EdFringe Talk: If You Were to Die Tomorrow

Posted in *Written Interviews, EdFestivals 2023 by

“I’ve learned to trust my gut.”

WHO: Amani Bates

WHAT: “Reconnected with each other at a funeral, Charlotte and Hope question what the meaning of life is. Are we predetermined to do everything we do or is there such a thing as free will? Centred around this debate the show uses meta and philosophical comedy to ask these big questions as the play slowly descends into existential chaos. If you knew you were going to die tomorrow, how would you live today?”

WHERE: Paradise in Augustines – The Studio (Venue 152) 

WHEN: 16:20 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

Yes! Which is super exciting! I’ve been to a few drama festivals before, but by all accounts, Edinburgh is a different beast! What I’m most looking forward to is the non-stop action of it all. Whilst not involved with our own show, I fully intend on seeing as many performances as humanly possible. What boggles my mind is thinking about the sheer range of things going up. The diversity of people and productions going from old, new, established, emerging, queer, musicals, comedy, serious and silly should make for an amazing festival and a fantastic community of creatives to be around and apart of. So if my expectations, which are admittedly high, are met, I’m certain this will be the first of many trips.

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

2022 was generally a pretty positive year for me creatively. I had the first run of this show on in Manchester and a short film I wrote got made and nominated for a few awards. From those experiences I’ve learned to trust my gut. There’s been a few occasions where I’ve been faced with a dilemma in relation to my writing, if the tone is right, if the jokes are funny, if the more serious moments are justified or disruptive to pacing, that kind of thing. In those instances I’ve really tried to rely on my instincts and I think that has served me well. Something I do now, which might sound a bit strange to some, but I’ve started audibly asking questions to myself out loud and then immediately answering them. This seems to uncover the way I feel about things and takes my overthinking tendencies out of the equation.

Tell us about your show.

Of course! So, I wrote the show and am assistant directing it. We have a fantastic director, Hollie Buckhurst, involved, an invaluable designer and producer in Hebe Jones and Amber Daly and a phenomenally talented cast of actors that I’m so happy we have onboard. We all met through our University Drama society, where the show originally premiered.

The play itself if very silly. I took big inspiration from Phoebe Waller-Bridge and her show ‘Fleabag’. When watching, I was really intrigued in the way she uses the technique of breaking the fourth wall both as a device for deepening characterisation but also as a comedic tool. This is something I wanted to experiment with. At the start of the show, it’s firmly established that one character has the ability to break the fourth wall and talk to the audience but by the end, all of the character’s become sentient and aware they’re being watched. We definitely play this up for laughs but it gives way to some interesting questions about free will, fate, purpose, and the inevitable prospect of death.

Despite these sometimes heavy questions, the show is hopefully very funny and just wildly chaotic, which should make for a good watch!

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

I have three other shows I want to recommend if you have the time, and if you don’t, you should make time because they are all going to be fantastic.

The first is the other show going up from our company which is called ‘SOFAR’ a queer piece of new writing. Based on a true story, Luna the crippled humpback whale is making her final migration and is being tracked by young marine biologist, Sadie as she gets over her first heartbreak.

Second is ‘Be Home Soon’ a heartwarming story about love and loss that you may well need a tissue box for!

Lastly, ‘A Working Title’, a multimedia piece about a struggling writer.

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