“Each show is different, of course, but they all have dark comedy, improvised music and songs and, quite regularly, a number of improvised deaths.”
WHO: Jen Rowe, Performer
WHAT: “Award-winning improvisers The Maydays present this skin-prickling tale full of black comedy and haunting music, inspired by the warped imaginations of Tim Burton, Lemony Snicket and the Brothers Grimm. Starting with your suggestion, The Maydays take you on a bone-chilling journey, meeting the grotesque and the innocent, weaving a fantastical story that’s different every time. Happily Never After returns to edfringe for a second year after sell-out shows across Europe.”
WHERE: Just the Tonic at The Caves (Venue 88)
WHEN: 16:30 (60 min)
MORE: Click Here!
Is this your first time to Edinburgh?
No, we’ve been coming to the Fringe, on and off, since 2007 with various improvised shows. The Maydays have been running since 2004 so we have a fair few shows under our belt! Previously, we’ve brought The Improvability Drive, Confessions and Oh Boy! The Quantum Leap show to the Fringe. This is the second year with Happily Never After and we can’t wait.
Tell us about your show.
Happily Never After is a loose homage to the films of Tim Burton, the Brothers Grimm and other dark tales. The company (The Maydays) have been working together for around 14 years; we’ve often found that our performances have a certain flavour to them that we’ve really been able to harness for this show.
Joe Samuel is our musical director, our regular pianist and the originator of the idea, although we’ve all had a part in its development. Each show is different, of course, but they all have dark comedy, improvised music and songs and, quite regularly, a number of improvised deaths. We have a very distinctive ‘look’ for this show – you’ll recognise us by our black and white stripes.
We’ve recently performed at Barcelona, Athens and Finland improv festivals to rave reviews. In fact, we’ve been a bit overwhelmed with the response so far!
After the fringe, we’ll be performing at London’s The Nursery Theatre and at the Birmingham Improv Festival. We also run two improv Retreats and regular classes so we’ll be gearing up for all of that too.
What should your audience see at the festivals after they’ve seen your show?
The improv community in the UK is still very small but produces some amazing stuff, both improvised and scripted. Performers in our own show are also in Impromptu Shakespeare, Showstopper! The Improvised Musical, Schutte the Unromantic, Nightmare Live, Adventures of the Improvised Sherlock Holmes, Rhiannon Vivian’s Office Meltdown, The Science of Cringe and Bumper Blyton Improv.
Personally, I’ll also be going to see Rhinocerous at the Lyceum, Cacophany at Sweet Venues and The Time Machine at Voodoo Rooms. And Baby Wants Candy, which is now an Edfringe institution.
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