Q&A: A look behind FLUSH with writer and performer April Hope Miller

We spoke with writer and performer April Hope Miller about her award-winning play FLUSH , which brings the messy, unvarnished reality of a London nightclub bathroom to the Arcola Theatre this May. Following a sell-out Edinburgh Fringe run, the comedy-drama tracks sixteen women navigating everything from the absurdity of a hen do to the immediate aftermath of an assault. Miller discusses the specific safety found in female-only spaces and why the bathroom is the only place where the masks of modern womanhood finally slip.

The play is described as an ode to sisterhood. What is it about the specific environment of a nightclub bathroom that allows for such deep, unfiltered connections between strangers?

In a bathroom, no matter who you are, where you come from, what you look like, everyone pisses and everyone shits. Period. Just by virtue of existing in that shared space, you are breaking down barriers between people. I think this combined with a certain level of inebriation means very little is off limits with people in a club bathroom; reserved British politeness becomes something of a distant memory. You are naturally more open and vulnerable because you are all doing somewhat vulnerable things that you, in any other circumstance, would be doing in private. Whether that’s going for a wee, doing your make up, or just taking a private moment for yourself, in a club bathroom these intimate moments become public to an extent and you are always in the company of those doing the same thing. You forge a circumstantial and situational connection with someone before you even know them and consequently it can feel oddly serendipitous. (I think the alcohol massively enhances the feeling of serendipity- but that doesn't take the magic away from the bathroom)

I also think a lot of the honesty you see in women’s bathrooms is to do with safety. Women are very used to not feeling fully safe, particularly on nights out. You have always got to have your wits about you, watch your drink, watch your mates or stand in between your friend and the letchy guy who won’t leave them alone. The bathroom is not just a space away from the chaos of the night out, it is a place of safety, surrounded by women, away from the dangers that could lurk beyond.

The play balances being funny with moments that are emotionally raw. As a writer who specializes in comedy, how do you approach finding the humour in those heavier, more vulnerable moments?

I think our entire existence is made up of a balance of humour and emotionally raw, difficult moments. I also think humour and a keen sense of it is absolutely essential to our survival as human beings navigating a completely incomprehensible and increasingly fraught existence. I think about the difficult moments in my life and my family’s life and how humour has always been a crucial coping mechanism for us. It allows us to digest trauma, gain perspective and to see a way out of things that feel dark and difficult.

It is incredibly important to me that my writing reflects this ethos and the universal human experience of tenderness and trauma and laughter and tears simultaneously, It is the exploration of this dichotomy that I believe is essential in achieving truth.

Artists cannot expect laughter or tears as a given; they have to be earnt. Often to earn them you have to shine a light on both side by side, because isn’t that exactly what makes us human.

With sixteen different women passing through the stalls, how important was it for you to capture a broad, diverse spectrum of experiences?

I really wanted this play to be for and speak to women and therefore meant capturing a broad and diverse spectrum of experiences was absolutely essential. There are so many versions of this play that could exist with a completely different set of characters and circumstances. What was always crucial for me was exploring a plethora of topics and issues which were representative of a wide range of experience. It needed to be truthful and dynamic and without judgement if it was to reach and connect to audiences in the way I wanted.

You’ve mentioned that London nights out inspired FLUSH . How does it feel to bring these characters home to the Arcola Theatre after such a successful run in Edinburgh?

The warmth, care and support of the Arcola has been so incredible and it feels unbelievably exciting to bring FLUSH there. The location, the vibe, the energy of Arcola- it is the perfect place for FLUSH and all 16 of the women. So much of the characters and the interactions dramatised in the play are based off my personal experiences, so bringing it back to the city that inspired it is a lot like coming home in a way.

You’ve said you want audiences to leave knowing they are not alone. If a guest leaves the Arcola having learned just one thing about the complexity of women, what do you hope that is?

Well I think trying to summarise the complexity of women in a single point will only ever do them a disservice. Words could never appropriately capture or quantify the complex brilliance of women. It is a complexity that is woven into the fabric of our existence, something in our shared experiences, that runs in our blood and inextricably brings us together.

As a result our complexity is boundless, surprising, unquantifiable and often incomprehensible to 50% of the population. Ultimately I want people to leave the Arcola and think f*** women are brilliant.

FLUSH is written by April Hope Miller and directed by Merle Wheldon. It runs at the Arcola Theatre from 6 May to 6 June 2026 , with Press Night scheduled for Friday 8 May at 7pm . The production lasts 80 minutes and is suitable for ages 16+ . For booking and further details, visit www.arcolatheatre.com or follow @flush_onstage .