Close Enough
Tour Programme
About the Show
Close Enough is a comedy show about belonging that explores the stereotypes around immigrant women from Eastern Europe.
The piece is based on the real-life experiences of
performer and writer Cristina Varga, who moved to the UK 3 months before Brexit! With humour at its heart, Cristina shines a light on the dynamics between the two cultures that she is now part of: Romania and the UK.
With a delightful mix of comedy and live music, Close Enough tackles subjects and stereotypes across both
cultures, from navigating British politeness to the stigma of being an Eastern European immigrant woman.
Running Time: 60 mins
Trigger Warnings: flashing lights, loud music and strong language.
Age: 14+
This tour was made possible by funding from Arts Council England.
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Close Enough Tour Team
Cristina Varga - Writer / Performer
Tracey-Anne Cutbush - Creative Producer
Danni Watmore - Assistant Producer
Pete Buffery - Production Manager
Lucy Weeks - Technical Stage Manager
Mihail-Iulian Carabulea - Composer
With Special Thanks to
Arts Council England, Devon & Cornwall Refugee Support, Maliaka Kegode & Theatre Royal Plymouth, University of Plymouth, Boom Boom Media, Plymouth Culture, Luke Adams Lighting, Barbican Theatre, Henry McGrath & Eden's Cave Company, ShadowJack Media, Laura Cantliff, David Prescott, Jenny Davies and the Trustees of Everything but Theatre for all their support in making this tour possible.
The Close Enough Journey
Close Enough began in 2019 with the first notes of a song, a catchy chorus created by writer and performer Cristina Varga with a handful of coins. That year, Cristina had moved from Romania to the UK to study at Plymouth University and began exploring her own experiences of culture clashes, feelings of belonging. Cristina began to question, what makes a place feel like home?
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In December 2022, Close Enough was selected for the Lab Ideas Programme at Theatre Royal Plymouth where audiences raved about the comedy and musical style of the show. Theatre Royal Plymouth invited Cristina back to perform the full show in The Lab with a two-night sell out run.
Cristina then co-founded Everything but Theatre with co-director Danni Watmore. Together, the team showcased Close Enough at Plymouth Performance Weekender, Barnstaple Fringe and Camden Fringe across Summer 2024.
With support from Arts Council England, Close Enough is touring to 6 venues across Southwest England in Spring 2025. To widen Everything but Theatre's reach, they have partnered with Devon & Cornwall Refugee Support to work directly with migrant communities, offering introductory theatre workshops where together the group will explore the themes of Close Enough including culture clashes, feelings of home and a sense of belonging all wrapped up in a light comedic approach. Everything but Theatre's core values revolve around community connecting and evoking laughter, and Close Enough is a perfect example of these values.
Close Enough Reviews
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Seen the show?
Close Enough Reviews
"This is a delightful and sparkling debut from all involved"
Jo Fisher, Barnstaple Fringe
"Close Enough is as close to perfection as theatre experiences get"
William Telford, Plymouth Live
"Varga certainly knows how to tell an entertaining story or two"
Maryam Philpott, The Reviews Hub