EdFringe Talk: The Problem

Posted in *EdFestivals 2026, *Written Interviews by

“I’ve learned to love Charles Dickens, though I’m not sure that’s relevant here.”

WHO: Brian Parks

WHAT: “In their secretive high-rise office, the odd trio of Manning, Slater and Wilson think they’ve finally redeemed themselves. But then… The Problem. One that threatens their very existence. It must be solved fast or – the abyss. A rapid-paced, last-chance comedy by Fringe First winner Brian Parks (Plotters, Enterprise, Shortlist). ‘A refreshingly mischievous inventive author’ (Times). Directed by Fringe First winner Margarett Perry. Twilight Theatre Company is back after their sold-out shows in 2024 (Polishing Shakespeare, Plotters). You don’t want to miss this one!”

WHERE: Front Room at Assembly Rooms (Venue 20) 

WHEN: 14:10 (60 min)

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Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

We’ve performed in Edinburgh many times now, and like all the others who get addicted, we keep coming back. That’s been abetted by the nice success we’ve had in the past – among the people involved in “The Problem,” we’ve won three Fringe Firsts over the years. This is my twelfth play in Edinburgh, which has proven a fine home for the work.

What are the big things you’ve learned since 2025 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?

I’ve learned to love Charles Dickens, though I’m not sure that’s relevant here. I’ve also re-learned the difference between a scalene triangle and an isosceles triangle, which is relevant. But as to why, I have to leave a mystery.

Tell us about your show.

“The Problem” is a fast-paced, last-chance comedy, written by me and produced by NYC’s Twilight Theatre Company, directed by Margarett Perry and performed by Matthew Boston, Brian Dykstra, and Patrick Frederic. The play is about three men in a secretive office who need to solve the biggest crisis they’ve ever faced – one with extremely dire consequences if they fail. I wrote the piece over the past year, and specifically for Edinburgh and the Assembly theater we’re in. (In which we did my play “Plotters” in 2024. That piece happily sold out the large majority of its shows.) As always, we do a few workshop performances in NYC before the festival, but Edinburgh is its world premiere. As for after the fest, who knows? Maybe one day it’ll be performed on the asteroid mentioned in the play – Get Your Space-Coats On!

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

The audience should absolutely see our company’s sister show, “A Play on Words” by Brian Dykstra, which is also directed by Margarett Perry. It’s in the same theater and right after “The Problem,” so a pleasant commute if you see the plays back-to-back. (Brian won a Fringe First for his play “Clean Alternatives.”) I also want to advertise a few friends’ shows, such as “11 and a Half Angry Men,” featuring David Calvitto and directed by Guy Masterson, as well as “The Tao of Lloyd,” written and performed by Dennis Trainor, also directed by Masterson. And another: “An Audience With Virginia Woolf: Writing One’s Mind,” written and performed by Lucy Stevens, and directed by Margarett Perry. That piece is in Assembly’s Drawing Room (of One’s Own).

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