Dear Eliza is a one-woman play investigating the deterioration of a friendship under the strain of mental illness. In a media culture that either villainises or victimises the mentally ill, Dear Eliza navigates the grey area with guts and defiance. Playful, bold, cynical, and admirably candid, this play is very much about confronting unexpressed emotions within relationships and saying out loud what you’d rather keep in your head. It weaponises a ‘been there, done that’ attitude to masterfully balance heartbreak with humour, creating a truly honest tribute to the reality of life as a mentally ill person.

Written and performed by Barbara Diesel, and directed by Helen Parry, Dear Eliza comes to the Brighton Fringe Festival following a successful short tour of the UK. Shortlisted for the Best Newcomer award at the Greater Manchester Fringe Festival in 2023, this show promises to make you laugh, then cry, and then laugh again.

The production is proud to also be raising money for the mental health charity, Mind.