After its Brighton world premiere and Camden Fringe run, Saving Myself comes to Clapham for its final performance of 2026. Tim Stubbs Hughes’ 45-minute solo play, directed by Julia Stubbs and performed by Jessamy James, plays at The Bread & Roses Theatre as part of Lambeth Fringe on Wednesday 14 October.
Camden New Journal included the show in its pick of Camden Fringe, calling it “a heavy, important play” and praising James’ “agonising portrayal of suffering” and Stubbs’ “dynamic, layered performance”. The Reviews Hub described James’ work as “an outstanding performance, full of nuance and bitterness”.
One night with Lilly
Lilly is alone in her flat with books, old stories and an unlit candle. All her life, people have blamed her when things go wrong: a missing pet, a broken toy, an uneasy silence. After a violent assault, those stories threaten to become the way she sees herself. Over the course of one night, she searches for words that will let her reclaim her body and tell her own story.
Moving between realism, poetry, folklore and ritual, Saving Myself follows a woman confronting shame and the myths imposed on her. Its Lambeth appearance offers one final chance to see the production this year.
Response to the production
“A heavy, important play.” — Camden New Journal, in its pick of Camden Fringe 2026
“An outstanding performance, full of nuance and bitterness.” — The Reviews Hub on Jessamy James
“An honest, poetic, challenging and passionate tale sensitively told.” — @justsawthis.review, Brighton Fringe 2026
The company
Saving Myself is written by Tim Stubbs Hughes, directed by Julia Stubbs and performed by Jessamy James as Lilly. It is produced by 20 South Street in association with Grey Swan. The play premiered at Brighton Fringe in May 2026 before its Camden Fringe performances in August.
Listings information
Production Saving Myself by Tim Stubbs Hughes | Lambeth Fringe 2026
Date and time Wednesday 14 October 2026, 7.30pm | one performance only
Venue The Bread & Roses Theatre, 68 Clapham Manor Street, London SW4 6DZ
Running time 45 minutes
Booking https://lambethfringe.com/events/saving-myself
Content information Strong language; references to sexual violence, trauma, misogyny, social shaming and coercive control. Age guidance: 16+.
