“The Edfringe inspires creativity, serves as a stage for performance, and unites a community of artists.”
WHO: Ben Fallaci
WHAT: “Writer and comedian Ben Fallaci strips down and gets vulnerable while recounting how he lands broken and stuck in a geriatric shower chair. With irreverence and self-deprecation, Fallaci adds humour to a tale about a toxic friendship, slippery events, and a broken ankle. Where better to come clean than in the shower?”
WHERE: Greenside @ George Street – Lime Studio (Venue 236)
WHEN: 20:50 (60 min)
MORE: Click Here!
Is this your first time to Edinburgh?
Edinburgh is where I started performing. During a semester abroad at the University, I performed with a sketch group (The EdRevue) and started stand up comedy. My first ever open mic was at the Wee Pub in Grassmarket. Five years later, I’d return to Edinburgh and pass the Wee Pub flyering for my one-man show Shower Chair during the 2023 EdFringe. Debuting my one man show at the festival, inspired my move to London and my decision to return to the festival this year for the entire run. The Edfringe inspires creativity, serves as a stage for performance, and unites a community of artists.
What are the big things you’ve learned since 2023 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?
The biggest lesson from performing in 2023/ 2024 is to have fun. After an entire day of flyering and networking about your show, the only thing left to do is to perform it. The Fringe is such a unique opportunity to workshop, experiment, and play with your performance each night.You have to let go and have fun to stay in the moment. Finding routine in performance is rare, so I try to appreciate it as much as possible while here.
Tell us about your show.
I wrote Shower Chair during a 3 month long dog sitting gig in Los Angeles. I work best with collaborators, so I invited my director and personal friend, Fiona Kelly to come on board. Together, we turned a family home into the ultimate rehearsal space complete with a mic stand in the living room, various rewrites in the home office, and choreography sessions in the backyard. In addition to my director, Shower Chair was sculpted by countless conversations over coffee in the kitchen with patient East Side comics, who listened to hours of rambling that eventually were whittled down to a crisp 60 minute monologue.
After previewing Shower Chair at the Broadwater Theatre in Los Angeles, it debuted at the 2023 Edinburgh Fringe Festival where it played 14 performances. Shower Chair reached diverse audiences in Edinburgh and it was met with emotional responses. Last year at the festival, I connected with Zoe Novello and Sophie Visscher-Lubinizki (Speakerphone Productions) who came on board as creative producers, and have helped to shape and develop the show – assisting the team in growing it from a humble stand up comedy set to a full theatrical experience.
The show continues to grow as a consequence of including more creative thinkers. Shower Chair is a queer production. Directed, produced, and choreographed by queer theater makers, it is a true product of queer collaboration and storytelling.
What should your audience see at the festivals after they’ve seen your show?
After Shower Chair, check out Elen Mcneil’s History of a Heartbreak – a show that heals raw emotions like a warm cup of Yorkshire tea. Serena Freda’s one woman show NO NO NO GOD PLEASE NO is another piece of creative storytelling that explores the psychology of hurt and healing.
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