LONDON THEATRE INTERVIEW 2025
HONOR KOE
ARE WE DOING THIS RIGHT?
The Hen & Chickens Theatre
TUES 20 MAY -
SAT 24 MAY
MAY, 9, 2025
Over many pints and dodgy dinners, two friends navigate the uncertain terrain of life in their twenties – where ambition meets reality and the truth of growing up hits harder than ever.
Tender, funny and sharply observed, Are We Doing This Right? is a celebration of connection in a world that rarely offers guidelines. It’s a love letter to the ones who keep us going and a reminder that sometimes the only thing we can truly get right is the willingness to embrace the journey together.
Hi Honor, thank you for taking the time to talk with The New Current, you all set for your run at Hen and Chickens Theatre this May?
Thank you so much, it’s a pleasure to speak with you. We’re getting there! It’s been a long, busy but very exciting road, and all the parts are starting to come together. We had a rehearsed reading last weekend, which gave us the chance to perform in front of a small audience of creatives. They gave some really very helpful and constructive feedback and since then, we’ve really kicked into fifth gear—making amendments to the script and working everything through in the rehearsal room. But yes, I’m feeling excited and confident!
What does it mean to you to bring Are We Doing This Right? to Hen and Chickens Theatre?
It feels very surreal to be honest. This is my debut play as a playwright and producer, so seeing it come to life (rather than just exist solely in my own head!) feels like such an honour already. On top of that, to be able to have our first run programmed at The Hen & Chickens really means the world. It is such a brilliant space and an icon in the local creative community, and James & Mark have been so supportive from the moment we first spoke about the play. I feel very lucky.
Do nerves set in ahead of a run or are you able to just enjoy the excitement before opening night?
Oh, nerves definitely kick in! As an actor the nerves obviously really build, but in most cases the adrenaline takes over the moment you walk on stage. However, I’ve never performed something I’ve written, so I definitely feel a hundred times more exposed. Luckily we are still a few weeks out, so I’m only feeling excitement right now, but I am sure my answer will be diNerent on opening night!
Hen and Chickens theatre has such great reputation for championing new theatre, how important are platforms like this for new works?
They are absolutely imperative for the industry to thrive and support the next generation of creatives. There are so many incredibly talented writers, actors and directors who are starting out without funding or support which I can assure you is a very daunting experience. Without places like The Hen & Chickens championing emerging writing and new theatre, people wouldn’t have the chance to showcase their work. They oNer a wealth of experience and genuine support and as many creatives know, rejection is part of the job, so to have a theatre welcome you with open arms gives people the confidence to try.
Can you tell me a little bit about how Are We Doing This Right? came about, what was the inspiration behind your new play?
When I moved to London, I was studying part-time at Identity School of Acting whilst working full-time, whilst trying to get an agent. Suddenly it felt like a light-bulb moment: why not write, produce and star in a one-woman play – as easy as that!
Obviously, realising how difficult it really is, I let go of the idea, graduated and fortunately got signed with my brilliant agent, Emma Graham at Independent. I hadn’t really thought about writing again until the actors/writers strikes in America put the industry on pause. Emma reassured me that everything would pick up again in 2025 but being August 2024, twinned with my lack of patience, I couldn’t wait! So, I just opened my laptop and started writing. What started as a log of every funny, silly, sad, entertaining anecdote I had, eventually formed into this play. A story of friendship, ambition and the reality of life in our twenties!
When creating a play like this how reflective have you been in your writing?
Very reflective and actually very therapeutic. I spent a lot of time thinking about my life and the lives of my friends and family. That allowed me to pour so much heart and soul into the writing. It is probably obvious to say, but writing about what you know and experiences you’ve had, gives you the perfect framework to build your narrative (I am sure seasoned writers are rolling their eyes at the obviousness of that statement) but yes, it was a very grounding.
From you own experiences, and through your writing, what are some of the most challenging things people in their 20s face that the wider social/political communities still don’t seem to understand?
It’s a great question and a tough one. There are enormous challenges people in their 20s are facing but from my perspective one of the biggest pressures we face is figuring out your path in an ever-changing landscape. We live in a world of opportunity for sure, but this can also be so intimidating, especially to a generation whose formative years of education and early adulthood were hugely affected by the pandemic. Mental health awareness has grown, which is brilliant, but it’s still so important to champion the arts as a form of creative release and empowerment. Unfortunately, there’s still a narrative of us being the “snowflake generation” however I view sensitivity as a superpower, and I don’t think you can have strength without it.
How important is the creative collaboration between you, your co-star Ned Campbell and your director Benedict Esdale?
It’s been the best part of the whole process; working with such talented people makes this entire process even more enjoyable and is such an honour. They’ve brought such a unique energy, passion and vision to the project. They both have great experience in theatre, and they have really helped shape and mould this play since we have started working together. Because it’s a comedy about being in our twenties, we all relate to the text in our own ways, and it’s just been a lot of fun to work with them. I am so grateful that they are a part of it!
When writing Are We Doing This Right? had you always planned to appear in the piece and did that impact how you wrote the characters?
Yes, I always wanted to be in the play and what better way to find a role than write one for yourself! Acting has always been my passion, and I don’t think I could have watched someone else play the role. That being said, it has been fifficult at times balancing the roles of writer/producer and actor. I have spent the last, however many, months getting the production side sorted and writing and tweaking the script, but now rehearsals have started I am really trying to focus on the acting and compartmentalising each role. Easier said than done but I have enjoyed the challenge!
Unlike film or tv theatre is a little more fluid when it comes to the text. Are you pretty flexibility with your material once the show is running or are you someone that prefers to stick to the text as written?
Absolutely, flexibility has improved the script hugely. Of course, there are lines you love and feel proud of, but there is such a difference between typing on a computer to reading/performing it out loud. This play’s narrative relies on quick, snappy dialogue and it’s so important it sounds real, so we’ve definitely had to make changes to help the flow and really enrich the characters.
What have been the most valuable lessons you have taken from making Are We Doing This Right? and how will these help you with future projects?
Ah it’s so hard to think of one specific lesson as the whole process has been such an incredible learning experience. Trusting my instincts has been a big one though. I am easily swayed by other people’s thoughts and opinions but through this process, I have really started to trust my gut and have confidence in my concepts and ideas. Also, another obvious one, but I’ve learned that hard work really does pay oN when you fully focus and commit and making you sure you pick the right partners and have the right support network around you - which I am very lucky to have done.
Do you have some routines or superstitious before you head out on stage?
No superstitions yet! I do find a routine very helpful though, getting up early, having a proper breakfast, a focused vocal and physical warm up and drinking plenty of water. I find breathwork really helps calm my nerves down too!
"...when I step into a theatre, or walk down Shaftesbury Avenue, my heart just sings!"
Where did your passion for theatre come from?
I can actually pinpoint this exact moment. I was probably six or seven and went to see the local production of Jack and the Beanstalk at the town hall. I just remember feeling this gravitational pull to be on stage. Although I didn’t really act at school (due to a very embarrassing play audition which traumatised me for years) whenever I went to theatre I just felt that same pull and its only grown stronger over the years. Now living in London, I feel so lucky to have access to so much amazing theatre. It’s just something that makes me so happy; when I step into a theatre, or walk down Shaftesbury Avenue, my heart just sings!
Is there any particular genre of theatre that you’re keen to explore in the future?
It might sound pretentious, but I’ve always loved Shakespeare. Studying his work as an actor is so eye-opening. You see his writing from such a new and alive perspective. I’d love to do a modern adaption– maybe a good old tragedy to really stretch the acting muscles!
Any tips, pointers, or advice that you’ve been given that has been really helpful as you started your journey in theatre?
Honestly, I still feel like I’m learning but my main advice would be to go to as much theatre as you can. Speak to people after, go to pub theatres, take acting classes, go to scratch nights - the list is endless! The theatre is such a welcoming community, and you’ll get such amazing advice and inspiration. Then just start – get out a pen and paper (this play was initially formatted as a draft email) and just write down anything – you’ll be amazed where that takes you!
And finally, what message would you like your audiences to leave with them from Are We Doing This Right?
I would be so delighted if people walk away from the play with a sense of hope. Hope for the future and hope in the realisation that we are all in this together. In my life and through in writing this play, I’ve realised how important it is to embrace the changes and chapters in our lives. However, daunting the new chapter might feel, it’s all part of the journey. You don’t need to get it right – you just need to keep going!