"There are some things a fish just can't do, like ride a bicycle. No matter how hard it tries, it will never be able to get its slippery little fins on the pedals." While everyone else her age is out exploring uncharted waters, this 19-year-old is contained in captivity. Tired of swimming around in circles, she initiates 'Operation: Free Willy - An Agoraphobic Orca's Guide To Escaping Your Tank'. From driving lessons to dating, she dives head-first into adulthood, soon realising that being in the wild isn't all it's cracked up to be. Fish Outta Water is a semi-autobiographical, solo, coming-of-age comedy, written and performed by emerging local playwright Jess Ashley, and directed by Colchester-based West End performer Joe Allen. Jess says: "Since a young age, I've felt different from my peers. In Year 9, my English teacher moved me to the front of the class so that I 'wouldn't get lost in the sea of big personalities'. Fish Outta Water is an insight into my atypical brain, shining a light on both the beauty of neurodiversity AND the urgent need for climate activism. In creating a play for 13–21-year-olds (a notoriously under-represented age group within mainstream theatre), I strive to nurture young peoples' connection to the Arts. This is the play I wish I had seen when I was growing up. I created Fish Outta Water to reassure other socially-awkward sardines like me, that they are not alone. Oh, and to prove to my old English teacher that I do, in fact, have a personality." Winner of the University of Reading's Tom Wilde Award 2024 Studio Event Please note that this performance takes place in our smaller Studio Theatre. If it's your first visit or you are unfamiliar with the Mercury building, you can find out more about our spaces here.