“The fringe is exhilarating but exhausting, and that you absolutely MUST have a good rest after it.”
WHO: Dan Hazelwood
WHAT: “After a successful run at the Edinburgh Fringe 2024 and sold-out performances at Greenwich Theatre, Ascension returns for Edinburgh Fringe 2025. Ascension is based on the 300-year-old diary of Dutch sailor Leendert Hasenbosch, who was marooned on Ascension Island in 1725 for the crime of sodomy. Isolated and surrounded only by barren rock and endless ocean, he fought to survive. He was, however, pursued ashore by his personal demons. This bold and inventive adaptation reclaims his story for the 21st century, exploring queer identity, the weaponisation of religion and the resilience to love ourselves in a sometimes unforgiving world.”
WHERE: Theatre at Bedlam Theatre (Venue 49)
WHEN: 14:00 (55 min)
MORE: Click Here!
Is this your first time to Edinburgh?
I first came to Edinburgh Fringe for a few days after graduating from drama school in 2017, renting a beanbag on the living room floor of another artist’s airbnb for £10 a night. I saw shows from morning until night, eventually giving up late every night – keen to see more but knowing that even if it was a 5 star show I would be too tired and too grumpy to enjoy it. I had no money at the time so hitch-hiked home to Birmingham, stopping overnight in Yorkshire where I was dropped off at my friend’s front door by a neighbour she had never met. I also got to ride in a lorry for the first time which was fun.
I’ve been hooked ever since. Being a punter vs being a performer are different flavours of chaos, but equally addictive.
What are the big things you’ve learned since 2024 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?
I’ve learned that the fringe is exhilarating but exhausting, and that you absolutely MUST have a good rest after it. I’ve completely ignored my own advice and I’m straight back into work with no hope of rest until October. Maybe next year I’ll heed my own words?
Last year, I obsessed over ticket sales last year, constantly refreshing in hopes of seeing one more ticket sold. It’s a nice adrenaline boost when it does happen, but this year I have set times when I check sales and leave it alone the rest of the time. It’s better for the brain. Paint drying, kettle boiling, etc, etc.
Tell us about your show.
Ascension is based on the real life diaries of an 18th century Dutch castaway on Ascension Island, or should I say the translations of his long lost diary. This makes the question of who wrote Ascension a bit of a complicated one to answer. Leendert (or Lee as I like to call him) wrote the original diary, then multiple translators wrote their translations, and I have adapted all of the above. There is a lot of my original writing in the play, some of which is based on my own life (Lee’s first kiss is based on my own) but the script also contains a lot of diary extracts. It’s probably more accurate to say I’m a curator of the play as a whole, and the writer of a good chunk of it.
I’m producing it myself, and I’m very lucky to be joined by very talented creatives in every area of the production who I trust entirely. They have made the show very special and much easier for me!
We premiered at Edinburgh Fringe 2024, and following our 2025 stint here, we’ll be doing a performance in London for the 300 year anniversary of Lee’s death. Following that, I’m hoping to tour it around the UK and maybe even further afield!
What should your audience see at the festivals after they’ve seen your show?
For lovingly crafted idiocy, you’ve got to check out The Fit Prince (full title on the link below!) at Pleasance Courtyard by Awkward Productions, the hottest power couple of EdFringe! If you’ve ever seen a hallmark Christmas movie, you’ll love this:
https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/the-fit-prince-who-gets-switched-on-the-square-in-the-frosty-castle-the-night-before-insert-public-holiday-here
You also must see “I Was Dancing in the Lesbian Bar” by Holly Redford Jones. Very funny, great music, and beautifully moving. It’s the only lesbian bar in Edinburgh, open for one hour a day at Underbelly Cowgate: https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/i-was-dancing-in-the-lesbian-bar
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