Aim

Everyone's getting married and having kids, Catherine has a thesis and a hangover, and we're trying to get this baby shower on stage!

At a rooftop dinner with five girlfriends in Melbourne in 2018, I marvelled at the fact that we were all so different yet almost everyone had decided not to have kids. That observation, along with an identity defined by precociously deciding to be childfree since age 11, birthed (sorry) a satirical but heartfelt comedy called Nevernatal about five women at a baby shower. 

I directed Nevernatal at Melbourne Fringe in 2019 and found that my body can run purely off the sound of audiences laughing at my jokes, but what really compelled me to take the show internationally was the people who said they cried, felt seen, found a new perspective, or were going to call their friends that same night. It was then I knew we had made something special that deserved a bigger audience.

And to get it on stage at Edinburgh Fringe this August, we need your help.

“witty, intimate and deeply with the times,” 4.5 stars – Theatre People (Melbourne)

Why should you support this project?

• Nevernatal is a feminist piece with female writer, director, and cast
• It’s a semi-autobiographical original work 
• The story touches on the social disconnection issues of the current and upcoming generations
• It provokes thinking around the sacrifices to parent future generations cross-examined against our responsibility to the environment 
• Help boost the creative community in a tough post-covid world
• Fund the opportunity for five performers to play funny and layered female characters

More about the show 

When our show begins, everyone’s getting married and having babies and Catherine's got a thesis in environmental law and a hangover. Her bestie Isabelle is having a baby shower and Catherine has to wade through yet another living Pinterest hell and play that repulsive chocolate nappy game with bizarre guests Maggie, Georgina and Willow. 

Nevernatal is a semi-autobiographical play that showcases varied perspectives on the decision to have kids with five different voices from prenatal to postnatal to Nevernatal. To try and represent them with authenticity, I watched interviews with mothers, researched climate change scientists advice on reproduction, and read a book on female friendship called The Social Sex. Because more than looking at the choices around motherhood, ‘Nevernatal’ is a show about friendship – what holds it together through the years, and what can break it apart in an afternoon. Unexclusive to women, it examines the fracture point when friends can’t be happy for each other’s idea of success and explores the specific type of friendship disconnection first experienced by the milestone-less millennial generation. But somehow all through a fast-paced, quippy story where everyone finds a character to connect to.

"…a charming comedy that tests the strength of friendship when peoples’ lives are on the cusp of changing forever.” – Arts Review (Melbourne)

Our all-female team 

I’m Freya Magee - a brand storyteller by day and an onstage storyteller by night - and I wrote and previously directed, produced and composed for Nevernatal. 

Now I’ve teamed up with kindred spirit Charlotte Cattrall of Perform Works Productions to direct the show and help tailor the story for a UK audience.

[Please insert cast of five funny women]

Help

Edinburgh Fringe is incredibility competitive with over 3000 shows and audiences with an average of seven people, so it’s nearly impossible to make back any of the costs involved with taking five actors to Edinburgh.

We’ve set a crowdfunding target of £1000, knowing our total costs sit more at £4000. With any extra funding, we can afford to better pay our performers as well as invest in the future of Nevernatal.

Any donation is so appreciated, but we have some rewards available to sweeten the deal too so take a look.

Costs coming out of our pockets right now

A stage to play on: £1500

Beds to sleep in: £1500

Costumes to wear: £100

Props to hold: £100

Lights & sounds to cue: £250

Posters to advertise: £300

Space to rehearse in: £250

Not to mention supporting the livelihoods of our talented performers

Other ways to support us

Buy a ticket

London 14th, 20th & 21st July: unrestrictedview.co.uk/events/nevernatal/

Edinburgh 14-19th August: tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/nevernatal

Follow us on social media

Help us build our online presence and reach a wider audience ahead of the Fringe.

instagram.com/nevernatal_uk/

tiktok.com/@nevernatal

twitter.com/nevernatal 

Thank you so much for your support! It plays a crucial role in allowing new voices and fresh perspectives to be heard.

This project successfully funded on 21st June 2023