About

Dear Eliza is a brutal and exposing analysis of a friendship under the strain of mental ill health and the fear of being a burden. Raw and cynical, yet rich with playful allegories, this one-woman play is very much about confronting unexpressed emotions within relationships and saying out loud what you’d rather keep inside your head.

Originally just 30 minutes in length, Dear Eliza was self-produced by writer and performer Babara Diesel for the Greater Manchester Fringe Festival in 2023, where it was shortlisted for the Best Newcomer award. Following a period of development with director Helen Parry, the play was extended to a full 60 minutes in length. It then enjoyed a short tour of the UK in February 2024, before performing at Brighton, Buxton, and Manchester Fringe Festivals.

Barbara describes her creation of the play as multi-faceted, stating: I wanted to take autonomy over my career as a creative and the stories that I tell. I wanted to create something, despite the limitations of an early career artist, that still utilised conflict but wouldn’t have the audience feeling like they’d watched it 20 times before. On a deeper level, I wanted to exert my frustration at the way that arts and media depict mental illnesses: delicately, over-sanitised, fitting into neat boxes, or wildly inaccurate and villainous. This play is my homage to the reality of living with a mental health condition. It’s a deep dive into the ‘grey area’.

Dear Eliza was awarded BEST PLAY at the Greater Manchester Fringe Festival 2024, as well as being shortlisted for BEST NEWCOMER in 2023, and making the top 40 out of 800 for the Brighton Fringe Audience Choice Award, 2024. The play has received rave reviews, being labelled a “must watch” (Better Than Words, 5 stars), that is “captivating from start to finish” (A Youngish Perspective, 4.5 stars) and “unique and wonderful” (Adventures in Theatreland, 4 stars).

Trigger warnings include mentions of self-harming behaviour and suicide. Features strong language. Recommended 16+.

The Creative Team

Barbara Diesel - Actor and Writer

Barbara Diesel is an early-career creative based in Manchester. She has studied with The National Youth Theatre, LAMDA and The Actor’s Training Company, and has worked professionally as an actor on various projects, recently including her role as Eurydice in Illuminating Orpheus by Lights on Theatre for the Manchester Bicentenary Festival. Dear Eliza is her debut play; she is currently working on her second and third plays.

Barbara is currently self-represented. Her Spotlight is: https://app.spotlight.com/6290-0168-5997

Helen Parry - Director

Helen is an established theatre director and acting tutor, with a strong body of work behind her. Recent successes include The Day the World Came to Huddersfield by Stephen Hornby (winner of Best Drama and the QueerLit award for Best LGBTQ+ production) and On Me by Caroline Lamb (winner of the Off West End Award) in the Greater Manchester Fringe of 2022. Her production of Sacrament by Martin Thomasson was also nominated in the GMFF of 2023.

Behind the Scenes

Shay Rowan - Photographer

Shay is a Manchester based photographer, with a particular interest in photographing theatre and gigs.

Instagram: Shayster57

Facebook: Shay Rowan.

#shayrowanphotography

Matt Diesel - Website