Show Description
‘Dame Show’ is a traditional game show style piece of theatre based around the topic of women’s health, focusing on the issues faced by modern day women in medical settings and the significant lack of research made into female health and hormones/ the understanding of the female body.
Using interactive game show structures e.g. bingo, blind date, the generation game as well as comedy, musical numbers and outrageous props/costumes we intend to take our audiences on a fun but educational journey, exploring how medical research has been extremely one sided over the years and the effects this lack of research has on how women receive care today.
We shall be inspired by true stories of women and their medical experiences (gathered via workshops that we shall run as part of the development phase and through research and interviews with medical health professionals to help inform and balance the content), and will work these into the sketches, songs and games that will make up the performance as well as through vox pops/voice overs. We will also research statistics and work alongside medical professionals to make sure that we are raising awareness of the truth behind what the female health experience actually is, clearing up myths behind the Gender Pain Gap and bringing together communities through their experiences, encouraging conversations and maybe even bringing about some kind of change in the way women’s health is viewed by society.
Whether you are a woman or not we aim to make a show that is funny and relatable with something for everyone whether it is comedy songs (in the style of Victoria Wood/Flo and Joan), Slap the Pony style comedy sketches, or just good old fashioned game show games/quizzes (with a feminine twist!)
We believe this is a really important topic to raise awareness of, particularly in rural communities where people may feel more isolated than in bigger towns/cities, and how important it is to share these stories, believe women’s pain and support the women in your lives so they know they are not alone.
Through the structure of the game show we intend to connect these stories and truths to our audiences with a funny and personable show where we aim to lift up and inspire confidence and joy in what it is to be a women/what it is to have women in our lives, and why we should fight for and support better medical research/health benefits that aren’t one size fits all!
Teaser Trailer
Target Audience
Dame Show is primarily aimed at women and their partners/anyone who is a female ally. Although the topic of the show is women’s health, we intend to present it in a way that is both enjoyable and accessible to all genders and doesn’t go out of its way to alienate anyone. It is a subject that we believe everyone needs more education/knowledge on and we intend to share this in a way that is fun and appealing to all.
Marketing Copy
The all encompassing, thrilling game show, coming to a venue near you! See if YOU can navigate the perils of womanhood! For the women, by the women, the rules are simple – just don’t scare the men off!
Step right up for…Dame Show!
It’s bingo with a twist. Blind Date with a dose of truth. The Generation Game…but this time, women set the rules.
Dame Show is a riotous new theatre piece dressed up as a traditional TV game show – but instead of winning cuddly toys, we’re tackling the big prize: women’s health.
Packed with outrageous costumes, comedy sketches, cheeky musical numbers and plenty of audience participation, this is a fun, fast-paced and unashamedly bold exploration of the medical world’s gender pain gap. Why has research into women’s health lagged so far behind? What myths still hold sway? And how does this affect the care women receive today?
Inspired by real stories, medical research and professional insight, Dame Show puts women’s voices centre stage – sometimes hilarious, sometimes heartbreaking, always eye-opening. Think Victoria Wood meets Slap the Pony, sprinkled with glitter and hard truths.
Whether you’re a woman, love a woman, or simply want to understand more about half the population, Dame Show has something for everyone. Expect laughs, gasps, and the occasional outrageous prop… all in the name of changing the conversation around women’s health.
Because it’s time to play the game – and this time, women aren’t just contestants. They’re running the show.
Running Time – 2 x 45 minutes approx (90 minutes)
Age Guidance – 16+
The play contains themes and tackles issues that some people may find uncomfortable viewing.
The play contains some bad language and may contain some descriptions of a sexual nature.
Imagery & Characters
Show moodboard
Dame Show – Technical Specification
Dame Show is designed to be highly adaptable and tour-ready, with minimal technical demands. The production is self-contained, bringing its own basic lighting rig, PA system, microphones, technician and set. We can set up in under one hour, making it suitable for a wide variety of spaces, including theatres, village halls, community centres, and cabaret venues.
Lighting
- Company provides a basic touring light rig suitable for most venues.
- Standard power supply required (13A sockets).
- Venue house rig can be used if available but not essential.
- Blackout capability preferred but not mandatory.
Sound
- Company provides own PA system and microphones.
- Standard power supply required.
- Venue may use its own PA if suitable, but no additional equipment is required.
Set
- Self-contained touring set.
- Built to be in place in under 1 hour.
- Compact and adaptable to a range of stage sizes.
- See attached set design drawings for details.
Set Design Sketches
Song lyrics snippet
Who we are
Yet To Be is a theatre company founded in 2020 by Marina O’Shea and Charlie Whitworth. The company creates bold, original work that blends multimedia, physical theatre and music to explore urgent themes through an accessible and entertaining lens. Since its inception, Yet To Be has toured two critically acclaimed productions – Free Will and Other Myths and The Geneva Convention of Human F**s* – to theatres, festivals and community spaces across the UK, including The Other Palace (London), The Brewhouse (Taunton), The Wardrobe Theatre (Bristol), The Theatre Shop (Clevedon), and Front Room (Somerset).
As a company, Yet To Be is committed to creating thought-provoking work that sparks curiosity, invites discussion and resonates with contemporary audiences. Our work is often interdisciplinary and collaborative, driven by a desire to see more original theatre developed in the South West and to support artists in the region. We aim to make work that is challenging, vital and full of heart, and to bring it to audiences both within and beyond traditional theatre spaces.
This project is led by Yet To Be (Marina O’Shea) and will involve a collaboration with freelance artists Lizi Bennett and Primrose Bigwood, working under the creative umbrella of the company. We are also partnering with Stowaway Theatre, with whom we have an ongoing collaborative relationship. The Dame Show is created by three collaborators – Marina O’Shea (Yet To Be), Lizi Bennett (Stowaway Theatre), and Primrose Bigwood – bringing together our backgrounds in theatre-making, performance, music, film, producing, and visual storytelling. Between us, we’ve toured original productions across the UK, created award-winning comedy, led large-scale events, written and performed new work, and collaborated with theatre companies, festivals, and communities throughout the South West and beyond.
What unites us is a passion for inventive, interdisciplinary theatre that is both playful and purposeful. Having worked together in various roles – from performance and writing to producing, marketing, prop-making, and photography – we’re excited to combine our skills to create The Dame Show: bold, collaborative theatre that sparks conversation, connects with audiences, and resonates far beyond the stage.
An interview with the creators
Company website – yettobe.org