EdFringe Talk: Stark Bollock Naked

Posted in *Written Interviews, EdFestivals 2023 by

“It’s fine to have days of doing stuff that’s completely not Fringe related.”

WHO: Larisa Faber

WHAT: “Is the motherhood question bugging you too? An international smash hit about our reproductive shelflife and what (not) to do with those (ageing) eggs. Featuring stunning video mapping, comedy-infused storytelling and a live score of gynaecological instruments, stark bollock naked is a multimedia show with a real naked body and an honest conversation about reproduction, abortion and the biological clock. Game Ovar-ies. ‘Winningly hilarious and visually enthralling’ (FringeBiscuit.co.uk). ‘A satirical homage to eggs. Perfect comic timing’ (Luxembourg Times). VAULT Festival Pick of the Week (Lyn Gardner).”

WHERE: Assembly Roxy – Downstairs (Venue 139) 

WHEN: 15:10 (50 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

Not my first time, no, but last time I was at the Fringe was 2013, I’m curious to see what / if it has changed. I first went in 2009, where I performed at Forest Fringe which was an incredible place to nurture weird experimental performance! Then went again in 2010, 2011, and 2013, each time with Little Bulb, the company I’m an Associate Artist of. EdFringe is special in the way it groups in one place over one month lots of exciting artists from the UK and abroad. It’s such a unique experience, bumping into friends I don’t see enough of the rest of the year, artists I admire, taking a chance with a show I have a hunch might be for me, going to see comedy big names… and the fact that the shows happen at all times of the day really contributes to making it feel like a month outside of ‘normal’ time.

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

My learnings from past Fringes are: to get as much sleep as possible, eat my greens, drink lots of water and it’s fine to have days of doing stuff that’s completely not Fringe related, it really helps switch off. I recommend a walk up Arthur’s Seat.

Tell us about your show.

The show I’m going to EdFringe with is called stark bollock naked, and I am a performer musician in it. I play gynaecological instruments, among other things. The show was written and created by Larisa Faber, who also performs in it. Larisa is a multi-talented plurilingual Romanian-Luxembourgish artist, and she also self-produces the show. She has gathered a really lovely international team.

Larisa approached me at the end of 2022 to ask if I was interested in replacing the brilliant Catherine Kontz who composed the music for the show, in the performer-musician role. Larisa had seen the work of my company She Goat in London and thought I would be a good fit for the world of the show, and she was right! I feel at home. I’ll be job-sharing the role with my She Goat other half, Shamira Turner, who’ll be performing in the 13-23 August dates. The piece had a few outings, in London and a few places in Luxembourg, but because of the fact that the performer-musician part will now have had three different people do it, it feels like each performance has its own unique flavour. It feels very alive in this regard.

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

Lucy and Friends, by Lucy McCormick. Lucy is a truly incredible artist and one of the best performers around. Her work is daring, moving, tender and brutal all at once. It takes you on a real journey as an audience, and makes you feel such tenderness and weirdness and connection. She’s also very funny.

Nan, Me and Barbara Pravi by Hannah Maxwell. Hannah is a brilliant performer, and this show looks like a very exciting exploring, on of family relationships, oh and there’s a bit of French in it too! Repping the French speakers at the Fringe!

Everything in the Horizon showcase: some of the most exciting, stimulating, inspiring and challenging work made in the UK today, I’ll be sure to catch all of these shows.
Victor Esses’ The Life and Death of All of Us, an exploration of family secrets and ties across countries and timelines, it sounds like a powerful journey into History with a big H and personal history.

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