EdFringe Talk: The Extraordinary Life of a Rat Racer

Posted in *EdFestivals 2026, *Written Interviews by

“What’s made it even more special is that this play was developed by my fiancèe and I – so I get to share this adventure with the love of my life!”

WHO: Chiara Fumanti

WHAT: “Ever wondered what the person next to you is thinking? Eva is just a regular rat racer. Single mother to a six-year-old boy, she is desperately trying to play the game – pay the bills, get him to football, survive mum’s comments. Her mind has different plans. On the way to an important job interview, Eva gets bombarded by a series of ever-worsening intrusive thoughts. So prepare for the uncomfortable and dive into Eva’s mind. Guided by Arthur, a sadistic, half-real figure, this two-hander surreal dark comedy will shift your concept of normality.”

WHERE: Studio at theSpace @ Niddry St AND Space 2 at theSpace on the Mile (Venues 9 & 39) 

WHEN: Varies (50 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

It is, as a producer/writer/perfomer. I went in 2018, but only as a performer – and the difference in experience is night and day, so I might as well say it’s my first time! However, from that first experience as a performer nearly a decade ago now, what’s stuck with me the most is the buzz, the lifestyle (I thrive on adrenaline!), the feeling that acting is actually my job. So when I started writing my own show, I just knew that one of the biggest goals for it had to be bringing it to Edinburgh. What’s made it even more special is that this play was developed by my fiancèe and I – so I get to share this adventure with the love of my life!

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

That I do not recommend planning a wedding and bringing a show to the EdFringe at the same time!

But seriously – I learned a lot about my approach to work. I learned (the hard way) that sometimes taking every opportunity that comes your way is not necessarily the right choice. At the same time, I have learned that if you don’t take opportunities, projects can very easily fizzle down until they are forgotten in some dusty drawer. I have learned that if you have no clue what you’re doing, the best way to find out is to give it a shot.

Tell us about your show.

The show is called The Extraordinary Life of a Rat Racer, it’s a two-hander surreal dark comedy that explores the topic of intrusive thoughts. It’s full of cartoon violence, balloons, and Italians! A quick synopsis would be: woman fights with this crazy guy who’s talking about chopping people up on the tube. Only issue is, he’s in her head.

I wrote and produced the show myself – it’s a semi autobiographical exploration of trauma and its consequences, but told in a very fun way, with lots of clownerie and physical theatre . The company, Stage Leftovers, is a new accent-blind company that myself and Andrea (my other half, and the other half of the company) have created because, as migrant artists, we have been feeling more alienated from the theatre industry. Our aim is to create a space where accent is incidental rather than defining – we are hoping to do so by championing new voices and new stories, and by challenging the role that stereotypes around accents still has when it comes to casting.

Our first ever production was at the Voilà Theatre Festival last November (which fitted beautifully with our accent-blind mission!). We brought half the audience from Italy, it was glorious. We then did a little tour of London pub theatres to develop the show, refresh a few details, waste a little money (mostly in after show drinks), and now here we are! So incredibly excited for the EdFringe! And after Edinburgh, the world!

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

If you like physical theatre, go see “The Last Lie of Pinocchio” by Avanzi di Scena! It’s like a sequel to Pinocchio, but told through dance theatre. It’s beautifully told through movement, dance, projections, images… It just needs to be experienced!

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