About The Show
'medium dead' is a thorny comedy about suicide, celebrity, jobs, and parasocial relationships.
It tells the story of Bennie – a burned-out office worker who really puts the ghost in ghostwriter. She writes suicide notes for a living. It’s soul-purging work, and her record of seeing people through to the bitter end is less than perfect. After a difficult meeting with HR (Death), she’s assigned a challenge to prove herself and keep her place in the Office. But – the client is universally beloved chef and TV presenter Anthony Bourdain. Bennie is torn, but Chef has unlocked a secret to the universe and can’t live to keep it. And if Bennie doesn’t see this one out, she’s going Downstairs.
The pitch was longlisted for the Bitter Pill Prize in 2023 and has been in development since. After being workshopped at Arcade with Brightmouth Productions and A Pleasance Scratch, the full piece recently played previews at Camden People's Theatre and The Glitch, and will soon be part of Riverside Studios' Bitesize Festival.
Meet The Creative Team
Written & Performed by Eleanor Shaw
Writer and performer Eleanor Shaw is a bold new voice in theatre, sick of shows that ask questions we already know the answer to. She’s an alumna of the Royal Court Writers’ Group, and her name is often found on impressive shortlists.
Directed by Ellie BW
Ellie BW is a director, comedy producer, promoter and sometimes performer. She directed Derek Mitchell's "Goblin", which recently ran at Soho Theatre in March 2025. She runs SE London based comedy-cabaret Piñata and founded comedy production company Liebenspiel with Benjamin Alborough. She is the winner of Sketch Off 2023.
Set & Costume Design by Eve Oakley
Eve is a theatre, film & performance designer based at SET Lewisham in South East London. She trained in Costume Design at Wimbledon College of Art and Set Design at Central St Martins. Her work centres around the themes of folk horror, dark comedy & historical narratives told through sustainable theatre practise.
Produced by Julia Salkin / Serpentine Productions
Serpentine Productions was founded by creative producer Julia Salkin and operates with support from the Stage One New Producers Bursary. Julia holds a master's degree in Creative Producing from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, and her work aims to platform emerging writers and artists creating bold new work.
Technical Direction by Lewis Hedges
Lewis Hedges is a Soho Labs alumnus, whose directing experience includes sketch and stand-up comedy projects across London and the Southeast. With a background of performance himself, Lewis has a first-hand understanding of the technical needs of acts and has worked with performers such as Elf Lyons in the development of stagecraft techniques on the use of lighting and sound.
This will be our company’s Fringe debut, bringing together an exciting group of artists who couch-hopped their way through the festival as attendees last year – and swore they would reunite as participants (with more permanent accommodations) in 2025.
The Ask
We are a team of scrappy, early-career theatremakers who are putting our blood, sweat, and tears into bringing this project to life. We are self-funding much of the Edinburgh run – risking burnout juggling creative endeavours alongside full-time work.
This is where you come in. We're asking for your support in helping us raise £3500 to cover necessities such as travel and accommodation, fees for our team, advertising, and rehearsal space.
If we meet our goal, we will also be able to explore pathways to make the show more accessible to audiences – including relaxed and BSL interpreted performances.
Thank you in advance for your support!