EdFringe Talk: KITES

Posted in EdFestivals 2022, Written Interviews by

“The festival is incredible in its diversity – the open-access nature of it allows all styles and experience levels to share their work, which I love!”

WHO: Tzarini Meyler

WHAT: “‘Come on Angel, don’t you ever want to fly?’ 1948. Cork City’s crying. Rations. Unemployment. And those unforgiving clouds. But two girls are plotting a new planet. Kitty’s a native, desperate for adventure, and Angel’s a blow-in searching for home. Through flying kites, dress-up and play, they leave behind their broken families and war-time grief, and let their fantasies find wings. But what happens when the line gets caught and reality beckons? KITES is a fast-paced, visually striking play about the rite of passage from girlhood to womanhood in post-war Ireland, exploring gender roles, sexuality, friendship, love and rage.”

WHERE: Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose – Dram (Venue 24) 

WHEN: 14:20 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

I did a short run in 2018 as a director, but this is my first time performing, as well as my first long run. As an Irish playwright, it is a wonderful opportunity to share my work with a UK and international audience and gain their feedback. As a performer, it is a real workout, and every day I feel sharper, not only in my acting capabilities but in my resilience and strength, both physically and emotionally. The festival is incredible in its diversity – the open-access nature of it allows all styles and experience levels to share their work, which I love! However, with the huge amount to see, there is great competition amongst the acts to promote their show, which makes it harder for young artists with limited funding to stand out.

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

We never know what life can throw at us, so I just want to keep telling stories that speak from the heart. Art and entertainment is what brings us all together and keeps us sane in hard times. I wanted to explore this in my play KITES, how the power of pretend is sometimes our strongest weapon.

Tell us about your show.

KITES is all about longing to escape. As a writer, my work begins with a physical stimulus. I was fascinated by the childhood object of a kite, how it can be both flimsy and fragile, and yet strong enough to withstand storms and fly away. I wanted to explore the icon of a kite through the lens of womanhood. I had grown up hearing about my great grandmother who longed to be an actress and travel the world whose brothers became performers; one a musician in Australia and the other a magician in Canada, whilst she stayed at home in Ireland and became a housewife. That longing to be somebody else, and to escape, feels incredibly relevant to women today, well to anyone today in fact, our generation has so much pressure to ‘have it all’ and yet all these things (housing, stable income) seem to be so out of our reach. This show is all about growing up from young girls to women in a suffocating society that only offers two options: conformity or the big bad world.

I wrote the play – I was awarded a residency earlier this year at the Pavilion Theatre in Dublin to finish my script. Ana produced it and plays Angel, whilst I play Kitty. We are a small Irish company formed in 2016, we have been steadily growing and have produced many works. Most recently a sold-out run of ‘Dublin in a Rainstorm’ at the Smock Alley Theatre. It is our goal to create work that is truthful to the artist and vital to the audience. After Edinburgh KITES will return home to Cork. Next year we hope to do a small Irish tour.

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

For some incredible dance theatre, head to ‘Night Dances’ at Zoo Southside. Fellow Irish company United Fall have created something truly unforgettable.

For laugh-out-loud comedy check out Elf Lyons’ show Raven at Gilded Balloon.

For gorgeous new writing head to Summerhall for the wonderful Eva O Connor’s Mustard.

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