the subplot: a hyperfixation on the titan submersible
solo show | part multimedia presentation/standup, part immersive sub descent, part theatre
a funny deep dive into neurodivergence, obsession, and mortality. and the OceanGate Titan submersible.
for bookings/media/enquiries: contact us
CREDITS:
Written, performed, and created by Sophie Smyth
Direction and dramaturgy by Casey Gould
Photography by Nick Robertson
Produced by Sophie Smyth and Quiet RIOT
REVIEWS:
★★★★★ ‘Genuinely brilliant, funny, strange and wonderfully immersive’ The Nerd Party (August, 2026)
★★★★★ ‘Blindingly impressive and human’ Toothpaste on Toast (August, 2026)
★★★★★ British Theatre Guide (August, 2026)
★★★★★ BOOM Radio (August, 2026)
★★★★ ‘Captivating’ Entertainment Now (August, 2026)
★★★★ ‘Genuinely intelligent and original’ Theatre Weekly (August, 2026)
★★★★ Neurodiverse Review (August, 2026)
★★★★ ‘[Smyth is] a master storyteller’ Broadway World (August, 2026)
★★★★ ‘An extraordinary piece of theatre’ The Reviews Hub (August, 2026)
[OUTSTANDING SHOW] ‘An extraordinary piece of theatre’ Fringe Review (August, 2026)
[RECOMMENDED] ‘Fascinating - and surprisingly heartfelt’ British Comedy Guide (August, 2026)
★★★★1/2 ‘An extraordinary piece of storytelling’ A Thousand Words (March, 2026)
★★★★ Glam Adelaide (March, 2026)
Theatre Travels (September, 2025)
Ryan Hamilton(ish) (September, 2025)
AWARDS:
Best Multimedia – The Nerd Party
PRESS:
Si Hawkins' Edinburgh Fringe Diary 2026 (August, 2026)
Interview (audio) – Persistent and Nasty (August, 2026)
Edinburgh Fringe 2026 Team's Non-Mobius Highlights (August, 2026)
Bricks Magazine: The must-see shows at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival (August, 2026)
Three Weeks Edinburgh: Three neurodiversity-led shows (August, 2026)
Isobel Lewis: What To See At The Edinburgh Fringe 2026 (Director's Cut) (August 2026)
I like networking: Guide to the Edinburgh Fringe (August, 2026)
Natasha Tripney: Coming around again: 15 shows to see at the Edinburgh Fringe (August, 2026)
Interview - Lou Review (August, 2026)
Interview – Phoenix Remix (July, 2026)
Interview – A Youngish Perspective (July, 2026)
HISTORY:
EDINBURGH FESTIVAL FRINGE (AUG 06-31, 2026) - Summerhall
ADELAIDE FRINGE (2026) - The Courtyard of Curiosities
Development:
MELBOURNE FRINGE (2025) - Festival Hub: Trades Hall, including:
MELBOURNE FRINGE AWARD - BEST THEATRE (NOMINEE)
MELBOURNE FRINGE JUDGE’S PICK X2
THANKS ALSO TO:
for Adelaide: Britt and Nick @ The Courtyard; KAK on tech; Will Spartalis and all CoC venue staff and vollies; Tyler Fitzpatrick and Lily Hayman for additional technical/production support; Uncle John for the drilling; Tobias Manderson-Galvin for everything else.
for Melbourne Fringe: Victorian Trades Hall; Rohan Dimsey for smooth-sailing tech;Robert Brown for lighting assistance; Nick Robertson for photography; Lucinda Goodwin for stills photography; Sean Gorman for videography; Bea Bellingham for custom ‘Titan’ hairclip; early readers/note-givers: Darby James, Emily Roberts, Olivia Horner, Kelsey Richards, Loclan Mackenzie-Spencer, Robert Brown.
<take me back