Callie O'Brien
A punter charges into the EdFringe with a drunken swagger, rucksack, and three too many coat jackets. Seriously, who brings a rucksack to a club night? Thankfully, the cloakroom attendant of Malachy O’Callaghan’s new play Loose Threads is here to unburden you of your laughs, your coats, and a couple quid for the trouble.
Now, with our hands stamped and entry fee paid, we’re bound for the bar to grab a pixelated pint with Malachy to unravel the inspirations behind the show.
You can catch Loose Threads in theSpace @ Surgeons’ Hall – Haldane Theatre from August 1st – 12th at 17:15 (50 mins). Tickets available online through the EdFringe Online Box Office.
Hi Malachy! Loose Threads shines the spotlight on the oft-forgotten souls hidden away in the club night cloakroom – could you tell me a bit about what inspired the show and what the audience can expect?
Malachy: Hiya, absolutely! The idea for the show came about over a terrible Chinese takeaway I had with some mates I used to do comedy with. I’d been thinking for a while about writing something made up of short, self-contained scenes – quick, punchy moments that show different sides of people – and they helped me talk it through. I’ve done a lot of sketch comedy before, so I liked the idea of cramming a load of eccentric characters into one setting, each bringing their own little story.
That’s when the cloakroom popped into my head. It just made sense. It’s this weird little corner of a night out where people are constantly coming and going, slightly drunk and overly honest. In those fleeting interactions, you can stumble on something funny, touching, or just plain bizarre. It felt like the perfect setting to explore the kind of moments we usually forget about by the next morning. The result is a fast-paced, funny, and oddly heartwarming comedy-drama about the people and passing conversations we usually don’t give a second thought, but maybe should.
Callie: I’d love to dive into the process of developing the show – how did it all come together? What’s your approach to workshopping comedy, and how much have your actors influenced the script later down the line?
Malachy: The process behind developing the show was basically me writing in a mild-to-moderate panic, trying to hit deadlines while constantly rewriting scenes based on feedback from friends, peers, and anyone else who offhandedly said, “Yeah, I’ll read it.” I spent a lot of time trying to make sure everything complemented the coat check character and the main thread that he runs throughout the play. I also got some great advice from the folks at the National Youth Theatre, which helped me figure out how to juggle the fun, ridiculous stuff with the more grounded emotional beats. Basically: make them laugh, then make them feel weird about it.
Comedy-wise, my time with the Leeds Tealights definitely shaped how I approach writing. As a sketch group, we’d usually start with a script that made some sort of sense, then immediately ignore it and see what happened. A lot of improvising, ad-libbing, and laughing at our own jokes until something actually funny turned up. That mix of structure and chaos has always worked for me, and it’s what I’ve tried to bring into Loose Threads. The cast has been brilliant with that – they’ve really run with the script, added their own spin, and turned rehearsals into a kind of organised nonsense that’s ended up making the show much more fun.
Callie: What are you hoping the audience might take away from the experience?
Malachy: I’d love for people to come away from Loose Threads thinking a bit more about those everyday interactions we have: the random chats, awkward encounters, and weird little moments with people we barely know and will probably never see again. Everyone’s got their own stuff going on, even the guy aggressively unzipping his bumbag in a cloakroom at 2 a.m. We’re all guilty of jumping to conclusions, and the show plays with that – how easy it is to get someone totally wrong in the space of thirty seconds.
But mostly, I just want people to have a good time. If it makes you laugh, maybe feel something and then get you to think about why you felt that, then great, job done. And if it makes you slightly nicer to the person handing you your coat while you drunkenly insist it’s not yours, I’ll take that as a win.
Callie: With Edinburgh Fringe 2025 just spooling up, what are you most excited for?
Malachy: I’m honestly so excited to be back in Edinburgh. It’s such a beautiful city, and the Fringe is always the highlight of my year. There’s such a range of creative and brilliant shows on every time, and it’s such a pleasure to be around that.
Above all, I’m just beyond excited to take this team up there. They are all so talented, and I can’t wait to unleash them on the Mile and just see what happens with the show. It’s going to be so so so fun to let people see what we’ve worked so hard on over the past few months!
Callie: Given the themes of Binge Fringe, if your show was a beverage of any kind (alcoholic, non-alcoholic – be as creative as you like!), what would it be and why?
Malachy: Honestly, I think this show is a Jägerbomb. It hits fast, gets loud, and before you know it, you’re oversharing with a stranger in a queue while someone dressed as a traffic cone cries behind you. It’s chaotic, a bit emotional, and leaves you wondering what just happened… but in a good way.
Remember – Loose Threads is on at theSpace @ Surgeons’ Hall – Haldane Theatre from August 1st – 12th at 17:15 (50 mins). Tickets available online through the EdFringe Online Box Office.
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