Author: Eve Michell

Last month, I had the pleasure of attending a preview of a play called Shower Chair before Ben Fallaci and his producers took it to the Edinburgh Fringe. The play is an autobiographical performance that charts the protagonist’s coming of age in Cape Cod and the influence that substances and problematic friendships had on his journey. I was lucky enough to interview Ben about the play, his artistic process, and his sobriety. Read on to find out about Ben’s experience of being sober in London (hint: it’s not always easy), what it’s like to get naked on stage, and his…

Since joining The Sober Curator, I’ve become increasingly aware of the drinking-related cultural differences between the U.S. and the U.K. It’s not so much that drinkers over here are “worse” or that more British people suffer from alcohol use disorder and addiction. It’s more that the attitude and societal view of drinking are different. I don’t think it’d be unfair to say it’s pretty toxic over here. The U.S. seems to have a bit more awareness about the harmful impacts of drinking alcohol, or they are at least less guilty of normalizing harmful drinking, so there appears to be more…

Our UK Sober Curator, Eve Michell, was invited to watch a preview of Shower Chair. Written and performed by Ben Fallaci, the solo performance orbits around the eponymous shower chair set in the middle of the stage, a device the audience later learns is necessary as the narrator has a broken ankle. Here’s what Eve thought… Ben Fallaci’s one-man comedy show, Shower Chair, presents a bold, vulnerable, and frequently hilarious exploration of a life shaped by the unique milieu of Cape Cod – and the people who party there. This autobiographical performance bravely enacts the trials of growing up as…

Sarah Hepola’s “Blackout: Remembering The Things I Drank To Forget” is less like a stroll down memory lane and more like a bumpy ride through a colorful life punctuated with potholes (not plot holes, mind). Hepola shares a spectrum of stories in her award-winning memoir, some familiar to your everyday drinker—think college parties and boozy dinners. Some, though, might not be so familiar—think stealing beer as a pre-teen to drink alone or waking up in a Parisian hotel just hours before a flight and no passport. Blackout drinking is not reserved for the alcoholic. Plenty of us have experienced a…

As The Sober Curator’s UK correspondent, it’s a joy to share some influencers from across the pond to add to your regular dose of sobriety content. As a sober gal in her first year of abstinence, social media has been a massive lifeline for seeking inspiration and support and adjusting the balance of hedonistic vs. holistic posts in my feeds. Here are my five favorite influencers to add some British accents to your collection of sober friends in your pocket. Abi Feltham Powerlifting, TikTok vlogging badass Abi Feltham takes the top of this list for her raw, honest accounts of…

It’s hard to find a celebrity as misunderstood as Britney Spears. Plagued by paparazzi and invasive interviewers, the negative press surrounding Spears has created an echo chamber of speculation and negativity spanning her 30 years in the spotlight. So, when it was announced that her memoir would be published following the end of her 13-year conservatorship and censorship, Britney fans rejoiced everywhere. The Woman in Me, published in October 2023, is Britney’s testimony–a chance to set the record straight. After over a decade of an abusive conservatorship, censorship, and lack of access to her social media, through which she lost…

I started my writing career in the pandemic, when mid-week, zoom-based wine parties were the norm. Drinking was the only thing I did for fun. As a remote writer for a marketing agency, locked down in an unhappy relationship with my ex-partner and his two kids, I felt stuck in a domestic trap—a cycle of working at my desk, then clocking off with a glass of wine, rum, or anything I could get. Black out, wake up, repeat. Not every day, but enough days to feel like I was losing my grasp on my future and my sense of self.…