Running With Scissors

Ronnie Conboy brings his solo show Running With Scissors to the Alma Tavern Theatre on Saturday 31 October, with a second performance on Sunday 1 November. It's a one-man show that looks at the world of women surgeons, told through a mix of storytelling, dark humour and historical true stories. The title itself points to the kind of territory he's working with — the sharp, the surgical, and the slightly precarious.

Conboy is the sole performer on stage, so the whole thing rests on his storytelling. He's pulling from historical accounts of women who fought their way into surgery, a field that for a long time was closed to them. The 'dark humour' part of the description suggests he's not just recounting a dry history; he's leaning into the irony and the absurdity of the struggle, and probably the gruesome side of the work itself. It's the kind of show that works best when you're sitting close enough to feel the storyteller in the room, which is exactly how the Alma Tavern is set up.

If you're into theatre that's more about the voice and the story than a big set, this is right up that alley. It's a solo piece, so it's just Conboy and the stories he's gathered, rather than a full cast or a heavy production. The focus stays on the women surgeons and the true accounts he's bringing to the stage.

It runs over two days: the first show is Saturday 31 October at 3:00 PM, and the second is Sunday 1 November at 5:30 PM. Both are at the Alma Tavern Theatre in Bristol, BS8 2HY. If you're deciding between the two, the Saturday is a mid-afternoon slot and the Sunday is a bit later in the day, so you can pick whichever fits your weekend better.