Lambeth Fringe to Host “NEVER SAID I WAS A GENIUS” by Not Quite Theatre Co.

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Directed by John Kurzynowski, the ensemble work explores the relationship between genius and monstrosity at Central Film School.

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Not Quite Theatre co. will present NEVER SAID I WAS A GENIUS, a new theatrical work created and produced by the company and conceived and directed by John Kurzynowski, on Thursday 8th and Friday 9th October 2026 at Central Film School as part of The Lambeth Fringe.

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Is there such a thing as an artistic genius? Or is genius merely a myth that enables monstrous acts to occur? NQT co. presents a new theatrical meditation that examines how the horrific acts of the genius have been culturally justified by the systems that have elevated them, created by a gaggle of geniuses competing to make this very play.

Is there such a thing as an artistic genius? Or is genius merely a myth that perpetuates privilege and enables monstrous acts to occur? And how does an artist's biography shape that myth and reframe the work of an artistic genius?

Not Quite Theatre co. presents a new theatrical meditation that poses these questions and takes aim at the oft debated concept of the artistic genius. The ensemble awkwardly unpacks the relationship between the genius and the monster; examining how the horrific acts of the artistic genius have been culturally justified by the systems that have elevated them, including the fandoms that place the artistic genius on increasingly inaccessible pedestals.

The play follows a gaggle of artistic geniuses competing to make the very play the audience is watching. A play somehow set both here and now in this very theatre AND in a glamorous but decaying villa on the Italian Riviera circa 1963.

Tickets are now on sale at https://lambethfringe.com/events/never-said-i-was-a-genius

Dates: Thursday 8th & Friday 9th October 2026 at 8pm

Venue: Central Film School

Tickets: £12 / Concessions — £10

Running time: 70 minutes

Content Warnings: Suitable for ages 16 and above, contains strong language, commentary on outdated misogynistic views, loud sounds.

Not Quite Theatre co. is a London-based laboratory for experimental theatre & performance. The core company is comprised of a rotating ensemble of multidisciplinary artists working collectively on devised works of postdramatic theatre under the leadership of Artistic Director John Kurzynowski.

All new works favour process over product, with an emphasis placed on the potential for discovery and invention within experimental artistic practices that reject preconceived notions of commercial success. This emphasis may result in theatrical performances that are not quite theatre as it is, but rather representations of what theatre could be without the expectations of what it should be.

notquitetheatre.co.uk

Created & Produced by Not Quite Theatre co.

Conceived & Directed by John Kurzynowski

Sound Design: Alex Ansdell & John Kurzynowski

Lighting Design: EJ Walker

Assistant Director: Ellie McCoy

John Kurzynowski (Director & Sound Designer) is a formerly Brooklyn-based, currently London-based experimental theatre maker, director and facilitator. He served for nearly a decade as the Founding Artistic Director of Brooklyn-based nonprofit Theater Reconstruction Ensemble for which he conceived and directed critically acclaimed works of devised theatre and several scripted collaborations with playwright Jaclyn Backhaus , including You on the Moors Now and Set in the Living Room of a Small Town American Play. As a freelance director, performer and producer, he has collaborated with award-winning artists Joshua William Gelb , David Greenspan , David Herskovits , Kate Marvin , Tina Shepard , tjb and internationally renowned companies The Talking Band, Target Margin Theater and Tempting Failure, among others. His work has been developed and presented internationally at such venues as The Brick, Centre 151, The Chocolate Factory Theater, HERE Arts Center, The New Ohio Theatre and Soho Rep. He is the Artistic Director of Not Quite Theatre co., a London-based laboratory for experimental theatre and performance. He is also the UK Director of Partnerships & Creative Strategy for Theatrical Rights Worldwide . As an educator, he has taught at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, Italia Conti and Brunel University London. johnkurzynowski.com

Lauren Lucy Cook is a multidisciplinary performer and theatre maker, creating work centred around movement, music and clown. She is co-founder of The Makers Theatre, Associate Artists of Brunel University of London, and is currently enrolled on Babel Theatre's 2026 Creation Space development programme. She was formerly Production Assistant on NewsRevue (Canal Cafe Theatre) and is now the Theatre Administrator at The Bread & Roses Theatre. She most recently performed in This Technicolor Play (Not Quite Theatre Co.) and Mole Man The Musical (The Makers Theatre).

Emily Foxton is an actor, theatre maker and voice coach from Norfolk. She trained at Italia Conti. Credits as a performer include Lady Bracknell in The Importance of Being Earnest (The New Rep), Lisa in Dead Funny (Maddermarket Theatre) and a devising company member in This Technicolor Play (Not Quite Theatre co.). Credits as a director include If this isn't Eden then where the Hell am I? (White Bear Theatre) and Bluebird (Royal Holloway).

Harry French trained at Italia Conti. Since graduating in 2024, he has most notably starred as a series regular in Hollyoaks and its spin-off Hollyoaks Later. Further film credits include roles in the upcoming feature film Car Park and the multi-award-winning short Full Tank. On stage, Harry has portrayed the roles of Torvald Helmer in The New Rep's production of A Doll's House, and The Butler in The Importance of Being Earnest.

Haydn Watts is an actor from Essex based in London. Previous roles include: Michael Darcy in Last Goal Wins at The Union Theatre and Theatre Peckham (2023 to 2026), Tim in Phalanx at The Lion and Unicorn (2024), Starveling in A Mid Summer Nights Dream at The Golden Goose (2025). He has also appeared in the short film Contact Hours (2024), the short film The Other Hand (2025), The Space Race with Amazon Audible (2019), and The Truth About Phyllis Twigg on BBC Radio 4 (2025). For Proforca Theatre Company, previous work has included Hungry by Alison Viña for the Side Hustle Scratch at the Lion & Unicorn Theatre, as well as recently touring as Andy in Flashbang.

Ross Wayne is an actor based in London hailing from the West Midlands. Recent roles include: Father Pascal in Skyhook Interactive at Substation (2026), Edmund Tyrone in Long Day's Journey Into Night at The Golden Goose Theatre (2025), Dr Chasuble in The Importance Of Being Earnest at The Golden Goose Theatre (2025).

Kim Whatmore is an actor, theatre maker and facilitator raised in Scotland. He has performed as a member of the world renowned theatre company Teatr ZAR, the resident company of the Grotowski Institute. He is a founder and creative with A Beautiful House, who are currently developing their inaugural production. Previous performance credits include Foxtrot Darling in The Fastest Clock In The Universe, Lysander in A Midsummer Night's Dream, Algernon in The Importance Of Being Earnest and Dr Rank in A Dolls House.

Photo Credit: Emily Foxton

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_Originally reported by [BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/uk-regional/article/NEVER-SAID-I-WAS-A-GENIUS-to-Open-at-Lambeth-Fringe-20260917)._