“The lessons I’ve taken forward this year are about booking accommodation as early as possible; embracing the importance and usefulness of previews; and also trying to keep a sense of perspective on the whole thing.”
WHO: Ria Parry
WHAT: “Rosie and Hugh the Hedgehog are best friends. They want it to be the last day of summer holidays forever. Impossible? Not if they can find the witch who lives in the middle of the forest with her pet dragon. Join Rosie, Hugh, a squirrel with a wobbly tooth, a little lizard and one very rusty robot on a great, big, heart-warming adventure. Jam-packed with songs from CBeebies’ Nick Cope, this show is for 3-8 year-old adventurers – and their families! Presented by Fringe First Award-winning The North Wall.”
WHERE: Pleasance Courtyard – Beyond (Venue 33)
WHEN: 12:00 (60 min)
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Is this your first time to Edinburgh?
It’s my third time in Edinburgh producing shows for The North Wall Arts Centre in Oxford. The North Wall has previously been up with new plays – ‘Brown Boys Swim’ by Karim Khan and ‘E8’ by Marika Mckennell which both won Fringe First Awards – so producing a family musical this year is an exciting new venture.
In my earlier years I’d produced work for a company called Iron Shoes: ‘Mad About the Boy’ by Gbolahan Obisesan and ‘Crush’ by Paul Charlton – and before that I’d been up with a group from my (Royal Holloway) university days called Theatre Trash. So I’m accustomed to working on a range of budgets, flyering in the rain, and getting stuck in.
It’s such an amazing festival for new work – you can see so much in a short space of time, and it’s a great environment to connect with other artists and new audiences.
What are the big things you’ve learned since 2023 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?
I was up in 2022 producing a show, and then last year I was just up for a few days as an audience member, which was very lovely, and much less stressful! The lessons I’ve taken forward this year are about booking accommodation as early as possible; embracing the importance and usefulness of previews; and also trying to keep a sense of perspective on the whole thing. There’s a temptation to do so much and to keep pushing through, but – especially if you’re working on a show – it’s important to pace yourself, look after your health and to get at least a bit of sleep. You can look after others (and a show) better when you’re not burnt out yourself.
Tell us about your show.
Rosie and Hugh’s Great Big Adventure is a fun and engaging family musical for 3-8 year olds and their families, based on the music and songs of Nick Cope (CBeebies), with book by Victoria Saxton and design by James Button. The music is fantastic and it’s a wonderful story about a little girl called Rosie and her best friend Hugh the Hedgehog who go on an adventure to make it the last day of the summer holidays forever. The show looks at themes of courage, kindness and hope, as well as family and friendship. It’s produced by The North Wall which is an arts centre in Oxford. We’re previewing in Oxford before heading to Edinburgh 31st July – 18th Aug, and then we’ll be transferring to Soho Theatre for a week.
What should your audience see at the festivals after they’ve seen your show?
Different age range, but I’m looking forward to seeing ‘Tending’ by El Blackwood, directed by John Livesey which is about nurses working on the frontline. And ‘I really do think this will change your life’ by Emma Louise-Howell, directed by Hetty Hodgson – a new piece about what it means to be a ‘Girl Boss’. John and Hetty are both ArtsLab alumni, which is the programme we run at The North Wall for early-career artists. They are both fantastic creatives who care deeply about collaboration and new work.
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