In the days running up to the opening night of EUTC’s Ulster American, I sat down with director Emily Sharp and actress Connie Bailie to discuss their motivations for putting on this particular play, and why it’s so pertinent to the uncomfortable political climate in 2026.
Rosie: What, in your opinion, is the play about?
Emily: Ulster American […] is kind of focused on how much we sacrifice in the pursuit of success. Obviously, it’s very topically relevant to a lot of modern issues — it has a lot of bits about cancel culture at the end, the Twitter [X] stuff. But it’s also about gender dynamics, and women in theatre. Primarily, I think it’s about how much you’re willing to hide about yourself in the pursuit of success.
Rosie: The play was first performed in 2018, shortly after Brexit and at the peak of the Me Too movement. What do you think it is about the political climate in 2026 that makes it important to put this play on now?
Emily: I think, honestly, not a lot has changed since it was first performed. If anything, the issues have just gotten worse. […] I think today we live in a time where your political views are very much worn on your shoulder. Everyone knows them — which I think is a good thing. But it means that especially in academic or artistic circles — like in Ulster American when they are trying to put on this play — they kind of weaponise it against each other. Like, “I’m more progressive than you, because I do this, this and this.” It’s quite reflective of how we can weaponise politics and ignore the bigger issue of, you know, actually helping the cause.
Rosie: Is there anything about this play that feels different from other productions you’ve appeared in or directed?
Connie: Yeah, I think it’s so different. It tries to be careful about what it says — but it makes the audience really uncomfortable, which I really like about it. And even [for] me — when I was trying to figure out how I was going to play it, it made me really uncomfortable. […] It really makes you think and you go, “Oh my word — whose side was I on there? What is my actual opinion on this? And why are my opinions about that different?” I like that it puts a mirror up to the audience as well.
Rosie: How do you plan to deal with audience expectations, for example if they have seen previous productions of Ulster American?
Emily: We kind of want to shatter them. […] I’m really excited to do a play where you never know what happens next, and every single line is — I don’t want to say wince-worthy — but […] like, “Oh, okay, I wasn’t expecting that.” I’m hoping that the audience will be open-minded and shocked.
Connie: I still think we have the shock factor on our side. […] It’s a really small cast and a high-paced script, and I think it’s an all-absorbing play as well.
Emily: We have no interval, either. […] It all takes place in real time, and it’s all just one location, so it’s really easy to get consumed by the play and just follow [the characters’] downward spirals.
Rosie: The play has famously made audiences go silent during some of its more controversial moments. Why do you think the play is so uncomfortable?
Emily: I think the uncomfortable nature stems from the awkwardness of it. Because all three of [the characters], they’re such big personalities and all unlikeable in their own way. Even Ruth — who’s like the hero of the story if you want to have one — says some terrible things. […] [You are] invited to attach yourself to the ugliness, and it’s very self-reflective of what you might be guilty of.
Connie: The three characters give you three really well-painted stereotypes as well. I can see each person in a conversation in the real world. That makes it so tangible — which I really enjoy about the play — and that makes it really personal and uncomfortable.
Rosie: What do you want to leave the audience with at the end of the show?
Emily: I think I want them to reflect on the space in — not just politics and social issues — but in theatre too, and how we interact with art. […] There’s a lot of ugliness in this play, [and] a lot of ugly characters. I think you should look inside yourself and ask, “Why am I disagreeing with this? Why am I agreeing with this, even,” — who knows? It’s a very reflective play.
Connie: I also think that [the play asks], “What would I expect in a social situation and what would I accept in a social situation?” How far would I let something go, before I reflected and was like, “Oh, I should say something — or this isn’t where I want to be.”
Photo by Emily Sharp (@emilyrosesharp on Instagram)