EdFringe Talk: A Working Title

Posted in *Written Interviews, EdFestivals 2023 by

“The transition from a university societal production, to a fringe show was a hurdle that we were not expecting to be quite so high!”

WHO: Michael Bryceson

WHAT: “A creeping deadline, combined with creative block and family tensions makes a wacky, hybrid piece. Merging the styles of theatre and film, a writer’s fractured mind explores what can and cannot be made into film, and why we write/perform. Week 2 – theSpace at Niddry Street (Studio Theatre) 15:15 –16:05; Week 3 – theSpace on the Mile (Space 2) 19:15 – 20:05.”

WHERE: theSpace @ Niddry St – Studio (Venue 9) 

WHEN: 14:10 (50 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

Basically, yes! This is the first time to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe for six members of our seven member team. Collision Theatre tried to take a production of 4.48 Psychosis in 2021 but unfortunately Covid-19 put a stop to our efforts.

We are so excited to go up to the biggest arts festival in the world! While we are not sure what to expect we are looking forward to being surrounded by music, comedy, theatre, art and all the different works that are coming! We also cannot wait to see and hopefully meet as many of the other talented performers coming to the festival as possible! At Collision Theatre we think a great festival has energy, diversity, connection opportunities, amazing performers and even better audiences! The opportunities that the festival have are unparalleled – it consistently offers an incredibly wide range of performances with different backgrounds, outlooks and messages to share.

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

Going to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe takes an extraordinary amount of organisation, planning and dedication. We hope we have learnt the importance of each of them – we also hope that our time at the festival will be a testament to this!

The transition from a university societal production, to a fringe show was a hurdle that we were not expecting to be quite so high! The massive increase in work, from rewrites of the script to better suit Edinburgh, cast/crew changes and everything in-between, alongside endless emails and marketing, was a challenge that we took head on.

Tell us about your show.

A Working Title, written by Michael Bryceson, was first written in 2020-2021 for a play writing competition. After coming up short in that contest, he endeavoured to improve the piece and was selected as one of the shows for the University of Manchester Drama Society’s winter programme (the MIFTA season). It debuted on March 15th 2023, with a three night run, gaining praise from the audiences. While there are no current plans to take the play onwards past the Edinburgh Festival, we hope that this will not be the end for A Working Title and would love to continue exploring our journey both with this piece and outside of Liam’s world.

While A Working Title was started in late 2020 and only debuted in 2023, Collision Theatre as our company was founded pre-pandemic. February 6th-7th 2020, Michael Bryceson directed his first show at St Paul’s School, London, with a moving production of Sarah Kane’s 4.48 Psychosis. To be blunt, the audiences loved it and pushed for a trip to the Edinburgh Festival that year. However the pandemic hit and what was going to be an expedition run, acted, designed, composed, directed and produced by a small group of five seventeen year olds, was delayed a year. Unfortunately, the same happened the year after, with that being the final attempt that we made to keep that production alive, with some cast members moving to different countries for University. Since then, our founder (Michael Bryceson) has persevered with the dream of the company’s first Edinburgh Festival Fringe performance and, with a devoted team that is now entirely based at the University of Manchester, we are making that dream a reality.

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

Coming from the University of Manchester and having had the luxury of seeing some of the other amazing productions going to the festival this summer in previous productions, they are the only answer! They are all so talented and deserve all of the attention they can get!

Frenchie’s Theatre Company is putting on an incredible production “The Spark Project”, about growing up as women.

HIVEmcr is presenting two shows – “Sofar”, a play about all the beginnings we sometimes forget to notice and appreciating all the time we really had, and “If You Were To Die Tomorrow”, a play centred around the meaning of life and existential chaos – If you knew you were going to die tomorrow, how would you live today?

Fruit Bowl Theatre Company’s show “Losing The Plot” which is a new Queer Jukebox Musical comedy featuring pop hits from the 70s and 80s.

By The Moon Theatre Company brings “Be Home Soon” which three young characters grappling with who they are, seeking purpose and a deeper understanding of both themselves and one another.
Fridge Magnet Theatre is presenting “Skies in the Cloud”, that is a queer, existentialist play that investigates what it means to be human, playfully incorporating elements of dance, humour and music.

Off Script Productions has created an online and in person viewing of “Bishops” – a brand new sketch comedy show written and performed by Chris Curran and Noah Matthews!
Pigeon Cat Theatre is bringing “Yellow Corners” – a one-woman show but not because she doesn’t have any friends (they were just really busy).
The Manchester Revue is also bringing up a show! The “Lonely Hearts Sketch Club” is a show about the youth, gender, society, society in turmoil, pop culture, heaven, hell and everything in between.

LIKE WHAT YOU JUST READ? FOLLOW US ON TWITTER! OR SIGN UP TO OUR MAILING LIST!

INTERESTED IN BEING INTERVIEWED TOO? CLICK HERE!