Hidden Biscuit
- Main Information
Created by Richie Bow-Grace
Co-written & Directed by Ali Pritchard
Performed by Paula Penman, Wilf Stone
Dramaturgy by Tamsin Rees
Featuring live music
“Imagine compressing your whole self into a ‘freak drawer’ for 40 years — labelled ‘too much’ and ‘not enough’ at the same time. Decades spent hiding, shrinking, surviving. Abuse, adoption, misunderstanding… shaped by silence and rejection. This is the moment I stop hiding. I’m ready to share what that really felt like — and show who I truly am.”
Hidden Biscuit is a bold, unflinching, and ultimately uplifting new play about truth, resilience, and the power of perspective. Inspired by a true story, it follows one neurodivergent individual’s journey through trauma, misunderstanding, and isolation — and how, against the odds, he emerges triumphant.
This is not just a story.
It’s a challenge.
To see the world a little differently.
To rethink snap judgements.
To choose compassion over assumption.
With humour, heart, and a healthy dose of chaos, Hidden Biscuit explores the extremes of everyday life — from the absurd to the heartbreaking — all through the lens of someone who’s spent decades feeling like they didn’t belong. It’s about identity, the long road to self-acceptance, and how the world has grown up around him — and how he’s grown with it.
Launching in time for World Autism Awareness Day, Hidden Biscuit is a vivid, emotionally charged journey through misunderstanding, resilience, and radical honesty. It swings between heartbreak and humour, tenderness and fury — a full-spectrum experience that invites audiences to feel, reflect, and rethink.
This production reimagines theatre through sound — creating an immersive, emotionally resonant experience accessible to diverse audiences. The script is entirely audio-based, centring sound as the primary storytelling tool, while we explore other sensory experiences.
Everyone experiences the world differently — and for many neurodivergent people, audio stimulation is especially powerful. Hidden Biscuit is built by a majority neurospicy creative team, determined to make work that’s inclusive, inventive, and deeply felt.
Hidden Biscuit is a story for anyone who’s ever felt like an outsider — and for everyone ready to listen. Are you ready to take the biscuit? Or just nibble on the crumbs?
Created by a majority neurodivergent team, including award-winning writer/director Ali Pritchard, whose previous work has been described as…
“A testament to the power of storytelling… heartfelt, important… something wonderful.”
“Big-hearted show laced with humour and charm.”
“Provokes thoughts about social media, generational divides and the nature of memory, reality and experience.”
In 2022, Richie Bow-Grace was recognised as a Platinum Champion for their outstanding contribution as a volunteer during Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
Content Warning: Contains some themes and language that some audiences may find upsetting and distressing.
This project has been generously funded by Arts Council England.