Persistent and Nasty

Persistent and Nasty

Persistent and Nasty is a script-reading, debate and art as activism initiative for women and gender minorities in the stage and screen industries. We are committed to an intersectional approach and aim to use the space we’ve created to provide a platform for the spectrum of marginalised voices in our culture. Through a series of script readings, live debates and a regular podcast series, we aim to amplify the unrepresented voices in theatre and film. Our goal is to create a project that is safe and supportive, but that is also an act of protest. Persistent and Nasty is about changing the cultural narrative through the stories we tell.

  1. Epsiode 279: Edinburgh Festival Series - Dangerous Goods with Lisa Fa’alafi & Leah Shelton

    08/19/2025

    Epsiode 279: Edinburgh Festival Series - Dangerous Goods with Lisa Fa’alafi & Leah Shelton

    It’s the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2025 series Elaine chats with Lisa Fa’alafi & Leah Shelton about their new show Dangerous Goods. Dangerous Goods Assembly George Sq Gardens Now -24th August 20:05 TICKET LINK Dangerous Goods Dangerous Goods is an unapologetic and hot-as-hell cabaret of provocative performances, jaw-dropping physical feats and powerful acts of rebellion. Featuring a world-class line-up of circus, aerials, drag, burlesque and power vocals (including artists from the award-winning smash-hit Hot Brown Honey), performance renegades Polytoxic bring you an unforgettable evening of high-octane entertainment that is fully loaded and flammable AF. This is cabaret for the brave new world, ready to blow minds and shift paradigms. 'A tour de force of feminist cabaret (StageWhispers.com.au). 'Raunchy and hilarious... phenomenal!' (WeekendNotes.com). OUR WEBSITE - www.persistentandnasty.co.uk Persistent and Nasty join the CEC community to create a safe space & build a community for those who are marginalised in any way in the arts. Link for our Zoom meeting with Creative Entrepreneurs Club https://creativeentrepreneursclub.co.uk/ MAIL BAG – you can write and ask us industry related questions or general questions or maybe you have a hot take you want to chare, some tea you want to spill or a topic you want discussed on the podcast. To be included in the Mail Bag podcast email persistentandnansty@gmail.com with subject line MAIL BAG or slide into the DM’s. IPA GUIDES: HIPA GUIDES Equity Toolkit: Link Stellar Quines: Link Persistent Pal & Nasty Hero - Pals and Hero Membership Email – persistentandnasty@gmail.com Instagram - @persistentandnasty Twitter - @PersistentNasty Coffee Morning Eventbrite - Coffee Morning Tickets LINKTREE - LINKTR.EE Resources Samaritans - Rape Crisis Scotland - Rape Crisis UK ArtsMinds - BAPAM Freelancers Make Theatre Work Stonewall UK - Trevor Project - Mermaids UK Switchboard LGBT+ - GATE PLANNED PARENTHOOD DONATE - DONATE ABORTION SUPPORT NETWORK UK - ASN.COM- DONATE

    16 min
  2. Episode 278: Edinburgh Festival Series - Producer Emma Ruse

    08/19/2025

    Episode 278: Edinburgh Festival Series - Producer Emma Ruse

    It’s the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2025 series Elaine chats with Emma Ruse about the 4 shows she is producing at the festival this year. r/Conspiracy by Ella Hällgren 4:20pm, 30 Jul - 24 Aug Ruby @ Appleton Tower Gilded Balloon Jumper Bumps by Amelia Rodger 3:00pm, 30 Jul - 24 Aug -Ruby @ Appleton Tower Gilded Balloon Mary: A Gig Theatre Show by Rona Johnston 9:00pm, 14 Aug - 21 Aug Other Yin @ Patterhoose Gilded Balloon Homo(sapien) by Conor O'Dwyer 1:10pm, 30 Jul - 24 Aug The Snug @ Roxy Assembly Details and ticket links for all shows can be found via link below or on Emma’s website. Info and Ticket Link Emma Ruse Emma is a theatre producer and director based in Musselburgh, Scotland. As well as running Emma Ruse Productions, they are co-founder and Chief Executive of Framework Theatre Company, where they provide bespoke support to emerging artists across Scotland. Emma Ruse Productions aims to produce new theatre within Scotland and beyond, with a focus on accessibility, transparency and fair working conditions. There is a focus on stories that are told through a feminist or queer lens, and on work that supports underrepresented voices. Emma directs some of this work themself, and produces the work of others. E.R.P's work should be high-quality, well-made and creatively engaging. OUR WEBSITE - www.persistentandnasty.co.uk Persistent and Nasty join the CEC community to create a safe space & build a community for those who are marginalised in any way in the arts. Link for our Zoom meeting with Creative Entrepreneurs Club https://creativeentrepreneursclub.co.uk/ MAIL BAG – you can write and ask us industry related questions or general questions or maybe you have a hot take you want to chare, some tea you want to spill or a topic you want discussed on the podcast. To be included in the Mail Bag podcast email persistentandnansty@gmail.com with subject line MAIL BAG or slide into the DM’s. IPA GUIDES: HIPA GUIDES Equity Toolkit: Link Stellar Quines: Link Persistent Pal & Nasty Hero - Pals and Hero Membership Email – persistentandnasty@gmail.com Instagram - @persistentandnasty Twitter - @PersistentNasty Coffee Morning Eventbrite - Coffee Morning Tickets LINKTREE - LINKTR.EE Resources Samaritans - Rape Crisis Scotland - Rape Crisis UK ArtsMinds - BAPAM Freelancers Make Theatre Work Stonewall UK - Trevor Project - Mermaids UK Switchboard LGBT+ - GATE PLANNED PARENTHOOD DONATE - DONATE ABORTION SUPPORT NETWORK UK - ASN.COM- DONATE

    18 min
  3. Episode 277: Edinburgh Festival Series - The Strongest Girl in The World

    08/17/2025

    Episode 277: Edinburgh Festival Series - The Strongest Girl in The World

    It’s the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2025 series Elaine chats with Truly Siskind-Weiss about her new show The Strongest Girl in The World. The Strongest Girl in The World Gilded Balloon Patter House – Snug Now – 25th AUG Time: 14:20 A Journey of Flight Gather round the campfire for this funny and nostalgic play about love, loss and summer camp. Truly doesn't remember her dad. Not really. Instead, she's collected songs, objects and stories to build a picture of who he was. Join her as she embarks on a journey to discover her father and uncovers her childhood self along the way. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll yearn for the early 2000s. Come see this story of fear and bravery that examines how we remember those we've lost. TICKET LINK HERE OUR WEBSITE - www.persistentandnasty.co.uk Persistent and Nasty join the CEC community to create a safe space & build a community for those who are marginalised in any way in the arts. Link for our Zoom meeting with Creative Entrepreneurs Club https://creativeentrepreneursclub.co.uk/ MAIL BAG – you can write and ask us industry related questions or general questions or maybe you have a hot take you want to chare, some tea you want to spill or a topic you want discussed on the podcast. To be included in the Mail Bag podcast email persistentandnansty@gmail.com with subject line MAIL BAG or slide into the DM’s. IPA GUIDES: HIPA GUIDES Equity Toolkit: Link Stellar Quines: Link Persistent Pal & Nasty Hero - Pals and Hero Membership Email – persistentandnasty@gmail.com Instagram - @persistentandnasty Twitter - @PersistentNasty Coffee Morning Eventbrite - Coffee Morning Tickets LINKTREE - LINKTR.EE Resources Samaritans - Rape Crisis Scotland - Rape Crisis UK ArtsMinds - BAPAM Freelancers Make Theatre Work Stonewall UK - Trevor Project - Mermaids UK Switchboard LGBT+ - GATE PLANNED PARENTHOOD DONATE - DONATE ABORTION SUPPORT NETWORK UK - ASN.COM- DONATE

    21 min
  4. Episode 276: Edinburgh Festival Series - Kathryn Gordon: A Journey of Flight

    08/17/2025

    Episode 276: Edinburgh Festival Series - Kathryn Gordon: A Journey of Flight

    It’s the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2025 series Elaine chats with Kathryn Gordon, choreographer and performer about her new show A Journey of Flight. Kathryn Gordon: A Journey of Flight Assembly Dance Base Now – 17th AUG Time: 14:30 A Journey of Flight Kathryn Gordon, Shetland Choreographer and Performer Kathryn Gordon will bring the beautiful Dance Base a taste of the islands this Edinburgh Festival Fringe as she introduces her sublime new work A JOURNEY OF FLIGHT. An immersive fifty-minute dance performance created in Shetland and inspired by the migration of birds. The work includes Gordon’s signature element of engaging environmental awareness, inviting audiences to reflect on the delicate balance between nature, movement and our emotional ties to place. Featuring mesmerising choreography and live music from Jenny Sturgeon along side stunning projected visuals, A JOURNEY OF FLIGHT creates a thought-provoking journey of arrivals, departures, the nostalgia of place and the notion of flight itself. Set against a backdrop of flowing white sheets, dancers Kathryn Gordon and Jorja Follina move through ever changing spaces, exploring new states of being and new homes. This visually stunning piece is set to be one of the most striking and thought-provoking physical theatre performances of the Fringe. Kathryn Gordon TICKET LINK HERE SHETLAND DATE TICKETS HERE OUR WEBSITE - www.persistentandnasty.co.uk Persistent and Nasty join the CEC community to create a safe space & build a community for those who are marginalised in any way in the arts. Link for our Zoom meeting with Creative Entrepreneurs Club https://creativeentrepreneursclub.co.uk/ MAIL BAG – you can write and ask us industry related questions or general questions or maybe you have a hot take you want to chare, some tea you want to spill or a topic you want discussed on the podcast. To be included in the Mail Bag podcast email persistentandnansty@gmail.com with subject line MAIL BAG or slide into the DM’s. IPA GUIDES: HIPA GUIDES Equity Toolkit: Link Stellar Quines: Link Persistent Pal & Nasty Hero - Pals and Hero Membership Email – persistentandnasty@gmail.com Instagram - @persistentandnasty Twitter - @PersistentNasty Coffee Morning Eventbrite - Coffee Morning Tickets LINKTREE - LINKTR.EE Resources Samaritans - Rape Crisis Scotland - Rape Crisis UK ArtsMinds - BAPAM Freelancers Make Theatre Work Stonewall UK - Trevor Project - Mermaids UK Switchboard LGBT+ - GATE PLANNED PARENTHOOD DONATE - DONATE ABORTION SUPPORT NETWORK UK - ASN.COM- DONATE

    17 min
  5. Episode 275: Edinburgh Festival Series - No Apologies with Emma Frankand

    08/17/2025

    Episode 275: Edinburgh Festival Series - No Apologies with Emma Frankand

    It’s the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2025 series Elaine chats with theatre maker, writer and performer Emma Frankland about her new show No Apologies Was Kurt Cobain trans? Was Kurt Cobain a trans woman? What if? No Apologies Summerhall Now – 24th AUG (21st and 23rd with band @17:30) Time: 20:45 No Apologies Two-time Fringe First Award-winning and Total Theatre Award nominated writer and performer Emma Frankland brings her raucous and powerful new show No Apologies to Summerhall for its Edinburgh Fringe Festival debut. Directed by critically acclaimed performance artist and Total Theatre Award nominated theatre maker, Harry Clayton-Wright, No Apologies is a theatrical exploration into the possibility of what the world would look like if Kurt Cobain was trans. Delving deep into internet discourse and classical mythology, No Apologies radically mis-remembers Nirvana’s iconic 1993 MTV Unplugged concert. Straddling the knife edge of funny and gut-punching, this personal and multi-layered piece, fights back against the pressure to mould ourselves into images that are acceptable to society and the danger that lies when we are not able to live as our full, vibrant selves. While performed throughout most of the Fringe as a sixty minute solo show, two dates at the end of the festival on 21st and 23rd August will integrate a five-piece tribute band for two special live gig performances in Summerhall’s prestigious Dissection Room space. TICKET LINK HERE OUR WEBSITE - www.persistentandnasty.co.uk Persistent and Nasty join the CEC community to create a safe space & build a community for those who are marginalised in any way in the arts. Link for our Zoom meeting with Creative Entrepreneurs Club https://creativeentrepreneursclub.co.uk/ MAIL BAG – you can write and ask us industry related questions or general questions or maybe you have a hot take you want to chare, some tea you want to spill or a topic you want discussed on the podcast. To be included in the Mail Bag podcast email persistentandnansty@gmail.com with subject line MAIL BAG or slide into the DM’s. IPA GUIDES: HIPA GUIDES Equity Toolkit: Link Stellar Quines: Link Persistent Pal & Nasty Hero - Pals and Hero Membership Email – persistentandnasty@gmail.com Instagram - @persistentandnasty Twitter - @PersistentNasty Coffee Morning Eventbrite - Coffee Morning Tickets LINKTREE - LINKTR.EE Resources Samaritans - Rape Crisis Scotland - Rape Crisis UK ArtsMinds - BAPAM Freelancers Make Theatre Work Stonewall UK - Trevor Project - Mermaids UK Switchboard LGBT+ - GATE PLANNED PARENTHOOD DONATE - DONATE ABORTION SUPPORT NETWORK UK - ASN.COM- DONATE

    19 min
  6. Episode 273: Edinburgh Festival Series - Lunchbox with Lubna Kerr

    08/17/2025

    Episode 273: Edinburgh Festival Series - Lunchbox with Lubna Kerr

    It’s the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2025 series Elaine chats with theatre maker Lubna Kerr about her new show Lunchbox and her show from last year Chatterbox which is making a return to the festival this year. Lunchbox Pleasance Courtyard (The Green) Now - 24 AUG Time: 16;45 Lunchbox Set in a secondary school in Glasgow, this powerful solo show delves into the dynamic between two teenagers who live on the same street but experience the world very differently. Taking on all the roles including the juxtaposition of Steven, a troubled Scottish boy, and Lubna, a Pakistani girl – Kerr examines the impact of bullying through the eyes of these two young people as directly influenced by their environments and upbringing. On a quest to find her true passion, Kerr seeks refuge from the challenges of adolescence in her lunchtime drama club, whilst Steven seems destined for a life as a perpetrator. This compelling and timely piece confronts the age-old question of nature versus nurture, asking whether our paths are defined by where we come from or whether we can rewrite our own stories. For Lunchbox TICKET LINK HERE For Chatterbox TICKETS HERE OUR WEBSITE - www.persistentandnasty.co.uk Persistent and Nasty join the CEC community to create a safe space & build a community for those who are marginalised in any way in the arts. Link for our Zoom meeting with Creative Entrepreneurs Club https://creativeentrepreneursclub.co.uk/ MAIL BAG – you can write and ask us industry related questions or general questions or maybe you have a hot take you want to chare, some tea you want to spill or a topic you want discussed on the podcast. To be included in the Mail Bag podcast email persistentandnansty@gmail.com with subject line MAIL BAG or slide into the DM’s. IPA GUIDES: HIPA GUIDES Equity Toolkit: Link Stellar Quines: Link Persistent Pal & Nasty Hero - Pals and Hero Membership Email – persistentandnasty@gmail.com Instagram - @persistentandnasty Twitter - @PersistentNasty Coffee Morning Eventbrite - Coffee Morning Tickets LINKTREE - LINKTR.EE Resources Samaritans - Rape Crisis Scotland - Rape Crisis UK ArtsMinds - BAPAM Freelancers Make Theatre Work Stonewall UK - Trevor Project - Mermaids UK Switchboard LGBT+ - GATE PLANNED PARENTHOOD DONATE - DONATE ABORTION SUPPORT NETWORK UK - ASN.COM- DONATE

    19 min
  7. Episode 274: Edinburgh Festival Sereies - Alright Sunshine with Molly Geddes

    08/16/2025

    Episode 274: Edinburgh Festival Sereies - Alright Sunshine with Molly Geddes

    It’s the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2025 series Elaine chats with actor Molly Geddes about staring in Isla Cowan’s Alright Sunshine. Alright Sunshine Pleasance Dome (Jack Dome) Now - 24 AUG Time: 16:20 Alright Sunshine Alright Sunshine, is a razor-sharp monologue dissecting women’s safety and police prejudice set in the heart of Edinburgh’s Old Town. Written by Edinburgh-based playwright, Isla Cowan. Alright Sunshine is a unique female-led and female-focussed punchy, provocative thriller that explores how safe women are in public and private spaces, mob mentality and the ‘real’ Edinburgh that tourists don’t get to see. A one-hander set in The Meadows on a hot day in May, the play follows PC Nicky McCreadie responding to a mass brawl, where she comes face-to-face with a past she’d rather forget. As the audiences relive the events of the brawl and Nicky’s background, her mask of masculine bravado that she needs to survive starts to slip, and we get a glimpse into her own insecurities and secret motivations. Writer Isla Cowan said: “Alright Sunshine is about the rules and rhythms of a city and what happens when the sun comes out. It explores issues of gender and class, mob mentality, women’s safety, and the politics of public space. It’s a female-led and female-focused political play, with a distinctive Edinburgh spin” Both entertaining and acutely topical, Alright Sunshine draws on popular themes of power and revenge and uses comedic social commentary to highlight the important themes of misogyny and prejudice in the police. TICKET LINK HERE OUR WEBSITE - www.persistentandnasty.co.uk Persistent and Nasty join the CEC community to create a safe space & build a community for those who are marginalised in any way in the arts. Link for our Zoom meeting with Creative Entrepreneurs Club https://creativeentrepreneursclub.co.uk/ MAIL BAG – you can write and ask us industry related questions or general questions or maybe you have a hot take you want to chare, some tea you want to spill or a topic you want discussed on the podcast. To be included in the Mail Bag podcast email persistentandnansty@gmail.com with subject line MAIL BAG or slide into the DM’s. IPA GUIDES: HIPA GUIDES Equity Toolkit: Link Stellar Quines: Link Persistent Pal & Nasty Hero - Pals and Hero Membership Email – persistentandnasty@gmail.com Instagram - @persistentandnasty Twitter - @PersistentNasty Coffee Morning Eventbrite - Coffee Morning Tickets LINKTREE - LINKTR.EE Resources Samaritans - Rape Crisis Scotland - Rape Crisis UK ArtsMinds - BAPAM Freelancers Make Theatre Work Stonewall UK - Trevor Project - Mermaids UK Switchboard LGBT+ - GATE PLANNED PARENTHOOD DONATE - DONATE ABORTION SUPPORT NETWORK UK - ASN.COM- DONATE

    13 min
  8. Episode 272: Edinburgh Festival Series - Chunky Jewllery with Jude Williams

    08/15/2025

    Episode 272: Edinburgh Festival Series - Chunky Jewllery with Jude Williams

    It’s the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2025 series Elaine chats with the brilliant Jude Williams - actor, singer and theatre maker about her new show Chunky Jewellery Chunky Jewellery Assembly Rooms – Music Hall Now - 24 AUG Time: 13:30 Chunky Jewellery Two friends, one year, two births, a death, 18 bursts of laughter, 34,000 tears (each) and one piece of chunky jewellery. It was a year to forget but instead Natasha and Jude turned it into a show. This is a comedy that bites. An achingly joyous celebration of sisterhood, taking the audience on an emotional rollercoaster with open-hearted, brutal honesty. These uncompromising performers team up with Olivier Award-nominated Ben Duke of Lost Dog to create this unflinchingly honest, human and hilarious show. 'Genuinely moving and life affirming' TICKET LINK HERE OUR WEBSITE - www.persistentandnasty.co.uk Persistent and Nasty join the CEC community to create a safe space & build a community for those who are marginalised in any way in the arts. Link for our Zoom meeting with Creative Entrepreneurs Club https://creativeentrepreneursclub.co.uk/ MAIL BAG – you can write and ask us industry related questions or general questions or maybe you have a hot take you want to chare, some tea you want to spill or a topic you want discussed on the podcast. To be included in the Mail Bag podcast email persistentandnansty@gmail.com with subject line MAIL BAG or slide into the DM’s. IPA GUIDES: HIPA GUIDES Equity Toolkit: Link Stellar Quines: Link Persistent Pal & Nasty Hero - Pals and Hero Membership Email – persistentandnasty@gmail.com Instagram - @persistentandnasty Twitter - @PersistentNasty Coffee Morning Eventbrite - Coffee Morning Tickets LINKTREE - LINKTR.EE Resources Samaritans - Rape Crisis Scotland - Rape Crisis UK ArtsMinds - BAPAM Freelancers Make Theatre Work Stonewall UK - Trevor Project - Mermaids UK Switchboard LGBT+ - GATE PLANNED PARENTHOOD DONATE - DONATE ABORTION SUPPORT NETWORK UK - ASN.COM- DONATE

    20 min

Ratings & Reviews

3
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

Persistent and Nasty is a script-reading, debate and art as activism initiative for women and gender minorities in the stage and screen industries. We are committed to an intersectional approach and aim to use the space we’ve created to provide a platform for the spectrum of marginalised voices in our culture. Through a series of script readings, live debates and a regular podcast series, we aim to amplify the unrepresented voices in theatre and film. Our goal is to create a project that is safe and supportive, but that is also an act of protest. Persistent and Nasty is about changing the cultural narrative through the stories we tell.