As morning breaks, a rooster crows.Inspired by real people.
Live at the Edinburgh Fringe
18 - 23 August 2025 @ 21:45
In a cosy Edinburgh flat, Jay – a British enthusiast – and Weronika – his pragmatic partner – navigate clashing priorities and personal needs.
Chickens unravels the quiet tension of a couple trying to love each other while speaking different emotional languages.
Jay wants Weronika to be happy – on his terms. She, in turn, clings to routines and cleanliness, desperate to control her world and feel safe.
Cast & Crew
Some people bring flowers,
Some bring…
Help bring Chickens to life
This is a self-funded project.
Every donation helps
💛
THE STORY BEHIND
the playwright
and the producer
Monika Klisch
In March 2021, I moved to Edinburgh.
That’s when I fell in love with theatre.After going through three bouts of COVID and experiencing massive burnout at work, I quit my IT job to recover. I started taking vocal and acting classes, and after being inspired by a friend, I began writing Chickens – a darkly funny relationship story set in a small Edinburgh flat.
Then life happened – illness, travel between countries, and personal loss, including the sudden death of my father.
I forgot about Chickens for three years.
Recently, a friend offered quiet encouragement and simply said:
“Let people see Chickens.”
I thought to myself:
"I've been unemployed for seven months. I still have some savings. Things can’t really get worse...
What if this turns out to be the adventure of a lifetime?"
So this year, I find myself not only a writer, but a first-time producer.
Chickens is part of the official Edinburgh Fringe programme – and I can’t wait to see it emerge on stage.
From Breakfast Table
to the Fringe Stage
Inspiration
In August 2021, I went on holiday to the Isle of Lewis with my friend. We stayed in an Airbnb run by a woman who had her own chickens and would wake up at 5 a.m. to bake fresh croissants and make us the most incredible breakfasts I’ve ever had. She was also an artist – a photographer, published poet – and a deeply inspiring person.
Every morning she’d serve us fresh poached eggs – with bright, rich yolks from her own hens.
A few months after we got back home, my friend, while eating breakfast, suddenly sighed and said,
“Blimey, those poached eggs at the last bed & breakfast... still the best I've ever had. Maybe we should just go back and steal her chickens.”
We laughed, of course. But something clicked in my mind.
That absurd little idea kept rolling around in my head until one day I sat down – and wrote Chickens.
Can good intentions justify unilateral choices?