EdFringe Talk: Pleading Stupidity

Posted in *Written Interviews, EdFestivals 2023 by

“We came together as a company at university and have been making comedy theatre ever since.”

WHO: Caleb Barron

WHAT: “Aussies Chad and Brad are Pleading Stupidity. They robbed a bank… whilst still wearing their name tags from work. They took selfies with the stolen cash. And their crime was solved in just eight minutes. But who were the bank tellers behind the desk that day? What’s their story? Will anyone listen to another, perhaps less silly, version of events? Pleading Stupidity tells this true story with high-energy, physical comedy, frenetic action, and verbatim speech. Featuring a multi-rolling cast playing a whole host of wacky characters, this is ‘a fast-paced blast of comic theatre’ (Chortle.co.uk).”

WHERE: Pleasance Dome – AceDome (Venue 23) 

WHEN: 19:00 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

This is my second time at Edfringe. I came with a student show in 2019 and it was such an incredible experience. A massive amount has changed for us as a company in the last four years, and for the industry as a whole, and we can’t wait to be bringing a new show to the festival. It is an entirely unique place to be.

What are the big things you’ve learned since 2022 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?

It’s four years since we were last in Edinburgh. We are operating on such a different scale to then but there’s still many lessons we learned then that we will be bringing with us. It ranges from effective flyering methods to making the most of technical rehearsals but I think the big thing for a lot of our company will just be a better understanding of how to sustain ourselves across the whole month. It is a long festival with so much going on and it takes a bit of stamina to see it through.

Tell us about your show.

This show is a fast-paced high energy comedy telling the true story of two Aussie’s on a gap year in a ski town in Colorado who get bored and decide to rob a bank. We get to follow the absolute mess that is there robbery and getaway as well as seeing more of the story of the people they left behind in their wake.

I wrote and directed it, with a large helping of devised material from the cast, and Maybe You Like It’s Jake Morry is producing. We came together as a company at university and have been making comedy theatre ever since.

This show actually previewed in a very different form in Oxford in early 2020. We have been able to spend the last 3 years working on it, creating something that is almost unrecognisable from that first run of performances. Via a run at Camden Fringe in 2021, and more development supported by the Laurence Batley, Watford Palace, and Chichester Festival Theatres, we’ve arrived at what audiences will be able to see this August.

We’ve got plans in the works for where we go after Edinburgh. Keep your eyes peeled and watch this space.

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

We were lucky enough to perform a snippet of our show at the Pleasance in February as Charlie Hartill Award Finalists. This gave us the lowdown on some of the best shows to see at the Fringe this summer!

Burning Down the Horse from Fishing4Chips promises to be hilarious and is absolutely our vibe. We also can’t wait to see the full show of Bampots from Haud Yer Wheesht Theatre – their energy and stage presence is inspiring.

Will BF is on at Underbelly and having seen a some of his act at our recent fundraiser, we can’t wait to see more. He is so funny, so silly, and such a distinct voice.

We can’t wait to get back to seeing some theatre at Summerhall. The HOTTER and FITTER duo, Mary Higgins and Ell Potter, will be there with The Last Show Before We Die and we can’t wait to see their follow to two brilliant shows.

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