Hoops and Hookups is a dark comedy play about the lives of contrasting cousins Chantal

and Georgia. Chantal is a 16 year old, naive, privileged bundle of energy. She has recently

moved from the rolling hills of Surrey to Croydon in South London and spends a lot of time

with her older, independent, working class cousin Georgia. Chantal is adjusting to the

London street life and seeks Georgia's help when preparing for her first proper date with a

girl. Although Georgia does get frustrated by Chantal's carelessness and reckless attitude, she also

finds herself wishing she could be as free spirited as her. She is encouraged by Chantal's openness 

to explore her own sexuality. As the story continues, Georgia gets even more frustrated trying to

teach Chantal that life isn't all fun and games, she needs to be aware of her own privilege and she can't just sell her cat on ebay. The pair soon find themselves in difficult situations involving lies, family dysfunctions, and discussions about possible psychological disorders. Things get heated and in the end they uncover a truth that could destroy their relationship.

 

Written by emerging theatre artists Steph McNeil and Helin Ekin, who also portray the characters of Chantal and Georgia. The play is based on the writer's actual friendship with each other. Steph felt that, like the character of Chantal, she has an energetic and slightly reckless side to her personality. Ekin felt that, like the character of Georgia, she is more straight forward thinking and often finds herself acting as a mother figure to Steph. This inspired the premise for the play, a young girl seeking guidance from an adult figure and coming to terms with the harsh realities of life. 

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 This is Steph and Ekin’s first time writing and performing at a fringe. Ekin is currently in her second year at Central School of Speech, as well as being a National Youth Theatre member and BRIT School graduate, she is skilled and experienced in theatre. Steph is a huge comedy fan, she finds she enjoys writing comedic and very sarcastic material. She has previously performed stand up at Vauxhall Comedy Club and Angel Comedy. The two decided to combine their skills and write a dark comedy. They wanted to produce their own work because, as emerging artists, they felt they wanted to create their own opportunities. After moving from rural Oxfordshire to London independently in 2020, Steph is determined to take every opportunity that she can to showcase her creative skills. After moving from Turkey five years ago, almost overnight, Ekin is keen to voice her own cultural and political experiences. 

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 They have previously performed 10 minutes of the show at a scratch night at Above The Stag Theatre in April. After receiving amounts of positive feedback from audience members, they decided to develop the play and take it to Camden Fringe.

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 'We didn't stop laughing all night, couldn't recommend this show enough' - Audience member