EdFringe Talk: Lipote: An Interconnected Journey

Posted in *Written Interviews, EdFestivals 2023 by

“You should be prepared to constantly change and edit any production to make it ready for a performing somewhere such as Fringe.”

WHO: Oliver Farrow

WHAT: “A new UV opera-musical told from the roots of trees about the impact of intensive agriculture on forest systems. Inspired by the ongoing problems surrounding deforestation and palm oil monoculture in Borneo, it tells the story of a rainforest as it struggles to find help in the soils around its home, after the root system suffers the effects of a devastating storm. Based on the research of anthropologists, scientists and naturalists into forests and plantations and written in collaboration with UK ecologists this show explores issues that are important and relevant to us all.”

WHERE: C ARTS | C venues | C aurora – main house (Venue 117) 

WHEN: 13:20 (60 min)

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Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

This is our first time performing at the Fringe and every member of our team is feeling excited, nervous and thrilled to be part of this global arts festival and to see other people’s work. The diversity on offer, makes more experimental shows such as ours fit well into the whole programme. We recently performed this work at Nozstock Festival 2023, which is predominantly a live and dance music festival. The audience there were great but certainly did not expect to be experiencing opera and we hope with our blend of subject matter, design and musical influences that me might also be able to capture the attention of some non opera goers in Edinburgh. We are also aware we will learn so much from being able to participate in this Festival and it will help to build and bond us as a company at such an early stage in our development.

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

In the last year we have worked hard on the piece and learnt that you should be prepared to constantly change and edit any production to make it ready for a performing somewhere such as Fringe. We have showcased the work to a couple of audiences to gather feedback and understand where we needed to make changes. We have also included the music of the talented Leon Trimble, an expert in all things modular synthesiser, who will be performing with a plant alongside the opera. We have learnt that this topic is ceaselessly relevant to all our lives, even though it seems disconnected from us, and we hope that we are doing it some justice in our show.

Tell us about your show.

This show was written by myself (composer Oliver Farrow) and librettist Roxanne Korda. We began working on it during lockdown in 2020 and have been slowly but steadily developing it since then, bringing Wanshu Li (designer) and Jingya Peng (choreographer) on board. Our company Shaky Crown Collective is a result of this collaboration, the name being taken from the first line of the script.

The show itself is an exploration of different types of forest systems. We have focused primarily on the impact of deforestation due to palm plantation in Borneo and other areas. The story is told by the roots of trees as they traverse different soils to find help outside of their home. The music is unique and eclectic with influences ranging from opera, to musical theatre, to pop, to world music. The set and costumes are all designed to work under black light (UV).

This show is really a one off and not like any “opera” you will have seen before.

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

A local company to us – RoguePlay – will also be performing a work about deforestation (although not from the perspective of the soil). They are a physical theatre circus who will be performing at C Venues as well.

I would also recommend Amy Webber’s stand up show No Previous Experience that is partly about having an opera degree which hasn’t yet been useful for her… I met her when she performed at The Glee Club in Birmingham last month.

We enjoyed seeing Lachlan Werner – Voices Of Evil at Nozstock Festival last month, and recommend their high energy and absurd.

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