EdFringe Talk: Closure

Posted in EdFestivals 2022, Written Interviews by

“As a theatre maker, the Edinburgh Fringe feels like a real bucket list moment.”

WHO: Faye Draper

WHAT: “Why be the bigger person when you can be the last one standing? Ink and Curtains make their Edinburgh debut hot on the heels of their first national tour with this tale of a dinner party with a dark secret. Alex and Laura quickly learn that their friend Mia may not let them all leave alive. Closure wields dark comedy and vicious catharsis to explore feminine rage, women’s rights and – more importantly – women’s wrongs.”

WHERE: Pleasance Courtyard – Baby Grand (Venue 33) 

WHEN: 15:10 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

Yes it is! As a theatre maker, the Edinburgh Fringe feels like a real bucket list moment. Being able to showcase my work in front of – what feels like – the whole world is really exciting and a big moment for me. You never know who’s in the audience or where in the world they came from.

What are the big things you’ve learned since 2019 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?

There’s never a perfect time to create something or take a risk, you just need to go for it. The pandemic completely changed my life in so many ways and, whilst a lot of it has been really difficult, it also gave me a lot of perspective. I realised that if I didn’t take a punt on life, I’d be stuck in the same place forever. Closure really came out of that realisation – that making risky choices can pay off – and I can’t wait to share it with everyone.

Tell us about your show.

Like I said, I wrote the play through lockdown. First person I sent it to is the co-director of Ink and Curtain, Maz Hedgehog, and together we knew that we had to make it happen – come hell or high water. Closure is a revenge fantasy and battle cry, like Sarah Kane with a bit of banter. It also comes from painful personal experience, taking my past experience of sexual assault and turning into something meaningful (also hella violent and aggressively northern).

After we’re done with Edinburgh, it’ll be returning to Ink and Curtain’s home base (Manchester) where it’ll be part of HOME’s PUSH Festival in January. After that? Who knows! If any Hollywood studios want to buy the rights, I’m always available.

What should your audience see at the festivals after they’ve seen your show?

If you want to relax and destress after watching Closure, CLASSIC! is a 60 minute romp through classic literature. It’s also on in the Pleasance Courtyard so you don’t even need to go that far. Closure takes a lot of inspiration from classical art and literature, so Classic is a bit of a mirrorverse Closure.

If you want something else that’s gutsy and challenging, that tackles difficult issues head on with deftness and compassion then you have to see British as a Watermelon by Mandla. It’s an experimental look how we are formed by our memories and what it means to be British. I saw it when it was on at Contact Theatre in Manchester and it is just stunning.

And if you want something as intensely northern and irreverent as Closure, you need to see Skank. It’s on in Pleasance Two and this will be its last outing, so you have to see it before it closes.

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