SERENA TERRY TO PREMIERE HER FIRST EVER ONE WOMAN PLAY, FACTORY SETTINGS, AT THE EDINBURGH FRINGE
Following a meteoric rise from creating online comedy sketches during lockdown in 2020 to becoming one of Ireland’s most successful comedy exports, Serena Terry will premiere her first ever one woman play, Factory Settings, in an exclusive three-performance run at Monkey Barrel Comedy during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe from 12–14 August.
With more than four million followers across social media, two Sunday Times bestselling novels, sold-out standup tours and arena shows, and a reputation as one of the most exciting voices in contemporary comedy, Terry has spent the last five years building a devoted audience both online and on stage.
Praised by Aisling Bea as “utterly hilarious”, described by The Comedy Crowd as “a master of online and stage”, and hailed by Funny Women as being “up there with some of our biggest comedians”, Terry has become renowned for blending sharp observational comedy with unforgettable characters and brutally honest storytelling.
Now, during a short break from touring her critically acclaimed Therapy stand-up tour, which resumes across the UK this September, Terry is taking a bold creative step with Factory Settings, a brand new one woman play that combines comedy, storytelling and much-loved characters from her globally popular sketches.
In Factory Settings, Serena attempts a futuristic mental factory reset chip after suffering a debilitating nervous system crash. Unfortunately, her outdated Irish programming, chaotic inner voices and family “settings” refuse to uninstall.
Funny, heartfelt and painfully relatable, the show follows Serena as she tries to delete old coping mechanisms, inherited beliefs and self-sabotaging habits, only to discover that some of the glitches she’s desperate to remove may be the very things that made her who she is.
Blending humour, heart and a distinctly Irish perspective, Factory Settings is a story about growing up, breaking down and learning that not everything needs fixing.
“This is something I’ve always wanted to do,” says Terry. “The characters I’ve created online have connected with millions of people, but I’ve often felt constrained by the short form nature of social media. You have seconds to grab attention and minutes before people are scrolling again. Whilst writing books gives me the opportunity to explore stories in greater depth, theatre allows me to do something different again, to bring those characters and ideas to life in front of an audience, tell a story exactly as I see it and in a more immersive way.”
“I still adore standup and creating online content but this little passion project in the interim allows me to take audiences on a journey in a different way, to spend more time with characters, and to explore the moments between the laughs as well as the laughs themselves.”
“Factory Settings is the most ambitious thing I’ve written. It’s funny, chaotic and deeply personal, and I’m excited to premiere it at the Fringe before returning to the Therapy tour in September.”
With only three performances scheduled, Factory Settings offers Fringe audiences an exclusive first look at a major new work from one of comedy’s most exciting and distinctive voices.
FACTORY SETTINGS
Monkey Barrel Comedy, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
12–14 August
A one-woman play written and performed by Serena Terry.
