Hayley Edwards sits on an accessible toilet seat wearing a white hospital gown and holding a toilet roll with their shoulder revealed flirtatiously. The background is a purple-lavender colour.
Hayley Edwards crouches on an accessible toilet seat wearing a white hospital gown and holding a toilet roll that's spreading over the floor. The background is a purple-lavender colour.
Hayley Edwards reaches out for a toilet roll on the floor with a desperate expression. They wear a white hospital gown, the background is a purple-lavender colour and there's an accessible toilet seat in the background.

Image Credit: Nick Mick Pics

Hayley Edwards sits on an accessible toilet seat wearing a white hospital gown and holding a toilet roll with their shoulder revealed flirtatiously. The background is a purple-lavender colour.
Hayley Edwards crouches on an accessible toilet seat wearing a white hospital gown and holding a toilet roll that's spreading over the floor. The background is a purple-lavender colour.
Hayley Edwards reaches out for a toilet roll on the floor with a desperate expression. They wear a white hospital gown, the background is a purple-lavender colour and there's an accessible toilet seat in the background.
  • Created and Performed by: Hayley Edwards

  • In Association With: Tiny Table Reads

Why is it easier to talk about bowel disease than mental illness?

'Shitbag’ is non-binary and chronically ill actor Hayley Edwards’ debut solo show.

Influenced by the Fringe tradition of autobiographical plays such as ‘Fleabag’, this work delves into Crohn’s Disease, colostomy bags, mania and casual sex.

We follow a young queer person into the world of disability diagnosis, queer sex, group sex, morality, mortality, blood, shit, laughter and tears. Darkly comedic and life-affirming, this play reveals the invisible reality of chronic mental and physical health conditions.

‘Shitbag’ was selected for a staged reading at KXT’s Storyteller’s Festival in 2023 and was short-listed for programming at Belvoir’s 25A.

Hayley is so excited to stage it for the very first time. Woooot! Hooray for Shitbag!

This project received Cash for Equity through the Fringe Fund, as part of the Ralph Mclean Microgrants program.

About Tiny Table Reads

Hayley Edwards (they/she) is an actor and artist living on unceded Wurundjeri Woi-Wurrung land.

They have a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the VCA, where they were awarded the Irene Mitchell Award for excellence in acting. They went on to become a Graduate Actor with the Red Stitch Actors Theatre, where they worked on ‘The Amateurs’ (dir. Susie Dee) and ‘Shhhh’ (dir. Emma Valente).

Hayley has also worked on developments, readings and performances with most independent theatres in Naarm, at KXT and Darlinghurst Theatre Company in Sydney - ‘Let The Right One In’ (dir. Alex Berlage).

With a background in professional opera and music theatre, Hayley has also led in multiple short films, had cameos in screen series ‘The Clearing’ and ‘The Gruen Transfer’, is an audiobook narrator and now works for the Starlight Children’s Foundation.

During the pandemic, Hayley started Tiny Table Reads, a small company that aimed to connect local emerging artists to develop and produce theatrical and filmic works.

‘Shitbag’ is their debut production and Hayley is thrilled to be joined by a multitude of wonderful collaborators and mentors.

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