Bed Five is writer and performer Nikki Fagbemi’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe debut depicting her personal experience of living with sickle cell disorder.

Bed Five is the authentic, one-woman showcase of British actor Nikki Fagbemi’s life dealing with sickle cell and reliance on blood donations. Through her profound production, Fagbemi is highlighting the vital need for more Black heritage blood donors through the accessible narrative of comedy.

The sickle cell condition affects more than 19,000 people in the UK, and 300 babies are born each year with the disorder. It affects up to 7.5 million people globally with at least 80 percent of this figure being people from sub-Saharan Africa.

Living with sickle cell: What you didn’t know about the disease

So, what is sickle cell? It is a serious genetic disorder affecting the red blood cells which carry oxygen around the body. The patient’s red cells form into a sickle or crescent shape, and they can get stuck in blood vessels, leading to acute episodes of extreme pain, known as a crisis.

In severe cases, sickle cell can cause loss of sight, organ failure and stroke and the complications can be fatal. Blood transfusions can help to prevent or relieve these symptoms.

The illness is one we regularly highlight in Melan Magazine. By sharing her experience at Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Fagbemi, who receives 10 units of donated blood every six weeks, is helping to raise awareness of sickle cell through the medium of the world’s biggest arts festival.

The darkly comic production follows a young woman’s experience of living with sickle cell disorder and how she depends on the blood of strangers. Between hospital admissions, emergency transfusions and a family that expects her to keep going no matter the cost, she’s become an expert at hiding her pain. But when a near-death crisis and the loss of a friend force her to confront her mortality, the cracks begin to show. Unforgettable characters bring this chaotic hospital ward to life.

Speaking to us before the Bed Five production at the Fringe, Fagbemi, explained her motivation for creating the production. She said:

“People often don’t see what living with sickle cell really looks like. There are hospital stays, pain, uncertainty, but for me alongside all of this, there is the humour, resilience and determination for me to keep living my life.

“Without regular blood donations from the Black community, I simply wouldn’t be able to do what I love. Every person who donates blood is helping people like me have the chance to work, create and live life as fully as possible.

How can you give sickle cell warriors the mental health support they need?

“Taking Bed Five to Edinburgh feels incredibly special because it’s an opportunity to tell an authentic story that isn’t often seen on stage. If audiences leave understanding sickle cell a little better, or if someone decides to become a blood donor because of it, then that’s an amazing result.”

Bed Five debuts at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe between 18 – 25 August, at the Gilded Balloon Teviot, Dining Room.

If Fagbemi’s story has inspired you, why not register and book an appointment to donate at www.blood.co.uk? Many patients receiving regular blood transfusions benefit from blood that is more closely matched to their own blood type. This makes donors from Black heritage communities especially important in helping provide the best possible match and care for people living with sickle cell.