University life is chaos. It’s messy, it’s emotional, and it’s full of fire alarms and the smell of burnt toast. Halls: a production inspired by life at university, written and co-directed by Rosie Parsons, was performed at Kay House from Friday 13th March to Sunday 15th March 2026.
Halls
Rosie Parsons, now a second-year English and Drama student, pitched the idea of Halls to me in December 2024. Over coffee, she expressed her interest in writing another play, having already written and directed The Cake in 2021 and The Destination in 2023. These incredible productions explored the life of a close-knit family, their relationships, and were packed full of energy and wit, through which Rosie developed her passion and talent in writing for the stage.
Now, and since being a student at Exeter, Rosie has been driven to write for an audience, not just for her own enjoyment, although this contributed greatly to the passion she has for her work, as anyone can see from Halls. The production is thoughtful but comedic, examining themes and ideas of university, childhood, and growing up, in a way that is both entertaining and heartwarming to any audience. Rosie wanted to make her latest work relatable to students, but also a wider group – people of all ages understand the pressures of growing up, and Rosie wanted to lead with this idea, and so came the first draft of Halls, brought to the stage through Theatre With Teeth.
From Flat to Stage
Following a group of first-years, this comedic production engages with the realism of university life, and being thrown into responsibility, but also the awareness that we are still children at heart, encouraging us to embrace every opportunity we are given to grow. The student experience that Rosie has crafted is incredibly relatable, from fire alarms to phones going off mid-lecture, to waking up to chaos outside your door.
One of my favourite elements is the portrayal of Ollie, the consistently hungover flatmate, who flicks in and out of the production. We don’t know much about him, but perhaps the most honest moment in Halls comes from the comedic scene of him drinking on his own. He’s got his music pumping, is in the middle of a round of Ring of Fire and is having a great time getting ready to go out with his flat – except he’s not.
He’s drinking on his own, on the phone to his friend, and telling how much he’s missing out on the fun. This scene in particular struck as having something quite raw and relatable at the heart of it – university can be a very lonely place; it’s not all nightclubs and pubs, it’s sitting on your own, and learning to live with that. You’re forced to learn how to be independent and how to cope with change, with things not always being the way you want them to be. Sometimes, like Ollie, we have to put on a brave face and embrace it.
The Baby
During rehearsals, Rosie became aware that Halls has become more personal, and metaphorical, than she originally intended: “the fire alarm is the baby that you have to get up for”. Halls explores the restlessness of growing up, learning how to live on our own, alongside disruptions to our familiar routines, new friends, and hitting the wall of maturity, and you finally have to learn who you are by yourself. You are the baby. The scenario of the baby being in the flat is real in this production, as absurd as it might seem, and Rosie wanted it to be entertaining and creative, bringing chaos to the structure of the flatmates’ new lives.
But now, upon reflection and in working alongside the cast and crew who have made this a reality, she sees the similarities that Halls has to her own life. In rehearsals, Rosie was intent on creating the realism of university halls, both encouraging the chaos that the presence of the baby brings, whilst simultaneously watching her cast grow into their characters as the story develops. Whilst the baby plot is highly unlikely, it became so representative of the ways that we mature and grow, learning a new way to live alongside new routines, people, and work.
Shaping Students
Each scene is so carefully crafted to be poignant, and during rehearsals, Rosie and the cast discussed each scene’s purpose and how to bring it to life in a way that is relatable but also entertaining for an audience. Each of the characters were so intricately crafted to reflect a different aspect of student life, and the people we meet through university.
James, with his mum-like attitude, becomes the carer of the group, constantly reassuring and supportive throughout. Meanwhile, Rebecca, in her relentless organisation, and Josie’s headstrong nature, show the determination and passion for success that we all need, and learn through our university experience. Equally, Rosie’s creativity effortlessly weaves comedy into the show, the laugh track and immersive experience that is Oscar’s cooking show comes to mind. Ellie’s calm optimism becomes a stark contrast to the authoritative Professor and Maintenance Dave, and so, when the cast are brought together, chaos ensues.
The entire company was absolutely buzzing in rehearsals, so full of energy and enthusiasm, and it’s a delight to see how they have all worked to bring Rosie’s creative vision to life. When you look behind the curtain, behind the lights and the hum of ‘Club Tropicana’, reflecting an authentic halls experience, you see the pure joy that the company has, working together to create such an incredible production.
Rosie and her company have created an honest, powerful production that captures the student experience completely. Halls, as a student-led production, celebrates university life through the strange, chaotic, and comical moments that define our time as students – moments that become memories we take with us long after we leave.
