Say hello to my new interview series… OPENING LINES – your backstage pass to the minds of today’s new playwrights! 

In this interview series, I’m putting playwrights centre stage by diving into the world of new writing and original work. Each interview will explore the creative process, the challenges and triumphs of developing new ideas and work for the stage, why new voices and stories are essential to the future of theatre and what the industry is doing to nurture and support new writing. 

My first interview is with the brilliant Mimi Collins – Writer, Director and Artistic Director of Bespoke Plays UK. We chatted about her new play, WATER PARTY, all things new writing, the inspirations behind the play, the stories that resonate on the stage, engaging with social, political and cultural issues via theatre and her thoughts on the future of new writing and the theatre industry’s role in supporting it.

Set in a near-future where birth control is laced into the public water supply, Mimi Collins’ bold new play, WATER PARTY thrusts audiences into a world where having children is no longer a right, but a privilege granted by a powerful government agency known as The Bureau. At the centre of the story is a dinner party, a seemingly happy event that begins quietly cracking under the weight of surveillance, secrecy and the consequences of control.

 What inspired you to write WATER PARTY?

Water Party was inspired by the overturning of Roe v. Wade in America. Restricting abortion access has nothing to do with the sanctity of life, and everything to do with controlling women. Water Party examines a future where the government has been largely successful in getting women to comply in a system that values their reproductive achievements above all else.  

The play imagines a future where birth control is in the water and the government decides who can have children. Why did you want to explore that as a concept? 

I wanted to explore the concept of government control but removed from what we currently see. The current situation in America is combative – this looks at a future where the manipulation is more insidious and discreet. And, to me, more dangerous. 

The play opens with a dinner party, but quickly takes a darker turn. What made you choose this setting to set up the story?

Water Party is set in a future that will hopefully make sense to the audience but not be familiar to them. The setting of a dinner party, though, is familiar, and I find that providing an entrance point to an audience that they know allows them to more completely immerse themselves in a piece. A dinner party is also the perfect setting to breed tension and distress as it’s intimate, but everyone wants to be on their best behaviour.

As the writer and director, how did it feel to bring your own words and vision to life on stage?

I find directing my own work much more challenging than directing the work of others! But also incredibly rewarding. This piece contains the heartbreaks I felt during the 2016 and 2024 American elections. Both these moments were incredibly painful, in different ways. 2016 was shocking and desperate. 2024 was ugly and disturbing. I cried both times. In 2016, I was in Los Angeles. In 2024, I was in London. Being in London for this last election, I felt helpless. And guilty. And I wanted to do something. So I brought Water Party – which I had so desperately hoped would be relegated to irrelevance if the 2024 election had gone differently – back to the stage.

How has the rehearsal process differed this time around, now that the piece has been developed further since its rehearsed reading in 2024?

This is quite a different story than the one we performed in 2024. That reading was incredibly informative, thanks in large part to our fabulous audience. The script is more of a true ensemble piece now, and I hope will speak to people in a way that shocks them only in how it isn’t shocking.  When I first wrote it – and then re-wrote it – I worried it was too far-fetched. Now, with the news cycle, I worry it isn’t futuristic enough. We need to be aware of how quickly change can and is happening and draw clear lines on what we’re willing to accept.

It was also very interesting to send this piece to Los Angeles in February of this year for a second staged reading after directing the 2024 reading myself – I felt like I was sending my baby to study abroad. Of course, I know I can trust my Bespoke Plays Los Angeles counterparts with anything, and in the end, it was quite freeing to see a different interpretation and realise what was translating from the page and what wasn’t.

What message do you want audiences to take away after watching WATER PARTY? 

That’s simple. Women will never achieve full freedom – over our bodies, our pay rate, being able to walk alone at night – until we are all on our own side. Those in charge rely on us fighting amongst ourselves, but we are the ones with the power.

If you could ask your audience one question after the show, what would it be?

I am most curious to hear what they think of the different characters – who they like, don’t like, who they relate to. Who they felt for. It’s important to me that these characters are recognisable, human, and relatable, regardless of their imperfections.

Do you see yourself continuing to explore similar themes and societal issues to those in WATER PARTY in your future work?

It’s impossible not to imbue our work with what’s going on around us at the moment. Which is good! It’s how we connect to each other. I don’t know that my next piece will necessarily stay in the same sphere of women’s rights, but I want to continue to connect with people, and help people connect with each other. I am very interested in how the things we take for granted each day can turn on us, the thin line we walk between freedom and oppression – especially with social media, and other modern-day conveniences. 

Do the works of other playwrights or writers influence your own writing? Are there specific writers or plays that have shaped your approach to storytelling?

I have to be honest – I am so inspired by each and every person that takes a story from their brain and commits it to paper. Or an image from their head and brings it into the world. Creation is hard! But it’s vital. For our society, and ourselves. 

More specifically, I count Bespoke Plays’ founders, Ellie Pyle & Christine Boylan, among my most trusted mentors. They have helped me learn to trust my voice and own my style of storytelling. And there are no two collaborators I trust more.

This story specifically was influenced by Rod Sterling, and the structure by Edward Albee.

Do you feel that the theatre world is doing enough to support and nurture new writing? If not, what changes would you like to see?

The world needs art – and it needs NEW art. It needs new voices, new brains. It needs to take risks, and it needs to be allowed to fail. Art is not a luxury. It’s a critical part of our society. I will say, coming from the States, it is inspiring to see the commitment that England does still have to maintaining live theatre, as it’s at least still being fought for here. I understand it’s frustrating because we need more. We need more investment in youth theatre, and more investment in new theatre, without the pressure to return on said investment. But artists deserve to be paid for their work, which means there are business considerations. It’s a balancing act, and what’s most important is that we get people who understand the importance of art in positions of power to support it. It’s also why I believe strongly that we in new theatre must support each other. We set the example when we go see new work, and talk about it, and bring our friends. Take a risk on a fringe piece that you don’t know anything about. A night at the theatre is always a good way to spend your time.

Mimi Collins is the Artistic Director of Bespoke Plays UK. Bespoke Plays develops new plays in Los Angeles and London, creating international opportunities for writers with diverse stories and worldviews, through a process customised to the goals of the writer and needs of the play.

Catch WATER PARTY at the Union Theatre from 13th-15th May. Tickets available here!