It's Olivia's birthday, and a group of friends have gathered for a celebration in the forest.
Among them is Dexter, a man whose increasingly difficult circumstances have complicated his relationships with people who once depended on him.
After an uncomfortable encounter leaves Dexter feeling unwelcome, he leaves the celebration and publishes an emotionally unsettled birthday message.
As the night ends, five pairs of guests make their way through the forest. Their conversations reveal conflicting perspectives on Dexter, exposing tensions within their own relationships.
Five interconnected single-scene shorts explore friendship, loyalty, love, responsibility and the contradictions of human behaviour.
Five conversations. One night. No single version of the truth.
Generous, sociable and emotionally invested in her relationships. Olivia enjoys bringing people together and believes people should not be excluded simply because they're experiencing difficulties. However, she sometimes underestimates how complicated those relationships have become.
On her birthday, she finds herself questioning the actions of somebody she trusts.
Scene Partner: Nathan
Direct, loyal and confident in expressing his opinions. Nathan values honesty and believes people should be able to acknowledge uncomfortable situations rather than pretend everything is fine.
However, he doesn't always consider how the timing and delivery of his words can affect others. His actions at Olivia's birthday place his loyalty and judgement under scrutiny.
Scene Partner: Olivia
Following the sold-out debut of Carni Crush, StageLift returns with a prequel exploring the relationships and decisions that came before the events of the original production.
Months before Naomi and Armani's encounter at Notting Hill Carnival, a winter gathering brings five young people together.
Naomi and Denzel have been getting to know each other, but their expectations of a relationship may not be as aligned as they believe.
Armani arrives with his friend Kobi, unaware of how much an awkward encounter with Naomi in the past could complicate the evening. But Armani isn't quite the same person Naomi remembers.
Meanwhile, Amara and Kobi find themselves navigating an unexpected connection, while Denzel's interactions with others begin to challenge assumptions about where his interest lies.
As the evening unfolds, attraction, loyalty, friendship and uncertainty collide. Nobody has the full picture, and everybody has their own understanding of what is happening.
Five people. One evening. Relationships that haven't yet become what they will eventually be.
Carla is confident, socially comfortable and open to meeting new people.
She enters the evening without the complicated history shared by the others. Her interaction with Denzel develops naturally, revealing a genuine connection neither has necessarily anticipated.
Carla isn't interested in creating competition or interfering in somebody else's relationship. She simply responds to the person in front of her.
Her presence introduces an uncomfortable possibility for Naomi: perhaps the connection she believed was developing with Denzel isn't as established or exclusive as she assumed.
Role: Supporting character
Production: Carni Crush 0
Venue: Etcetera Theatre, Camden
Performance date: Sunday 13 December 2026
Applications are open to performers capable of delivering truthful, responsive performances grounded in human behaviour.
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