Never Said I Was a Genius
Conceived and Directed by John Kurzynowski
Created and Produced by Not Quite Theatre co.
Presented 8 & 9 October 2026 at Central Film School as part of The Lambeth Fringe (London)
Is there such a thing as an artistic genius? Or is genius merely a myth that perpetuates privilege and enables monstrous acts to occur? And how does an artist’s biography shape that myth and reframe the work of an artistic genius?
Not Quite Theatre co. presents a new theatrical meditation that poses these questions and takes aim at the oft debated concept of the artistic genius. Our ensemble awkwardly unpacks the relationship between the genius and the monster; examining how the horrific acts of the artistic genius have been culturally justified by the systems that have elevated them, including the fandoms that place the artistic genius on increasingly inaccessible pedestals.
Join us as a gaggle of artistic geniuses compete to make the very play you're watching. A play somehow set both here and now in this very theatre AND in a glamorous but decaying villa on the Italian Riviera circa 1963.
Performers: Lauren Lucy Cook, Emily Foxton, Harry French, Haydn Watts, Ross Wayne, Kim Whatmore
Sound Design: Alex Ansdell & John Kurzynowski
Lighting Design: EJ Walker
Assistant Director: Ellie McCoy
Production Photos: Sigita Safronova (Photos 1-10) & © Kit McCarthy 2026 (Photos 11-20)
Never Said I Was a Genius received several R&D workshops with additional creative contributions made by the following artists: Valentin Burwell, Dean Elliott, Jack Gogarty, Harrison Hartley, Tom Neo, Libby Symons, Giulio Tamburrini
We are especially grateful to Pierre Palluet and Centre 151 for their support in the development of this project
“★★★★ ... Excellent. Funny, unsettling and quietly provocative, this production explores how artistic genius and monstrousness coexist, and is all the more compelling for breaking with theatrical convention. It’s cleverly crafted, with each sequence simultaneously following on and at times conflicting with the one before. The acting is extremely competent and nuanced, and for a play that is really not about a linear narrative the core messaging is loud and clear. There is something quietly assured about this piece as it leans into the quiet and the opaque, to the extent it feels semi-immersive. It could be self-aggrandising but it isn’t as it pokes fun both at itself and the industry.”
Everything Theatre
Not Quite Theatre co. presents a new theatrical meditation that poses these questions and takes aim at the oft debated concept of the artistic genius. Our ensemble awkwardly unpacks the relationship between the genius and the monster; examining how the horrific acts of the artistic genius have been culturally justified by the systems that have elevated them, including the fandoms that place the artistic genius on increasingly inaccessible pedestals.
Join us as a gaggle of artistic geniuses compete to make the very play you're watching. A play somehow set both here and now in this very theatre AND in a glamorous but decaying villa on the Italian Riviera circa 1963.
Performers: Lauren Lucy Cook, Emily Foxton, Harry French, Haydn Watts, Ross Wayne, Kim Whatmore
Sound Design: Alex Ansdell & John Kurzynowski
Lighting Design: EJ Walker
Assistant Director: Ellie McCoy
Production Photos: Sigita Safronova (Photos 1-10) & © Kit McCarthy 2026 (Photos 11-20)
Never Said I Was a Genius received several R&D workshops with additional creative contributions made by the following artists: Valentin Burwell, Dean Elliott, Jack Gogarty, Harrison Hartley, Tom Neo, Libby Symons, Giulio Tamburrini
We are especially grateful to Pierre Palluet and Centre 151 for their support in the development of this project
“★★★★ ... Excellent. Funny, unsettling and quietly provocative, this production explores how artistic genius and monstrousness coexist, and is all the more compelling for breaking with theatrical convention. It’s cleverly crafted, with each sequence simultaneously following on and at times conflicting with the one before. The acting is extremely competent and nuanced, and for a play that is really not about a linear narrative the core messaging is loud and clear. There is something quietly assured about this piece as it leans into the quiet and the opaque, to the extent it feels semi-immersive. It could be self-aggrandising but it isn’t as it pokes fun both at itself and the industry.”
Everything Theatre