He means:
I’m not fine. I just don’t know how to make that sentence safe for anyone else.
He sounds
fine.
He is not.
Oneordinary day, a man navigates calls about work, family, and friends while quietly falling apart. A new one-man musical about mental health, emotional silence, and the true cost of saying what everyone expects to hear.
Written and performed by Chris Duke. Directed by Lisa Duke.
1
Man
6
Nights
49
Seats
One man. One day.
One missed call.
Over a single ordinary day, a man navigates calls about work, money, parenting, friendship, and family. He is polite, functional, and reassuring. He sounds fine.
The audience witnesses the ground shift beneath him in real time. A collapse that barely looks like one. Honest, recognisable, and funny in places—because real life arrives in more than one emotional register.
It does not offer resolution. It offers recognition.
Written following an ADHD diagnosis at 39, which directly unlocked the ability to translate music from imagination to piano for the first time. Urgent in its purpose.
Every song is a call. Some are answered. Some are missed.
Calls sound ordinary on the surface, but leave something behind.
You hear what he says, and start to understand what he is hiding.
5.8%
£273
£4,427 still needed of £4,700
The words are small.
The meaning is not.
Short answers. No fuss. Hover over (or tap) each message to hear what is sitting beneath the surface.
On mobile, the context appears beneath each message.
He means:
It’s worse than I can explain, but if I say that out loud it becomes real.
He means:
I’m trying to talk myself out of needing help by comparing pain like it’s a league table.
He means:
I’m exhausted in a way sleep won’t fix, but tired is easier to say than frightened.
He means:
I can’t do this alone, but I have mistaken silence for strength for too long.
Show information
Dates
24–29 Aug 2026
6 nights only
Time
6:45pm
approx. 60 mins
Venue
Surgeons’ Hall
theSpace, Venue 53
Hear from the
creator.
Sometimes the best way to understand a show is to meet the person making it. This is Chris talking about 1 Missed Call, its origin, and why it had to be made.
Honest and personal. It doesn’t come from a comfortable distance. It comes from inside.
Introducing the show
“I’m Fine!” – Lyric Video
Every pound
has a job.
EdFringe is a critical launching pad. No investors or grants; this is a personal, mission-driven project built from the ground up.
Venue & Fringe Registration
£1,900
Accommodation & Travel
£1,200
Technical & Production
£750
Marketing & Print
£550
Contingency
£300
Total Target
£4,700
Current Progress
£273
raised of £4,700 target
Built on audience support. Making it possible for this show to exist.
Donate NowThree ways to help.
Different ways to answer the call. Every contribution helps carry the show to Edinburgh.
Pin a Note
Contribute £1, add your message to our wall, and help us reach 5,000 notes.
Leave a Note (£1)Donate
Support core Fringe costs, from venue fees and print to production.
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EnquireThe Wall.
We need 5,000 notes pinned to fund our EdFringe run. For just £1, you can add a digital note to our live wall.
Leave a message of hope, show support, or note on behalf of someone who matters.
Pin your note for £1Latest Notes
Live
“In memory of John. You are not alone.”
“For every man who said I’m fine and wasn’t.”
“Answering for my brother.”
“This needs to be seen.”
Chris and Lisa Duke.
A small team. A personal show. No distance between the material and the people making it.
Chris DukeWriter & Performer
Diagnosed with ADHD at 39, medication finally unlocked the ability to translate music from head to piano. That breakthrough directly created this show.
Lisa DukeDirector
Lisa returns to theatre to make work that matters, earns its place, and treats its audience as intelligent adults.
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Support the Show.
£273
£4,427 still needed, target £4,700
No investors or grants. Just a show that needs to exist, and people willing to help get it there.