Oli Fuller
Bold, Vunerable and Powerful, Nocole Nadler’s Exposure Therapy takes fear head on and teaches us to be brave.
In Exposure Therapy, Nicole collects fears, dates and truth or dares from the audience to face live on stage. If an audience fear is selected, she will face it with them if possible, or discuss it sincerely from her perspective. If a date is selected, she will read that date out from her teenage diaries, and if a truth or dare is selected she will play along with whatever the post it note asks of her. Nicole puts herself out there on stage and asks the audience to throw anything at her, all while remaining incredibly friendly and engaging.
After seeing the backlash Nicole has faced this fringe due to a viral video of audience members leaving her performance half way through, I was not sure what to expect of this show going in, especially with a show format like this where every night has the potential to be completely different. However, I absolutely adored this show.
At my performance, Nicole read out multiple sections of her diary, obsessing over boys she hadn’t even kissed as a 13 year old girl, discussed what it means to allow yourself to be loved despite your faults and spoke deeply about the relationship she has with her family.
This show felt like your friend holding your hand as you send a difficult text, or a reassuring hug after making a painful decision. It is raw, and pure, and painful, and gorgeous. It is deeply authentic in a way many shows are too afraid to be.
Recommended Drink: Pair this with something you’ve never tried before, take the risk.
Performances of Exposure Therapy have now concluded at EdFringe 2025.
Image Credit: Craig Sinclair
Jake Mace
