Drip Feed by Karen Cogan

Photo credit Aly Wight

Soho Theatre and Fishamble: The New Play Company Present

Drip Feed

By Karen Cogan

Cork. 1998. Brenda and her best pal are part of the city's furniture.

Dancing on tables and 3am breakfast rolls. But what if you wake up hungover and broken on the wrong person’s doorstep, realise you’ve got it wrong, all wrong, and it might just be too late?

From award-winning producers Soho Theatre and Fishamble comes a fast, infectious, dark comedy about the messiness of being youngish, female and queer in Ireland.

Shortlisted for Soho Theatre’s biennial Verity Bargate Award, this new play from the Stewart Parker Trust Award winner receives its world premiere.

Produced by Soho Theatre (Fleabag, Touch, Half Breed, Spine) and Fishamble.

“Drip Feed vomited out of me in a period of frustration. I felt bored with the conversations around female writers and characters. The phrase ‘strong women’ is used often. There’s no onus on men to be ‘strong characters’ at all times. They get to be flawed creatures. Women engage in a similar spectrum of messy behaviour. I wanted to write a complex queer woman who reflects the mortifying lengths we can all go to, to be loved, to be seen. She is ridiculous but honest.”
Karen Cogan

“Karen Cogan is quite superb. She has a contained inner life and emotional power I rarely witness. She has a beautiful voice, complex and original and I find her a wonderfully thoughtful person… She has real gravity and daring…”
Mark Rylance

Created by

Written and performed by Karen Cogan
Directed by Oonagh Murphy
Designed by Anna Reid
Sound Design by Frank Sweeney

Previous Dates

2018:
27 - 28 Jul: Soho Theatre, London (Edinburgh Preview)
1 - 26 Aug: Assembly George Square Theatre, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
19 - 22 Sep: Project Arts Centre, Dublin Fringe Festival
24 Sep - 20 Oct: Soho Theatre, London

Reviews

'Vivid, immersive and ultimately hopeful exploration of identity.'
★★★★
The List

‘Warm, witty and vivid.’
The Guardian

‘An engrossing play.’
★★★★
British Theatre Guide

An uplifting, powerful experience. Drip Feed is truly special
★★★★ The Wee Review

'Karen Cogan shines. Drip Feed is intriguing, emotive and wonderfully performed.'
★★★★ The Voice magazine

'wickedly funny and clever writing… stunning performance… remarkable… the runaway success of the Fringe Festival'
Sunday Independent

‘Wickedly funny and clever writing and stunning performance.’
★★★★
Irish Times

'Fantastic writing...a thing of beauty.'
★★★★
Londonist

'A compelling, yearning, narrative and an arresting performance from Karen Cogan - a natural raconteur performing a monologue that is simply delicious to the ear.'
★★★★ Fringe Biscuit

'Cogan keeps us fascinated'
★★★★ Edinburgh Reporter

Production Shots

Photos by Aly Wight.

Meet the Team

Karen Cogan
Writer & Performer

Karen trained as an actor at RADA. Her first play The Half of It won the prestigious Stewart Parker Award in 2018 after a sold out run in Dublin. The Half of It was nominated for 5 Fringe Awards and won the First Fortnight Award. Karen’s second play Drip Feed was shortlisted for the Verity Bargate Award. She reached the top 6 of 1,200 submissions. Drip Feed will have its world premiere with the Soho Theatre in Edinburgh and London. Drip Feed has been optioned and commissioned for television development by Witchery Pictures. C’andle, her 6 part television series is in development with WARP Films. Karen has been shortlisted for the Red Planet Prize 2018 and the BBC Writers Room Drama Room 2019. She is RADA’s submission for the Adopt A Playwright Award 2018 and was shortlisted for the Award. Karen is the Hospital Club Theatre and Performance Emerging Creative 2018/19. She was chosen for MAKE Theatremakers residency in the Tyrone Guthrie Centre alongside international mentors and theatre artists. Karen is one of the chosen playwrights for Fishamble’s A Play For Ireland initiative 2018/19.

Oonagh Murphy
Director

Oonagh Murphy recently directed the five-star Tribes at the Gate Theatre, as part of the Dublin Theatre Festival. Other theatre credits include: Shelter, for Druid at Galway International Arts Festival, The Mouth of a Shark, at WHERE WE LIVE, by Thisispopbaby with St. Patrick's Day Festival, Tribes at Gate Theatre, Dublin, Mojo, The Lir Dublin, Foxy, Project Arts Centre, Be Infants In Evil, for Druid Theatre Company as part of GIAF 2014, Ribbons and Love in a Glass Jar, for the Peacock Stage at the Abbey Theatre 2012. Oonagh was Resident Assistant Director at the Donmar Warehouse in 2013 and at the Abbey Theatre Dublin, 2011-2012.

Frank Sweeney
Sound Designer

Composer and Sound Designer for Theatre, Radio and Film, including Spirit of the Fringe winning 'Heroin', Dublin Theatre Festival's 'The Game', The Shitstorm at the Abbey and winner of Best Production at Fringe 2017 'Not At Home'. Assistant label manager at RVNG, Beats in Space and Software in New York 2014-15.

Completed a Masters in Music and Media Technologies at Trinity College Dublin and a Honours Degree in Visual Communications from the Dún Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology. Released and toured extensively as a DJ and producer over the past years under Frank B and Sias. Part of the Repeater collective, producing art and music in tandem physical formats, with complimentary events showcasing local artists.