Roe McDonnell
Content Warning: Please be aware of themes of sexual violence within this show. Including ‘distressing or potentially triggering themes of strong language/swearing. Discussions of sexual violence, substance misuse and mental health.’
Helen Iley and Beth Lindsey talk to Roe about See You Tomorrow, their 2026 Edinburgh Fringe show telling the story of Hattie and the days that follow when an ‘ordinary walk home after work takes a sudden, unthinkable turn. In the following days, she’s swept into a system of police reports, questions and courtrooms demanding clarity from a memory that isn’t there. This is not just a story about trauma; it’s a darkly comic odyssey through the absurd machinery of justice, where truth is slippery and certainty feels out of reach and when reality hits like a shower of shit, sometimes the only thing left to fight for is your version of the story – whether it can be proven or not.
At a time when conversations around sexual violence, testimony and accountability remain as urgent as ever, See You Tomorrow offers an honest, bold and funny examination of the role of memory and truth in the UK justice system and challenges societal perceptions of what we expect from a victim.
You can catch See You Tomorrow at Sprout Studio at Greenside @ George Street on August 7th – 29th (not the 16th or 23rd) from 17:15 (55mins). Tickets are available through the EdFringe Online Box Office.
Roe: Tell me a bit about your theatre journeys.
Helen: I fell in love with Theatre from when I played the Scarecrow at my primary schools’ adaptation of The Wizard of Oz. Who knew my gender-fluid self was already showing them by beating all the boys to the role! I went on to go to Youth theatres in Leeds and then studied Theatre in Bristol. I have Written/Directed many successful shows and films since including bringing my debut fringe show misSfits to Edinburgh last year.
Beth: I was well and truly that little kid that loved performing any time I was given the opportunity to. The first show (and what felt like a professional performance) was when I was about 3- I sat the whole family down and performed at length, so this kind of feels like a full circle moment. As a child I always felt the most connected and understood when I watched theatre (mostly via VHS). I didn’t grow up in a creative environment, but I joined the National Youth Theatre at 17 and it gave me the confidence to pursue creating and performance moving forward. I spent my weekends during sixth form training at the Young Actors Studio at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. It took me 4 years to get into drama school (delusion and determination paid off), and I began my training at Drama centre London in 2018. I’ve always wanted to make my own work and during lockdown I wrote my first play and short film. See You Tomorrow, is inspired by a personal experience, and it feels like the right show to be making my writer/performer debut; I hope it sparks conversations that go beyond the stage.
Roe: What was your inspiration going into directing this piece? (Events of the time, movements, people etc)
Helen: I had worked with Katy, our wonderful producer, when I lived in Wales for a television job. We immediately clicked and so when she introduced me to Beth and her incredible story as a creative collaboration – I had a gut feeling that this was going to be special.
Beth: I was having a conversation with Katy, our legendary producer, long before we started working together creatively. Katy was asking me about what stories I was hoping to tell, I told her about an event that happened in my life that I wanted to put on stage. Her reaction was visceral and we cried and laughed, and she just said, ‘well, now we need to make this happen!’, and the rest is history. Katy introduced me to the incredible writer and director Helen Iley and we just clicked; it felt like the perfect team to make this piece happen.
Roe: What is your creative process like?
Helen: I am very collaborative and like to meld the story with the performers. In this case, it is Beth’s story we are retelling and so wanted to help facilitate and shape the story but give it a flexibility at the start to ensure the breathing space we had in place when tackling such complex and personal topics.
Beth: As this is the first show I’ve written and performed, it’s been a lot different to anything I’ve experienced before. Having Helen (the miracle worker) come in and collaborate on the script as well as directing the show has been such a blessing; their comedic voice and mountain of experience meant that it went from being something that felt almost impossible to achieve, to something I feel truly proud of. It’s been a pretty quick turn around from its conception to putting it on a stage, so there’s been a lot to do, and at times that’s felt scary, but working with Helen and Katy has been beyond a privilege (without them, there would be no See You Tomorrow).
Roe: How does mental health and the queer experience shape the art you create?
Helen: As someone with chronic depression and also non-binary – I always approach my artistic projects with this lens and equally want to approach it with pride and honesty to also normalise any stigmas. The more we talk and create, the more voices and minds we can reach and impact.
Beth: I have spent most of my life in a love/hate relationship with my brain. I’ve struggled with anxiety and depression since my early teenage years, and in recent years have understood that I have ADHD (which explains A LOT!). The big feelings that come with my mental health and neurodiversity are at the centre of the art I make; the want to connect and not feel alone, as well as helping others feel seen and understood. Tackling challenging topics as well as utilising comedy to do so (one of my many coping mechanisms) is often how I approach my work. I take so much pride in being part of the queer community; I am inspired every day by the wonderful queer people in my life to be bolder and braver, and so the queer experience will always inform my creativity!
Roe: Audiences would love the play if they love this: TV Show, Movie, Book and Celebrity
TV Show: Helen: ‘I May Destroy You’ Beth: ‘I Hate Suzie’
Movie: Helen: ‘Bridesmaids’ Beth: ‘ Beth: ‘The Triangle of Sadness’
Book: Helen ‘Melodramatic by Megan Parkinson’ Beth: ‘Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay.’
Celebrity: Helen: ‘Daisy May Cooper’ Beth: ‘Bailey Mills. (if you know, you know)’
A reminder, you can catch See You Tomorrow at Sprout Studio at Greenside @ George Street on August 7th – 29th (not the 16th or 23rd) from 17:15 (55mins). Tickets are available through the EdFringe Online Box Office.
Noe Productions
Shay Mace
