Sugar Baby, performed by Holly-Rose Clegg and directed by Katie Haigh Mayet, played on the Edinburgh Fringe throughout August 2017 and transferred to the West End  for a short run in January 2018.

The one-woman play is a delicious romp into the dark heart of the food industry and was inspired by my novel Food Fight. A mother-daughter relationship is at the core of the story about sugars, addiction and a food giant gone rogue. In the novel the mother is the narrator, but in the play, the story is told by Mimi, a vegan activist.

This is what audience members said about Sugar Baby at the Tristan Bates Theatre in London:

“Interesting, intense and thoughtful way of humorously exploring a serious subject. Holly-Rose Clegg is an extraordinarily talented actor and I am smitten!” …
“Holly-Rose Clegg owned this piece! Sugar Baby is a tightly written, entertaining work, exploring/exposing key issues in the food industry and our naive trust of it, while keeping us engaged and laughing. Holly-Rose shifted between characters effortlessly and instantly.”…
“Great actor, switching between emotions/stages in life in a second and thoroughly entertaining show. Would definitely recommend seeing this as this actor can go far.”

We were also delighted with the the press reviews in Edinburgh. The review in The Scotsman praised the exceptional talent of actress Holly-Rose Clegg and described the show as a “smart little satire by a powerful all-female team.” And here’s the review by Broadway Baby, which said the “compelling plot” is “well acted with enthusiasm, energy and engagement.”

We were thrilled with the feedback from spectators who described the show as “riveting” and “brilliant”. Simon O’Hagan, from the Radio Times, tweeted: “Remember the name Holly Rose Clegg, compelling and astonishingly versatile in Anne Penketh’s dark comedy Sugar Baby.”

Holly-Rose, pictured below, played multiple roles in the show and was quite simply astounding.

Both Katie and Holly-Rose are based in Paris.  Holly-Rose trained in Commedia dell’arte before taking stage and TV roles in France – including in my favourite French crime drama Spiral (Engrenages) in Season 6. In 2024, she appeared in the Oscar-winning film Emilia Perez. Katie is an actress and voiceover artist who starred in the acclaimed musical comedy, La Sorcière Ephémère, which played at the Avignon festival and on tour round France. You may have also have heard her as the voice of Nespresso…

If you want to find out more about my Edinburgh experience, check out my Blog page.