The Flea

A riotous play about the Cleveland Street Scandal of 1889. Premiered at The Yard, London, in October 2023.

'We'll start with the flea, because that's as good a place as any...'July 1889, London. A flea bites a rat. A rat spooks a horse. A horse kicks a man. As the chain reaction continues, a boy and his mother find themselves swept up in a national scandal that will reshape both their lives – and the country. James Fritz's play The Flea is a retelling of the Cleveland Street Scandal that shook England – from the streets of Bermondsey to the halls of Buckingham Palace – and features a flea, a horse, a detective, a queen, a pimp, a god, and Charlie, the telegraph boy who knelt before the Crown. This anarchic and affecting play was first performed at The Yard Theatre, London, in October 2023, directed by Artistic Director Jay Miller. 'There are few playwrights working in Britain today whose work is as slick and unsettling as James Fritz's' Exeunt'Fritz's work pairs structural playfulness with emotional intelligence and inky wit... his plays are contained and compassionate, and frequently find reservoirs of humour in places you wouldn't expect' The Stage