With the view of being transparent, I’m gonna discuss some things that people probably don’t want to talk about… but according to my friend (and the astrology he follows) “2024 is the year of the truth”. So here’s my truth …
A few days into the fringe and I want to give up 🧵
First day back at Edinburgh fringe and I feel sooo many mixed emotions… in equal parts anxious and proud of myself for producing “failure project” as an independent artist, without funding, any producer, marketing support, design team or tech support…
Babbbbeeesss “failure project”
@Summerhallery
has won a BESTIE award for “The Solo Award”
I feel so honoured, grateful and I’m still in shock. It means a lot….
Thank you sooo much
@theskinnymag
and
@festmag
🫶🏾🫶🏾🫶🏾
Sending love to my fellow creatives at the mid point of their Edinburgh fringe run…. I dunno about you, but I defo feel a mixture of emotions… but one thing I can say is I’m proud of us for sharing our work, and for bringing a show up here… it ain’t easy! But we did it 💐
I am LOVING being back at Edinburgh Fringe performing ‘failure project’…
But I can’t lie I REALLY miss my mum. I’m looking forward to when she arrives in a few weeks
Shout out to my fellow artists who are self producing and up here alone.
Big love and respect 🫶🏾
Huge thank you to everyone who has come to see “failure project”, and big love to the friends who’ve sent me the guardian review.
I haven’t read the full article yet (reading reviews during a run makes me nervous) but the headline “booked, busy and blessed” is everythinggggg 🙌🏾
I’m trying to not look at reviews from “failure project” but someone sent me this 4 star review from
@TheScotsman
newspaper
I’m lost for words. I’m humbled. I’m very appreciative. Thank you 💐
Okay I’m heading offline now… I have too much anxiety for this 😅
It’s the last week at Edinburgh fringe…hope you find joy, strength and feel sooo proud of yourself for sharing the show you’ve worked SO long on. It’s not an easy journey… but you did it…. We did it
Proud of us 💐
And my final review for failure project
@Summerhallery
has just landed and it’s ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Huge thank you to everyone who attended the show and made it soooo special 🫶🏾
Wowww big love and appreciation to everyone who’s seen “failure project”
@Summerhallery
we SOLD OUT today… but please come through another day, cause I’d love to meet you 💐
Which is why I want to normalise the conversation around actually vocalising what it’s really like up here… and say to my fellow artists who have been feeling like “I wonna give up”…. I see you … and you aren’t alone
As I get ready for my closing performance of failure project today
@Summerhallery
I hold this message called “MY TURN” very close to me….
Hope it resonates with you too🌹
I’ve mentioned in my previous threads why I’m doing this, but days later I’m looking at myself in the mirror like “why am I doing this?”….
For many independent artists we are shouldering the weight of wearing multiple creative hats, as well as keeping our mental health in tact
Anyone else woken up and feel like “somethings missing?”
Usually I’d be getting ready to perform my show, but now I get a rest day…. And it feels strange… cause my body hasn’t rested in the 8 months preparing for Edinburgh Fringe- and now it’s done…
Todays mission “REST”
Thank you for the messages I didn’t expect this level of responses.
I just wanted to share my truth.
Sending love and solidarity to everyone who resonated with what I wrote.
❤️
You aren’t alone when you’ve done a ton of flyering and you didn’t get any audience…
When you’ve gotten on stage and you’ve forgotten your lines…
When you’ve looked on the “top 20 shows at the fringe” and your show isn’t on the list again…
When you really miss home…
You aren’t alone!
And this thread is to say please don’t feel like you have to be silent…
If you feel like you’ve reached your personal capacity - I hear you... Speak to someone, please. Don’t keep it inside… this journey of being an artist and here at the fringe is ALOT
Yesterday’s show for failure project was sold out
@Summerhallery
so if you’re thinking about coming through please book in advance🙏🏾
Only 6 more performances left …
I’ve been feeling like I wonna give up, so if I do… chances are I’m not alone….
I’ve spoken to my best friend…Mumma… grandma and yall on here 😉
A friend said “see this as your olympics” some days things are gonna go how you practiced and others they won’t.
And that’s okay
Here they all are: our Edinburgh 2024 collection!
Featuring some of the very best theatre on at the
@edfringe
and
@edintfest
this year – a mix of new premieres and returning favourites.
Save 30% on each of these plays using code NHBED24 until 31 August:
It’s okay to feel all of the mixed feelings you’re going through …
Listen, I even have mixed feelings about writing this thread cause I’m like
“ah ah Yolanda why are you talking so much”
After days of experiencing this rollercoaster ride we call Edinburgh fringe which has featured moments of
a standing ovation 💐
running around to get flyers 🏃🏾♀️
receiving countless microgressions… and sometimes aggressions ❤️🩹
I’ve been left feeling like “why am I doing this”
Today was my “one day off” at the fringe….and I feel like I didn’t have a day off because I was running around trying to catch up with everything . Anyone else feel the same way?!🫠
Anyone else exhausted?! People be asking me “what’s next?” “What you doing after the fringe?” ….
My response
“Take 2 weeks off to sleep and catch up on Emily in Paris”
Now I’m not trying to win an award for the world’s biggest
“de- motivational” speaker…
I know “de- motivational” speaker isn’t a real word. I’m taking creative license to sprinkle a little humour, before we get into the real stuff ….
Massive shout out to
@the_bookfairies
for hiding a free signed copy of “failure project” published by
@NickHernBooks
and hiding it in the Edinburgh 📚🧚🏾
Happy
#WorldFringeDay
I can’t lie it’s so exciting to be heading back to the fringe after 7 years….
In 2017 I took my play Quarter Life Crisis to
@FollowTheCow
with their untapped award
This year failure project will debut at 1.30pm
@Summerhallery
with the meadows award
🫶🏾
On a side note big up the mums… dads…siblings… chosen family of freelance artists, cause when we creatives deal with failures or rejections we turn to you… and you constantly keep us safe and loved….
Sooo this just happened. I’m really honoured to be selected as a Fellow on Another Route, and start working more internationally. Looking forward to developing my craft and making more friends around the globe ✈️
It’s mad cause I’ve written a play about being a failure… and to an extent this creative process has been littered with mini failures from
Funding rejections to having to justify why “I’m the only person in my creative team”…
It’s bittersweet …
In the playtext I wrote “failure project is for writer, performers… multi hyphenates” who have felt overlooked and want to tell a story that matters to them so they are seen and heard…
Being heard is the reason why I wrote this story about being a failure… cause I hope that it can shed a light on a conversation that feels taboo, especially when you look around a room and you see everyone “winning”
You do it cause you love it
It’s hard work
But you love it
And when it loves you back… it loves you BIG time….
So I have to remind myself constantly why I do this…
I love what I do…. Even though it’s becoming increasingly hard cause of lack of funds
@STAimFor
Heyyyy,
“failure project” 1.30pm
@Summerhallery
“elephant in the room” 5.15pm
@Cvenues
“oommoo- I am a walking universe”1.40pm
@Summerhallery
All created, produced, performed by independent artists of colour
But then you see your poster or someone sees an excerpt of your work and says “thanks for sharing your story… its speaks to me” and you remember why you do this….
#edfringe
is officially underway! 👏
We can't wait to see the ten astonishing plays we're publishing this year as part of
@edfringe
and
@edintfest
.
To celebrate, save 30% on our Edinburgh 2024 collection using code NHBED24 when you order by 31 August:
Now I’ll be real with you…. Doing Edfringe is an emotional journey and I’m soooo ready to take on this ride, cause this opportunity to tell this story has come to me now… and I haven’t had many chances to share it…
Previews
Previews
Previews
Tomorrow is the first Edinburgh fringe preview for failure project 1.30pm
@Summerhallery
There are limited £5 tix
(code failure5)
see ya then 🫶🏾
#edfringe2024
But I put pen to page and I’m so proud that I have friends who have helped along the way such as Joseph Barnes Phillips and Jules Haworth, who have been my rocks (alongside my mumma who has to deal with me constantly crying 🫠)
3 of 24 shows down and it feels soooo nice to be back on stage performing. “failure project” is one of the most candid shows I’ve ever written. It’s such an honour to have an audience who laughs, cry’s (sorry I didn’t mean to make you cry) and really resonates with the show 🫶🏾
Yesterday I previewed “failure project”
@LatitudeFest
and I’m so humbled by the responses from audience…. An audience member waited for me backstage and said “if I take one thing away from this festival it will be seeing your show” ❤️🩹❤️🩹❤️🩹
I’m so honoured!
Next stop
#edfringe
So it’s been a journey to this point… earlier today I felt anxious, excited and a little sad… I can’t lie… cause a lot of people don’t see the journey many people take to put on show…
Its hard work…. Babes it’s hard and anxiety dreams are real….
And let’s not forget the Nigerian saying of “enjoyment”… I legit have “enjoyment” on stage, hearing my words in front of an audience and being a reality….
Standing ovation!
A STANDING OVATION for my second preview at Edinburgh fringe
I feel so humbled and emotional that audiences resonated with “failure project”🫶🏾🥺❤️
Writers with work on in Edinburgh, we have an Edfest Creative Check-in for you. Led by
@LauraCHorton
, hosted
@jane__christie
1hr zoom to chat, vent, get support. 20/08. £5 / FREE. Edfest is batshit, but u are not alone! PlsRT.
#SupportPlaywrights
I started tweeting and then I couldn’t even find words to express how I really feel about the current situation many of us artists find ourselves in… especially those who are in a limbo with their Edfringe pay outs 💔
Everyday I wake up and listen to the same song… it’s been my motivational song to keep me going during Edinburgh Fringe. It’s Kendrick Lamar’s “Alright”… what’s your anthem?
And I hope through sharing failure project, and being on this creative fringe journey with other artists sharing their art- we continue to bring hope, inspiration and change….
Yesterday we started rehearsals for “failure project” ahead of performances
@LatitudeFest
and
@edfringe
It’s so nice to be back in a rehearsal room. Can’t lie… this process is making me feel alive again and remember why I need to tell stories….
#theatre
@TheTabbyLamb
I’m go glad you’re here. Also it was soooo nice talking with you the other night! Looking forward to seeing you at more of Jules events 🫶🏾
@SouthwestAir
how are you leaving us stranded in the airport? You cancelled our flights and we haven’t been given anywhere to sleep tonight- this is against our basic human rights… how are you fixing this?
Loves, I'm leading a
@sohotheatre
zoom playwriting taster on Wed 26 June 7-9pm for LGBTQ+ peeps, tickets £7 & free bursaries avail.
Ideal for anyone thinking about Writers' Lab or playwriting generally.
Spread the word :)
#playwriting
@Playwriting_UK
@newdiorama
@edfringe
Hey🫶🏾
“failure project”
@Summerhallery
written and performed by BAFTA nominee Yolanda Mercy (aka me).
It’s a “dramedy” about Ade. Ade is a successful writer, or so it seems. But things don’t always go how you plan, and Ade is about to find that out.
@FringeofColour
Heyyyy, I’ve sorted out a discount for the 1st and 2nd August to see ‘failure project’ …. Just head to the
@Summerhallery
site and put “failure5” for a £5 tix (limited availability)
#edfringe
Say hello to the awesome line-up of plays we're publishing at this year's
@edfringe
and
@edintfest
. 😍
Pick up the scripts when you see the shows in Edinburgh, or pre-order your copies now online:
Next week we open “failure project” 1.30pm
@summerhall
as part of
@edfringe
“Ade is a ‘successful’ writer, or so it seems, but things don’t always go as you plan… and Ade is about to find out”
Written by BAFTA nominee Yolanda Mercy
#QuickFlyer
🎟️
Mannnn I’m soooo tired! First preview completed and all I want to do is order pizza and watch the Olympics
Doing the fringe alone is hard work… but we move 🙌🏾
@TaraTheatre
@edfringe
Heyyyy, my new show “failure project” will be at
@edfringe
1-26th at summerhall- 1.30pm. It’s a dramedy about a “successful” writer called Ade, who seemingly loses it all leaving her questioning what to do…
If you’re available I’d love to have ya 🫶🏾
@RJCrookshank
Babeeee you know what hugs are always welcomed. It’s sooo nice to feel loved and supported…. Cause this can be a very solitary journey 🫶🏾