scheme that sends artists into rural pubs. Norwich Arts Centre also co-commissioned the piece.

Booking & Dates

I’m going to start working on a new book project. A little break from performing will probably feel essential! It may or may not include some stuff that could be generously described as comedy. It may or may not have some songs. She doesn’t really know but at this point she’s just happy to be out of the house. Stop Trying to be Fantastic has only a couple of stops left on its tour (NORWICH THEATRE (STAGE 2) – 19 May & LONDON 2NORTHDOWN – 22 May). It is a show that will offer a charming theatre outing while making you think about “ what we owe to each other and what we owe to ourselves”. It will certainly make you laugh, while making you think about the metaphor that you are trying to escape. There’s something to do pretty much every night, but there’s also so much delicious countryside to disappear off into. It’s also a very queer-friendly city, which is a good thing! Also – Roys, obviously.

Naylor’s beautiful lyrical and poetic writing carries the one-person show, setting strong foundations for the poignant personal story. In more of a performative TED talk way, Molly takes us through her life living with her metaphorical Magpie and how she has been trying to escape its unwanted presence. The deep and personal stories told are all relatable and powerful drawing you in and making you evaluate the impact of your own Magpie. STOP TRYING TO BE FANTASTIC – MOLLY NAYLOR – DRUM THEATRE 5 th May 2023 Produced in association with Inn Crowd One day, a magpie comes into a little girl’s house by mistake. It decides it likes her. She spends the next twenty-five years trying to get away from it. When she spoke her last words, I was surprised to discover my cheeks were wet with the tears that had fallen, listening to the truthfulness of Molly’s final words. Ones that we all must surely take on board. Molly begins her story in the same place that it ends, with her sat in a room of a fertility clinic, and the aim of becoming an egg donor. But this was not to be….Stop Trying To Be Fantastic is about the strategies we use to avoid pain and suffering, and the impact these strategies have on us. It’s based on a period in my life and tells a mostly-true story about a strange series of events and what I learned from experiencing them. It’s about saviour-complex, the things that haunt us and what we can do about them. It’s a sort of anti self-help show, that I’m hoping might actually help. From award-winning writer/performer Molly Naylor (Whenever I Get Blown Up I Think Of You, Sky One’s After Hours) comes this lyrical and funny spoken-word show that explores what we owe to each other and what we owe to ourselves. She is currently working on several original TV projects, and her feature film 'I'll See Myself Out' is in development with Jeva Films. Most of these strategies are destructive, although the first one, storytelling, gave her a successful career path. The second one, boozing, was not so fortunate. It led to unwise relationships, shame, humiliation and general problems with her health. But anything that makes the magpie go away, gets noted, and replicated. I’m performing at Summerhall for the first time. It’s my favourite venue in Edinburgh, so I’m very happy I get to perform and hang out there.

If anyone’s seen me do a gig, I do talk quite a lot between songs. I tell stories and I try and make the introductions funny. Over the years that’s just extended until somebody said to me, “you know you’re a real folk singer when the introductions get longer than the songs!” So I thought, I need to put my money where my mouth is. I wanted to see what happens if there’s no safety net of a guitar. It’s just me with nothing to hide behind. It’s been an amazing experience learning that I can do that. I’m full of admiration for comedians who do it all the time, but I’m really proud of myself for taking the leap. How did you find striking the balance between funny and serious, when talking about such an identity-centric topic? Molly’s strategies for coping with her meandering life, constantly trying to please people, to be liked, to get on, are all made with the intention of running to escape the magpie, to be free of him. It becomes her own personal quest for freedom and, ultimately, happiness. The difficult, answerable questions she promises to explore (How can we stop ourselves from feeling bad? How can we stop others from feeling bad?), the drunken mistakes and lurches she gets lost in, and the emotional revelations that buffet and bruise - these all weave and wander into crystal moments of startling clarity. A fox in the headlights, a mistimed but desperately needed drink in a bar, the sound of a beak tap-tap-tapping at a rainy train window. We have a huge variety of events. Something for everyone. From community workshops at the Library, children’s shows at Cygnet Theatre, stand-up comedy at Topsham Brewery, folk music at the Corn Exchange, professional development workshops, storytelling at the RAMM, music at St Nicholas Priory, youth shows at the Hall and Multi-Story Orchestra in IKEA’s car park. Do you have a nagging voice inside your head? How do you deal with it? Stop Trying to be Fantastic by Molly Naylor explores the challenges of having that constant internal nagging.Stop Trying To Be Fantastic poetically confronts our deepest fears of abandonment, of being unloved and unlovable. Burrowing into the complexity of why we often find it so unbearable to feel bad or face our problems head on, it highlights how the pursuit of being ‘perfect’ for everyone else stops us from living a life that is actually perfect for us.

I’ve also directed Butch Ado About Nothing by Grace Petrie, so I’ll be looking forward to seeing that! I’m also excited about seeing Chris Singleton and Roann McCloskey.It is clear to see why Stop Trying to be Fantastic had such a great run at Edinburgh Fringe. A performance that lends itself to smaller performance spaces and possibly would feel even better in a makeshift performance space like those at the Fringe. The simple but strong integrated lighting and sound design round the production of well. Of course, it’s a metaphor. A symbol of a trauma not discussed; silenced and suppressed. Stop Trying To Be Fantastic turns the elephant in the room to the magpie in the room. And, if you’ve ever witnessed a bird when it accidentally finds itself trapped you know exactly how it panics, thrashing about leaving havoc in its wake. Stop Trying To Be Fantastic is that which gets left behind once the incident has passed. The initial mess might be cleaned up, yet an echo remains. One day, a magpie comes into a little girl’s house by mistake. It decides it likes her. She spends the next twenty-five years trying to get away from it. Stop Trying to be Fantastic is a story about suffering, saviour-complex, self-acceptance, and a magpie who refuses to quit. Award-winning writer/performer Molly Naylor presents this funny, frank, lyrical storytelling show that explores what we owe to each other versus what we owe to ourselves. It’s an anti self-help show... that might actually help.