REVIEW: STUFFED at New Diorama Theatre 13 - 24 October, 2026
'Radical. Raucous. Relevant.' ★★★★
When was the last time you were hungry? Not hungry for love or attention, but hungry for food. And not just peckish but proper hungry, with no food in the cupboards and nothing to eat? According to Ugly Bucket, a physical theater and clowning company, and Winner of The Stage Fringe Five at the Edinburgh Festival, 2024, 11 million people in the UK cannot be sure where their next meal will come from, hence the exponential rise in food banks over the last two decades.
The fact that the UK, one of the richest countries in the world, has a significant chunk of its population subsisting on food banks—including many workers and young professionals—and that hunger is no longer a subject for international appeals but one of national shame, might not seem an easy fit for a quintet of Liverpool-based clowns. But it has inspired STUFFED, a one hour show, billed as a ‘blazing inferno’ of physicality, electronica and personal testimonies.
STUFFED may tackle poverty and hunger but it does so through the universal language of laughter, satire and absurdity. It bridges the UK's hunger epidemic with the irresistible allure of silly faces, choreographed movement and bizarre scenarios all rooted in the truth of real experience. Complete with a dramatic soundtrack, created live on stage, this is primarily a piece of rip-roaring theatre: loud, funny and well-crafted; not preachy but passionate, not sanctimonious but savage.
Led by Rachael Smart and Grace Gallagher, also one of the five piece ensemble, the basis of the piece is testimonies from food bank volunteers. The company worked with thirteen community partners and extracted passages of spoken material lip synched by the performers. Think Nick Park’s Creature Comforts. Words such as “working in a food bank is like putting out fires” provide the creative stimulus for the whacky, physical interpretations that span fire-fighting or scrapping over crumbs.
A female contestant on Budget Better, a dystopian quiz show, takes out a payday loan to take her kids to a theme park. Her zero hours contracts mean she must constantly choose. Should she fix her boiler or get her teeth fixed? Should she heat or eat? Hunger, described by one volunteer, as a ‘type of evisceration’ becomes a visual metaphor while dumb politicians make the right noises but provide no solutions. In many ways, it says more than any manifesto and in its own unique way, is as effective a creative output as a Ken Loach docu-drama.
Ugly Bucket aren’t just compassionate but incensed. Food banks haven’t just appeared by chance but are the direct result of political decision-making and this show is a call to action. It’s not just about transmitting the message through the stealth of laughter, but also encouraging us to help our hungry neighbours. This three course theatrical experience starts with a community meal included in the ticket price and finishes with a panel discussion. A leaflet distributed post show explains the many ways we can get involved. Both radical and relevant, STUFFED both entertains and provides plenty of food for thought.
Creative Team
Director & Community Producer - Grace Gallagher
Director & Stage Manager - Rachael Smart
Community Producer - Angelina Moana
Set & Costume Design - Sascha Gilmour
Music & Sound Design - Duncan Gallagher
Lighting Designer - Charly Dunford
Production Assistant & Relighter (New Diorama Run) - Stuart Comley
Sign Supported English Director - Rhiannon May
Caption Operator (New Diorama Run) - Nina Schlautmann
Ensemble
Jessica Huckerby
Grace Gallagher
Angelina Moana
Adam Nicholls
Caníce Ward
