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Tiff Stevenson’s Post-Coital: A Bonkers, Existential Journey Through Midlife, Feminism and Sex

14 Jul 2025

James Macfarlane speaks to Tiff Stevenson about her new show and some fabulously ‘post-coital’ thoughts.

I wanted to talk about all the things you can muse on philosophically when sex is out of the way… like, am I a witch? What is an umarell?

Post-Coital is such an evocative title for your newest hour. Why did you choose that name and what kind of “post-coital thoughts” are we in for this Fringe?

Weird, existential and bonkers ones. I wanted to be able to talk about all the things you can muse on philosophically when sex is out of the way. Like am I a witch? What is an umarell? Is empowerment just for the middle classes? Must I see everyone I know doing amateur pole dancing? Will I make it on to the celebrity bunions 2025 list? Why are men so lonely? What is space feminism? What is a shuffle retreat? Why are we all entrained? Can I transfer my soul into a puppet and most importantly will my guardian angel show up when I’m naked?

Your show covers everything from space feminism to step-parenting and the perimenopause. Do you see these as connected themes or are you embracing the glorious chaos of what our brains do when the lights go out?

A bit of both. I’m definitely diving into my personal opinions but also a macro look at what it means in the wider world. Feminism has gotten a bit bonkers in the last few years and everything now is categorised under some kinda ‘girl boss’ ‘female power’ so I do want to unpack what that means and the messages younger generations are getting. Also the ‘have it all’ myth — you can have it all if you are incredibly wealthy, have access etc. I’m in the gooch of life which is to say midlife. Which means juggling parenting stuff with perimenopause and ageing parents. They are all connected themes in a way as they intersect with class, age and access.

You’ve said maybe the UN should only meet after everyone’s had sex. Fringe shows are full of big ideas, but this one might be the most radical solution to world peace we’ve heard. How did that line come about?

Ha! Sex is used simultaneously as a sell and as a distraction. See my poster, for example. I feel that once sex is out of the way it allows for clear-headedness a bit more. Sometimes our primal urges are too at the front. So we can be relaxed and de-escalate. We can also be a bit more existential and maybe focused?

This isn’t your first time at Monkey Barrel. What keeps bringing you back to that venue and how does it shape the kind of show you create?

I’m able to do the Fringe because of the model the Monkey Barrel runs. I don’t have to pay upfront fees, I don’t have a promoter, I just do it with them, hire some flyerers and away we go! They offer the best split financially and I love that people on lower incomes or students are still able to attend using the PWYW model. This enables me to be more creative in the work and keep adapting the show during the run. Also it’s a stand-up focused venue that’s there year-round. Everyone just knows what they are doing, very competent and is being paid properly. It makes a huge difference. At the Fringe it often feels like there are too many intermediaries and everyone makes money except the acts. That doesn’t feel right. There are lots of promoters and producers who are brilliant too. However, it is an economy of scale thing: unless you are consistently selling 400-odd tickets a night then hiring a big promoter who then does huge billboards isn’t going to work for you. Even then I have friends who have shifted 8,000 tickets over the course of the run (£14 quid a pop) and walked away with £1,000 in profit. So something is broken. I have also rented the same flat for the last three years slightly out of town and my landlords are big supporters who basically do mates rates. The Fringe should not become a rich performers’ playground.

You’ve made the Best Reviewed list at the Fringe five times already. Congratulations! Does that bring extra pressure when you’re writing a new hour or do you thrive on the challenge?

Thank you! I’m always trying to top last year’s show every year so there is that. Even though I’ve been on that list a bunch there are still certain outlets that have never once reviewed me – looking at you The Guardian. To be honest though I just want my audiences to love it. I have people who come back year after year and spend their hard-earned cash on the show and I want to live up to their expectations.

Fringe audiences are famously up for anything. What do you hope people leave Post-Coital thinking, feeling – or overthinking – once the show ends?

I want them to know how important it is to feel needed and seen. I’m talking a bit about the various stages of life and I’m dealing with ageing parents and you see your own mortality in that. So hopefully that. Also you’ll need to decide if you are an Umarell or witch?

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