“Every festival is different, but none are on the scale of Edinburgh. What they have in common, though is the “spirit of the fringe” – a great feeling of camaraderie and support amongst the performers and shows.”
WHO: Tamsin Hurtado Clarke & Scarlett Plouviez: Performer & Director
WHAT: “Sara Wesker – trade unionist, political activist and radical – led the singing strikers of 1928, to improve the working conditions of female garment workers in London’s East End. But her love of the cause battled with the love of her life. Which would win? And was it all worth it? A tale from a century ago but very much a play for today, this five-star reviewed, OffFest-nominated, one-woman play gives a vivid account of the life of a forgotten woman who should be revered as a working-class heroine.”
WHERE: Paradise in Augustines – The Studio (Venue 152)
WHEN: VARIES (65 min)
MORE: Click Here!
Is this your first time to Edinburgh?
Our company’s first EdFringe was back in 2018 and apart from the two years we don’t mention we’ve been back every year. It’s the biggest trade show for our industry in the world and the best way to get the show on the map. This is our second year with this show, which we’ve been developing since the 2023 Fringe. We think this is the final version!
Every festival is different, but none are on the scale of Edinburgh. What they have in common, though is the “spirit of the fringe” – a great feeling of camaraderie and support amongst the performers and shows. The sheer size of Edinburgh can be overwhelming and of course we’re all competing for audiences, reviews, etc… but there is comfort in knowing that we don’t suffer alone. All of us have extreme highs and lows during August and having that network to rely on is invaluable.
If we were only going to do one Fringe festival, especially for new work, it would have to be Edinburgh.
What are the big things you’ve learned since 2023 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?
Well we’ve revamped the show and made some big artistic changes that went down well with New York audiences in May. We’ve also rethought our marketing plan – after a few years we think we’ve finally worked out what works for us. Which is not necessarily what works for others.
The benefit of working with other shows on cross-promotions can’t be overstated. Apart from selling tickets it’s resulted in further collaborations and really genuine friendships for us. We did more of this than ever before in 2023 and it paid dividends.
And the third thing (we all like things in threes don’t we!) is to take time out away from the madness. 2023 was the first year I deliberately took a proper day off and took myself away from the festival after 4pm when the show finished. It was a revelation. Even just an hour spent walking round the Meadows or in the National Museum made such a difference.
Tell us about your show.
We specialise in telling untold stories and Sara’s is a classic case of someone being written out of history. This election year (and the centenary of the first Labour government) it feels especially important to be shining a light on working class history and illustrating just how hard women and other minorities, despite some progress being made are still having to fight for their voices to be heard and how important it is for all of us workers to never be complacent. That all makes the show seem terribly “worthy”. It isn’t – it’s got a strong message and will make you think but it’s also full of humour. Sara led the “singing strikers” so of course we have music – it’s been a joy to hear audiences spontaneously join in with some of the songs too.
It’s an in-house production by my company, Blue Fire (I’m wearing two hats) and was written by J.J. Leppink, with whom we’ve collaborated twice before. Our director, Laura Killeen is a genius and has made us all fall a little bit in love with Sara. Musical direction is by James Hall who has been with us since our first Fringe in 2018.
What should your audience see at the festivals after they’ve seen your show?
This is such a tough question – there is SO much to see and with almost 4,000 shows across the month it can be difficult to fit everything is. This year I’m determined to be organised and book everything in advance (top tip – doing that allows you to factor in that all important free time too)
Anyway – can’t put it off any longer. You can’t go wrong with any of these. I might even see you there – I’ve booked for them all!
Chatterbox – Lubna Kerr
The Scot & the Showgirl – Frances Ruffelle & Norman Bowman
Ghostlight – Orange Works
22 (Brooke’s Version) – Brooke/36 Expressions
A Montage of Monet – Threedumb Theatre
Gruoch: Lady Macbeth – Burns Unit Productions
Gwyneth Goes Skiing – Awkward Productions
Light – Gerry Carroll
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