Chrome Yellow: One Man, 650 Miles, and a Search for Meaning in a Colour

Blending storytelling, journal entries and original songs, Chrome Yellow reflects on Jersey-born and based playwright, performer and comedian Wayne Stewart’s 650-mile solo walk across France. As well as exploring Wayne’s obsession with the colour yellow, this piece is also a spiritual reflection on purpose and our need for human connection.

Ahead of the show’s trip to Edinburgh Festival Fringe, we spoke with Wayne about how his solo adventure in 2021 inspired this introspective and humorous piece of theatre.

What’s the story behind the title Chrome Yellow?

Yellow became a recurring motif during my walk: a colour I kept seeing, chasing, and reflecting on without fully knowing why. It’s hard to explain - maybe it’s meaning, maybe it’s nothing. That tension felt central to the show. The phrase Chrome Yellow felt bold, slightly absurd, and weirdly spiritual.

This is your Fringe debut – what does it mean to you to bring this particular show to Edinburgh?

It means a lot. This is the first piece of writing and performance I’ve shared outside of Jersey, and I’ve put more of myself into this than anything I’ve made before. I don’t come from a big institution or a scene - I’m just a man from a small island trying to make sense of things through theatre. To take a show this personal to a platform like the Fringe is exciting, a little terrifying, and something I’ll always be proud of - no matter what happens.

How did you decide what to keep in the show from your real experiences, and what to leave out?

It took time. At first I thought I’d just retell the travel stories, but it wasn’t enough. I had to ask: what am I really saying? I wanted to be honest, but not indulgent. So I kept anything that moved the story or deepened the emotion, and left out things that were just for me. The journal was the compass - if a moment felt too neat or performed, I scrapped it.

What was the rehearsal process like for a solo show — how did you keep yourself creatively

challenged and supported?

Solo work can be liberating, but it’s also incredibly exposing. You’re the whole team: writer, performer, director, emotional support animal. I was lucky to have the guidance of a brilliant producer who has been an outside eye in rehearsals to help keep the show true to its tone without losing pace or shape. I’ve also been working with a wonderful vocal coach to train that muscle and ensure I’ll be able to sustain the full run to the best of my ability! Lots of cycling and running while reciting lines has been helpful too.

As someone with a background in stand-up, what’s different about making an audience listen versus

making them laugh?

In stand-up, the laugh is the applause. Silence is death. With theatre, silence is allowed – sometimes even invited. It took me a while to trust that. Chrome Yellow has plenty of humour in it, but it’s laced with reflection, with weight. You’re not always aiming for the punchline - sometimes the moment is in the breath just before or after. It’s a different kind of connection, but one that says with you.

If you could go on another long solo walk tomorrow – where would it be, and why?

Honestly? Anywhere with a long horizon, no phone signal, and enough space to unravel your own noise. Sometimes, walking is the only way I can hear myself think. I’m not drawn to the well-worn routes and trails - I want to get lost, avoid seeing other people, and be completely free to change direction whenever I choose.

Chrome Yellow is at ZOO Southside Studio, 1 - 24 Aug (not 12 & 19), 12.25 (13.35). For tickets go to https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/chrome-yellow