Hit Edinburgh Fringe show on the power of community visits South Street Arts Centre

After a critically acclaimed run at Edinburgh Festival Fringe, theatre maker Victoria Melody takes Trouble, Struggle, Bubble and Squeak to Reading's South Street Arts Centre this October.

Directed by political comedian and director Mark Thomas, Bubble and Squeak offers a bold, funny and heartfelt celebration of communities and the ordinary people who shape history.

What started with Victoria Melody joining a historical re-enactment group to navigate her divorce grew into an unexpected journey into the legacy of the 17th-century Diggers.

Once landless radicals who occupied common ground in the face of poverty and hunger, the Diggers’ spirit lives on today in the modern activists and community organisers Victoria encountered along the way.

Trouble, Struggle, Bubble and Squeak is about what happens when communities are let down by those in power and step up to fill the gaps themselves.

Relaying the stories of the modern-day Diggers who are still answering the call to arms 375 years later, Victoria steps from re-enactment into reality, where history is made.

It’s a story rooted in Whitehawk, Brighton, but it resonates far beyond.

Many towns and cities across the UK have their own pockets where working-class communities are facing the fallout of political decisions, yet still finding ways to organise, resist and thrive.

Victoria draws a line between past and present, shining a spotlight on the grassroots fight for food justice, green spaces and local resilience.

She said: “This show has been made with pure love and built with the community at every stage, from the knitted vegetables to the sounds collected in the show.

“People from Whitehawk have given their stories, feedback and challenged me all the way through.

“Through this production, I wanted to show the great work people here are doing to keep each other afloat.

“These are ordinary heroes doing extraordinary things.

“It’s a disgrace that food poverty and battles for land and space are everyday realities in this country – but they are.

“And without the people stepping up in places like Whitehawk, we would all be in a much worse state.”

Recognised for her unique, immersive approach to theatre-making, Victoria brings real communities to the stage with humour and heart.

Her shows blend documentary, comedy and social commentary, making complex issues accessible, funny and hopeful. 

Shortlisted for 2025’s Popcorn Award, Trouble, Struggle, Bubble and Squeak is built on collaboration with young people who have contributed to the sound design, while knitting groups helped craft elements of the set and props.

Members of the community also attended read-throughs and work-in-progress showings, providing feedback to the writing development throughout the process.

Trouble, Struggle, Bubble and Squeak visits Reading's South Street Arts Centre on October 9 and 10.

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