Florence
Written by Honor Santa Barnes, Directed by El Blackwood
Transferring from Edinburgh and hailed as ★★★★★ “The best show at this year’s Fringe” (The National), this satirical tragicomedy follows an ambitious young woman willing to use any means necessary to succeed in the art world. Even if it means taking on a new identity. Enter Florence.
Florence is everything she isn’t; charismatic, confident and well connected. Florence infiltrates an elite social circle and uses her new connections to secure a job at a prestigious gallery. But behind the veneer of blue-chip art and prime real estate lies a den of wheeler dealers.
That’s fine. Florence can handle it. But what happens if the person underneath can’t?
Beneath the comedy and social satire, this play asks: how effective is a mask when you’re really trying to hide from yourself? What begins as a clever act of reinvention descends into a psychological struggle as the identity she has created begins to take on a will of its own. Could it be that what she thought was an act is really just a part of herself, stripped of restraint?
And once that part of her is out, it refuses to go back in.
Band of Sister Theatre in association with Park Theatre
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Evenings
19.00
Thu & Sat16.00
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Duration
60 minutes
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Tickets
£15 - £18
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Genre
Drama
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Age guidance
14+
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Content warnings
Contains strong language.
"Potentially the best show at this years fringe"
The National
"Timely piece that is well thought out and superbly executed"
Everything Theatre
"Fascinating drama...powerhouse production"
Reviews Hub
"Reminiscent of Jodie Comer in Prima Facie"
A Young(ish) Perspective
"Santa Barnes gives an incredible performance throughout"
Theatre and Arts Reviews
"Polished and razor-sharp invention"
The Nerd Party
Cast & Creatives
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Honor Santa Barnes
Writer and Performer
Honor Santa Barnes
Writer and Performer
Training: Identity School of Acting (2021-2023), Guildford School of Acting in (2024).
Theatre credits include Florence (The Other Palace, Greenside at Edinburgh Fringe Festival), The Crimes of Pete (The Hope Theatre, Pleasance at Edinburgh Fringe Festival)
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El Blackwood
Director and Dramaturg
El Blackwood
Director and Dramaturg
El Blackwood is a theatre director and writer creating new work that brings political realities into intimate focus.
Her debut play, Tending – the first verbatim play about NHS nurses – won a SIT-UP award and was nominated for the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize. In 2025, Tending completed a critically acclaimed ACE-funded national tour, culminating in a three-week run at Riverside Studios. Tending is published by Salamander Street, and studied on King’s College London’s MA in Theatre, Performance & Critical Culture.
Following Tending, El was commissioned by The Groundswell Project to write Syrup, a series of monologues tracing a young man’s radicalisation into the far right; the work toured schools and is now being adapted into a short film. Her work has been featured on BBC Radio 4, Times Radio and STV.
El was trained on the John Burgess Playwriting Course and with the Orange Tree Theatre Young Company. She has also guest lectured on the possibilities of verbatim theatre to transform social attitudes, including at Flagler College (USA), Kings College London, and the University of Oxford.
Alongside directing Florence, El is working on her next verbatim play, Crossing, which is currently in development.
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Ellie Wintour
Set Designer
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Sarah Spencer
Sound Designer
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Ianthe Bathurst
Producer
Select a date
Displaying 8 performances for Florence
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Mon 16 Nov 2026
7pm
- £15
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Tue 17 Nov 2026
7pm
- £18
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Wed 18 Nov 2026
7pm
- £18
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Thu 19 Nov 2026
4pm
- £18
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Thu 19 Nov 2026
7pm
- £18
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Fri 20 Nov 2026
7pm
- £18
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Sat 21 Nov 2026
4pm
- £18
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Sat 21 Nov 2026
7pm
- £18
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