top of page
Developed As Part of Labs_Soho Theatre Labs White (1).png

WRITTEN BY Sam Ipema          DIRECTED BY James Meteyard

WINNER.png

I Hate You.

Dear Annie,

Popcorn Award 2024 Laurel_Shortlisted_black (1) (1).png
Untitled-2.jpg
Untitled-1.jpg
Untitled-3.jpg

Bouquets & Brickbats

“More than anything, I'm impressed by Ipema's courage, the way that she has met the daunting experience of an aneurism full on, turning it into one of the most thought-provoking shows I have seen.”

The Lancet

Sinners

“This is best show I've seen at Fringe

in years.”

“If we could give it more than 5

stars, we absolutely would.

The Stage

Dear Annie showcases not only the tenacity of the human spirit, but non-linear ways that writers and performers are able to explore difficult subjects. Ipema's story is specific, ...but universal.

The Scotsman

The List

Theatre and Arts

Binge Fringe

EdFest Mag

Click Here For Our Sweet Audience Reviews!

British Theatre Guide

"Slick, dynamic, poignant, and funny."

The Story
(Briefly)

Dying is scary. Missing Spring Break is scarier.

At 20 years old, Sam was thriving: Her life was full of friends, fun, and most of all- possibilities. She could be anything she wanted to be. Until a fateful day that a hit in the head and diagnosis changed her life forever: the discovery of an aneurysm ticking inside her head. Suddenly, Sam's life spun from full of possibilities into a spiral of life-and-death decision-making that left her gasping for air. Trying her hardest to stay afloat above the water and live the life that was supposed to be guaranteed to her, Sam is now telling the tale and what she's learned nearly a decade later.

The Team

Writer & Creator  Samantha Ipema

Director  James Meteyard

Performers  Eleanor House ('Annie') & Samantha Ipema ('Sam')

Stage & Production Management  Beatrice Galloway

Sound Design  Dan Balfour

Set & Lighting Design  Hugo Dodsworth

Video Design  Douglas Coghlan

Movement Director  Jade Hackett

Fight & Intimacy Director  Robin Hellier

Lead Producer  Sarah Chamberlain

Socials & Development Keegan Carr

Production Electrician  Marie Colahan

Master Prop Maker  Paul Robbens

Scenic Construction  Dogfish Studio

PR  Mobius Theatre

Created and Produced by Wild Geese Productions

A BIG THANK YOU TO: Jess Hinds, Lisa Bellomo, & Lee Griffiths for their mentorship; Annabelle Mastin-Lee, Richard Fitzmaurice and Leila Lockley at Mobius PR; All the team at Soho Theatre; Sarah Goddard and everyone at BOLD Theatre; the Eric Liddell Community Centre; and all the wonderful box office, programming, marketing and technical crew at ZOO Venues. Without you, none of this would have been possible. The Dear Annie, I Hate You Cast & Creative

DearAnnieIHateYou_Zoo_(c)Alex Brenner__93_9232_dx_s.jpg
DearAnnieIHateYou_Zoo_(c)Alex Brenner__93_1176_dx_s.jpg

Want to know more or get involved in it's next life?

Reviews from the TV script:

"Anyone who has experienced a monumental life-altering event knows this story."

 - Screencraft

"We've had a few pieces tackle similar themes of mental illness, hallucinations, "imaginary friends" and the like with a dramatic angle but this show manages to make it feel fresh and personal, engaging audience empathy in visceral ways. I'm very excited to watch where this goes.”

                                                                     - Big Break Contest, Semi-Finalist

"I feel it's a safe bet that more than a few of us have found ourselves in this situation: sitting on the concrete, trying to gather the threads of our day after everything's been blown apart."

                                                                               - Shore Script, TV Contest

“The humour never attempts to shy away from or diminish the pain of Sam's ordeal; it's just a natural flow entangled in every absurd moment because sometimes (in fact, often) pain and illness have an inherently absurd quality to it…”

                                                                               - Diverse Voices

"Fleabag, with health issues."

                                                                                                       - Stage 32

1_edited_edited.png
2_edited_edited.png
3_edited.png
bottom of page