Author Archives: Dan Lentell

+3 Interview: Sisters: White Noise

Posted in *Written Interviews, EdFestivals 2017, Plus 3 2017 - Features by

“This year we’re bringing our first full debut hour to the Pleasance Courtyard and we can’t wait to put it in front of a Fringe audience.”

WHO: Mark Jones, Performer / Writer

WHAT: “Innovative sketch duo Sisters snake Fringe-wards, clutching their debut hour to their breast. ‘See them now if you want to witness the birth of something special’ (ThreeWeeks). ‘Genius pieces’ (BroadwayBaby.com). ‘The sharpness of the writing can only be applauded’ (Scottish Daily Mail). ‘A supremely talented ensemble’ (Nicholas Parsons). Sketch Off finalist 2016.”

WHERE: Pleasance Courtyard (Venue 33) ​

WHEN: 19:15 (60 min)

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Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

The pair of us have been coming to the fringe for the last few years. Whilst with the invisible dot, I worked on Liam Williams’ ‘Bonfire Night’, Sheeps’ ‘Skewer The News’ and Lolly Adefope’s ‘Lolly 2’. Last year we performed a 40 minute work-in-progress show on the Free Fringe to test out a heap of material we had accumulated over the last few years. The crowds were really receptive to it so we decided to push on in London. This year we’re bringing our first full debut hour to the Pleasance Courtyard and we can’t wait to put it in front of a Fringe audience.

Tell us about your show.

Our first full hour, ‘White Noise’ is about our three favourite things; comedy, the internet and friendship. Desperate to become famous comedians within the first 50 minutes, we live-stream the entire show to audiences around the world in the hope that it will speed up the process. BUT WILL IT WORK? AND IS THE PLEASANCE WIFI EVEN FAST ENOUGH TO COPE WITH THIS KIND OF SOCIAL EXPERIMENT?! All the answers you seek, and much much less will be revealed in our hour of sketch based jokes n’ gags.

The show has been the culmination of a few year’s writing that began at University. Christy and I lived together in our final year which is where a lot of the writing started. After graduating we entered various competitions and managed to get to the final of the Leicester Square Theatre Sketch-Off in 2017. We’ve been lucky enough to have sold-out our entire run of previews in London and are hoping that that will somehow translate into ticket sales up here in Edinburgh.

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

We’re very excited to see Tim Key, Phoebe Walsh, David Elms’ new play Siren, Princes of Main and a heap of others. There’s also some great newcomers this year that we’re really intrigued by.

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+3 Interview: Sleeping Trees at the Movies

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“…it’ll be a different show each day for three days.”

WHO: Joshua George Smith, Writer performer

WHAT: “Everybody has their favourite film genre, whether it’s rom-com, action, independent amateur Japanese anime, the list is endless. This year, multi award-winning comedy trio the Sleeping Trees are bringing all of their hit movie shows back to the Edinburgh Fringe: Mafia, Western and Sci-Fi! Without any props or set to aid them and with each show accompanied by a rip-roaring live score, only someone who laments fun would consider missing the greatest movie trilogy since Big Momma’s House. All three shows directed by Tom Parry (Pappy’s/BBC Radio 4). Amused Moose Comedy Award Finalists 2016.”

WHERE: Pleasance Dome (Venue 23) ​

WHEN: 17:30 (60 min)

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Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

This is actually our 8th year at the fringe. We first came back in 2009 when we were at the hive (before it was cool) and we have been back every year since. We have always said we will take a break once we’ve done 10. That feels fair.

Tell us about your show.

So we are doing our last three years shows on rotation. So it’ll be a different show each day for three days. They were all written as part of a collaboration with our friends and musicians the Physics House Band and now we have the incredibly talented Ben Hales taking over the job as one man band. After the fringe these shows will be embarking on a bit of a regional tour up until spring, with a little stop off in Belgium. It’s about time we broke the Belgium scene.

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

If you fancy a different kind of three piece I can’t recommend Gein’s Family Giftshop enough. Everything I see of there’s is gold and I can’t wait to see their show this year.

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+3 Interview: Stephen Bailey: Can’t Think Straight

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“I feel like I have something to say about the world and so I’ve decided to impose that view on the unsuspecting audience. For returners, there are still some dick jokes.”

WHO: Stephen Bailey, Performer

WHAT: “Following his sell-out debut tour and appearances on ITV’s Safeword, Channel 5’s Celebrity Big Brother’s Bit on the Side and W’s Celebrity Advice Bureau, everyone’s favourite ‘guilty pleasure’ (Daily Record) returns with another of his infamous gossips. Join Stephen, support for Katherine Ryan on her UK tour, as he tackles everything from celebrity culture to politics, and from dating to working-class family life. ‘He has charisma, he has his own style, he has a wicked line in material and the ability to go off piste with crowd work that is achingly funny’ **** (One4Review.co.uk).”

WHERE: Laughing Horse @ The Free Sisters (Venue 272)

WHEN: 17:15 (60 min)

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Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

This is my fourth fringe show but it is the one I am most excited about. In the past, I have just done 60 minutes of stand up – but this year it’s more of a story. I’ve grown up a bit and I feel like I have something to say about the world and so I’ve decided to impose that view on the unsuspecting audience. For returners, there are still some dick jokes.

What’s the biggest thing to have happened to you since Festivals ’16?: Since then I bought my whole family a Toby Carvery (with dessert).

Tell us about your show.

I LIVED the whole thing, started telling people my story through a mic, cut out the fat and a show was born. After the Fringe, I’m taking it on a huge tour to places like Newcastle where I know at least six people. This year the show is all about me being a feminine man in a masculine world. Some men like football, others like lip-syncing to Little Mix and some like both. It’s called the world and it’s fine.

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

I think after seeing me you should go and see something the complete opposite to me. Like Politics or a play. I also recommend you go and see the Manchester powerhouse that is Eggs Collective. I’ve been on a night out to G.A.Y with these ladies and they aren’t messing about.

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+3 Interview: Impromptu Shakespeare

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“We’ve just finished a fantastic run at the Bristol Shakespeare Festival.”

WHO: Ailis Duff, Actor

WHAT: “A completely improvised Shakespeare play inspired by audience suggestions. Bursting with comedy, love, tragedy, mistaken identity and everything in-between, this show will delight Shakespeare nerds and newbies alike. Back for a fourth year, the cast buckle on the Bard’s britches to bring you the plays he never wrote.”

WHERE: Just the Tonic at The Caves (Venue 88)

WHEN: 13:30 (60 min)

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Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

This is our fourth year at the Edinburgh Fringe and we’re very excited to be back! We’ve had a wonderful year performing around the country and we’ve just finished a fantastic run at the Bristol Shakespeare Festival, and now we’re heading to the Big Cave at Just the Tonic – our biggest venue yet!

Tell us about your show.

The show group first started in Oxford several years ago, and since then we’ve gathered various improvisers from groups all over the country. We’re made up of a rotating group of improvisers from some of the best groups in the U.K., and we’ll be touring the South West in the Autumn as well as doing several shows in London.

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

There is so much wonderful improv to see at this year’s Fringe! A few that we’d recommend are our friends The Maydays and Notflix, as well as the Bumper Blyton Improvised Adventure and Adventures of the Improvised Sherlock Holmes. Also check out our Bristol improv pals in This is Soap and Murder, She Didn’t Write. So much to choose from!

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+3 Interview: Charlie’s Letters

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“I began making Charlie’s Letters when I was 13 though so in some ways it feels like it’s been a long time coming.”

WHO: Elliott Hasler, Writer, director and lead

WHAT: “An escaped POW’s battle for survival whilst on the run in war-torn Italy, as his wife and son wait for news in England. 16-year-old aspiring director Elliott Hasler’s epic depiction of his great-grandfather’s WWII experiences. Meticulously researched and undergoing production for almost three years, across five countries with scenes filmed around Brighton. The film acts as a testament to the incredible spirit that emerged through the hardships and horrors of the world’s greatest conflict, portraying the human story of an ordinary soldier forced to do the extraordinary. British Film Director – Elliott Hasler, The Next Generation Relsah Productions.”

WHERE: Pleasance Courtyard (Venue 33) 

WHEN: 20:00 (100 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

Yes, and I can’t believe I’m here, it’s not a bad way to celebrate turning 17. I began making Charlie’s Letters when I was 13 though so in some ways it feels like it’s been a long time coming.

Tell us about your show.

I wrote, directed and star in Charlie’s Letters – along with an incredible cast. It’s based on the experiences of my great-grandfather Charlie during WW2. After being freed from an Italian POW camp, Charlie spent 18 months evading Germans, living with peasants and fighting with the underground resistance as he tried to get home to his wife and young son – my grandfather – in England.

Unfortunately Charlie died a year before I was born, but I think the film does him justice. I’ve been geekily obsessed with films since I was 10 and I knew his story would work brilliantly.

The film premiered at this year’s Brighton Fringe where it enjoyed a sell-out, extended run. Off the back of that I’ve been invited to show Charlie’s Letters on Brighton beach’s Big Screen in August and Camden Roundhouse has also invited me to screen Refuge, a short film I’ve just made, as part of its And Now What? festival in October.

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

It has to be my fellow Brightonians Kids With Beards – a silly and surreal sketch troupe. They won the Audience Choice Award at Brighton Fringe this year so definitely worth a look.

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+3 Interview: Bare Skin on Briny Waters

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“We’re part of the Hull Takeover organised by Hull City of Culture 2017, so you should see all their incredible shows.”

WHO:  Maureen Lennon, Writer/Actor

WHAT: “Annie finds herself on a clifftop. She says she’s fine but she can’t quite get her story straight. Sat by her side, Sophie covers the bruises on her neck. She thinks everything might just be alright, because it’s amazing what you get used to, isn’t it? Underscored with live folk music, Bare Skin on Briny Waters is a story about survival and escape. It’s about two young women standing on a cliff edge, steadily being blown on an unexpected course.”

WHERE: Pleasance Courtyard (Venue 33)

WHEN: 13:00 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

No, we’ve all been lucky enough to be up a few times with different shows over the years. This is our second year here as a company, in 2015 we brought a show called Billy Through The Window to Underbelly. That was a whirlwind of a month so we can’t wait to get stuck in again this year.

Tell us about your show.

Bellow Theatre came together at Bristol University where me (Maureen) and Co-Founder Tabitha Mortiboy met. When I moved back to Hull we brought a few others on board, so now we’re a nice mixture of people and places.

Bare Skin On Briny Waters is a co-write between me and Tabitha. It tells the story of two young women, whose life has driven them to edge. They find themselves on a cliff top wondering how they got there and whether they can claw themselves back. It’s been in development for a few years in various forms, but it had it’s first proper scratch outing at HeadsUp Hull in October, before heading to New Diorama Theatre in February as part of the Hull City of Culture Emerging Companies Showcase, and Incoming Festival in June.

It’s since been re-developed and has a brand spanking new lighting design by Will Monks, and set design by Naomi Kuyck-Cohen, as well as some gorgeous new music composed and played live by Tabitha, ready to premiere this month at The Pleasance.

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

We’re part of the Hull Takeover organised by Hull City of Culture 2017, so you should see all their incredible shows. This includes Silent Uproar’s Super Happy Story About Feeling Super Sad, cabaret musical about depression and Middlechild’s All We Ever Wanted Was Everything, a new piece of gig theatre about what happens when dreams don’t become reality, as well as shows by Pub Corner Poets and Curious Directive. They’re all wildly different pieces which echo each other in surprising ways and demonstrate the real variety and quality of work coming out of Hull at the minute.

You should also make it along to our other musician Isobel Rogers’ solo show Elsa on at Assembly Hall, a really witty comment on London life in 2017.

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+3 Interview: In The Millennial Dome

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“The word ‘Millennial’ is relatively new, and the concept is just crystallising, so we thought it was a more relevant time than ever to write this show.”

WHO: Alex Ferguson, Writer / Producer / Performer

WHAT: “This comic play with poems considers the issues facing an internet generation given a lot of choice without direction. In a trendy bar you’ve never heard of, Tim, a self-assured poet, narrates fellow Millennial, George’s various hypothetical lifestyle choices. Corporate sell-out? Instagram-famous? Vegan activist? Come and see!”

WHERE: Room 1, Black Market, 32 Market St

WHEN: 11:10 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

This is not my first time at the fringe, no, I have been up as a performer once before, with a uni production of One Flew Over A Cuckoo’s Nest.

But this is my first time taking completely my own show up, with my mate Geraint Williams (Lovely welsh name I know), who’s a proper actor and that.

I’m dead excited to get involved in all the events, get networking and meet as many people as I can up here. I think our show is strong, and I’d love people to come see it, and I’m excited to face that challenge!

Tell us about your show.

I wrote the show with Geraint in January, and we did so after a lot of our friends had sudden changes of career, and were struggling to come to terms with being 2/3 years out of graduation. It’s about a guy, George struggling with indecision, encountering a charismatic old friend who’s since become a poet. They play out various walks of life for George, narrated with poetry and with much hilarity.

I’d been doing a lot of spoken word poetry and stand up nights, and wanted to start to create a narrative, about Millennials and the stereotypes surrounding them. All Millennials have now entered the work place, or there abouts, and are making an impact. The word ‘Millennial’ is relatively new, and the concept is just crystallising, so we thought it was a more relevant time than ever to write this show.
We premiered at the Liverpool Fringe, at the end of June, a new fringe festival that went down to great success this year. We sold out both nights, and recieved two 4 star reviews by local reviewers.

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

I have a strong draw to a particular show at the traverse theatre this year, Nina: A Story about Me and Nina Simone. I first saw this at the Unity theatre a couple of months ago, and it blew me away. A one woman show, with songs, detailing a relationship with both Nina Simone’s music and her politically, it strives to make a deep connect with the audience, sometimes to uncomfortable levels.

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+3 Interview: The Nature of Forgetting

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“It almost feels like a show and ultimately a team is never quite complete until it has gone through a run at the Edinburgh Fringe.”

WHO: Guillaume Pige, Director and Actor

WHAT: “Part of British Council Edinburgh Showcase 2017 and following a sell-out run at the 2017 London International Mime Festival, Theatre Re presents a powerful, explosive and joyous piece about what is left when memory is gone. Tom is 55, today. As he dresses for his party, tangled threads of disappearing memories spark him into life, unravelling as a tale of friendship, love and guilt. Theatre Re is a London-based international ensemble creating thought-provoking, tangible and poignant work. Its shows examine fragile human conditions in a compelling, physical style embracing mime, theatre and live music.”

WHERE: Pleasance Courtyard (Venue 33)

WHEN: 12:00 (75 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

This is our fourth Edinburgh! I absolutely love the festival and the whole buzz around it. I also find it very healthy for the work. It almost feels like a show and ultimately a team is never quite complete until it has gone through a run at the Edinburgh Fringe. On stage, it allows us to really own the piece and also gives us the confidence to keep playing with it and be bold. Off stage, we get to see lots and lots of shows together and share life’s incredible moments!

Tell us about your show.

We work mainly through collaboration and The Nature of Forgetting was devised over a period of 2 years by the entire company, which includes actors, mimes, musicians, but also a scientist and public health professionals. We premiered as part of the 2017 London International Mime Festival and then brought the show to the Latitude Festival. After the Fringe we will be touring in the UK in the Spring 2018 and then in the US in the Autumn 2018, which is incredibly exciting!

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

We would wholeheartedly recommend The Flying Lover of Vitebsk by Kneehigh. Firstly because we love Chagall and also because we love Kneehigh!

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+3 Interview: Lost in Translation: A Bilingual Journey

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“I first started at The BBC Comedy Venue as a runner and then I came back every summer as a performer or producer.”

WHO: Marion Geoffray, Performer/deviser

WHAT: “What happens in the mind of a bilingual person? Lose yourself in a joyful and intimate journey celebrating languages, cliches and pop culture. Interactive and thought-provoking: a performance like no other, pushing and questioning both theatrical and European frontiers.”

WHERE: Institut français d’Ecosse (Venue 134)

WHEN: 16:00 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

I’ve been doing the Fringe ever since I moved to the UK almost 9 years ago. I first started at The BBC Comedy Venue as a runner and then I came back every summer as a performer or producer. It is the first time though that my theatre company Theatre Sans Accents presents its own production so it is a bit like the first time all over again 🙂

Tell us about your show.

Lost in Translation: A Bilingual Journey is a co-devised piece based on true life events created by Marcus Bazley (the director) and myself, it is produced by Eszter Marsalko.

While I had the ideas for the play in my head all along, making them come to life turned out to be more challenging. We didn’t have a script at first, instead, we just shared anecdotes and created a collage of memories and events in different languages reflecting the different parts of my story. Once we had all those blocks and mood boards, we made a collage and assembled all the pieces of the puzzle together. It was a very organic way process. Marcus and I had worked two years ago on the same production (Theatre Re’s Blind Man’s Song) during the Fringe. We wanted to work together and this was the perfect opportunity as I needed to work with someone who was native yet fluent in French too!

The production had its first preview at Summerhall in April 2017 and then went on to preview in Warwick, London and Hidden Door Festival in Edinburgh where it changed a lot through being presented in front of a the live audience.

This show is a journey so we have intentionally left it open ended as we are hoping to add more “stops” and “chapters” to the story as we tour it to different places. We are planning on bringing it to The Festival d’Avignon next summer and hopefully secure dates in the UK this winter.

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

Younger audiences should definitely check out The Wonderful World of Lapin (Le Petit Monde) and Gobland for Goblins.

For us older people: – Palmyra by Fellswoop Theatre / – Extra-Curricular and Brite Theater’s Richard III – a one-woman show.

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+3 Interview: AnimAlphabet the Musical

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“Many of the families return to watch the show again. It’s lovely to see familiar faces in the audience.”

WHO: Jake Addley, Actor

WHAT: “Treble Clef Island is a wonderful land of music, song and dance, but there’s a problem. Calando the Dastardly Duck has escaped and is threatening to steal sound forever. Join Colin the Cockatoo on a quest to find the island animals and thwart Calando’s plans. A waltzing elephant, a reggae frog, a Geordie jazz giraffe and a hip-hop donkey are just some of the musical-misfits Cockatoo will meet along the way. With an island full of bright characters, bold puppets and unforgettably catchy songs, written by The Hoosiers, it’s a family musical unlike any other.”

WHERE: Pleasance Dome (Venue 23) ​

WHEN: 10:30 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

This is my fourth time performing at the Fringe. My first performance was in 2010 and I returned a year later to perform a one man show called One Fine Day. One Fine Day received excellent reviews and was nominated for The Stage’s Best Solo-Performance Award (Edinburgh Festival 2011).

In 2015 I performed Cross The Shifting Sands, another one man show, and now I’m very excited to be returning to Edinburgh in a brand new family musical called AnimAlphabet the Musical.

Tell us about your show.

AnimAlphabet The Musical is the creation of Al and Sam of The Hoosiers and Mark Hooper and Dean Penn. Al and Sam wrote the music and lyrics and the story was created by Mark and Dean.

It’s such a fun show, the songs are brilliant, each character has their own unique musical style. The show has lots of humour that appeals to all ages. We’ve performed to children from 15 months to over 80 and it has something for everyone to enjoy throughout the show. Many of the families return to watch the show again. It’s lovely to see familiar faces in the audience.

AnimAlphabet premiered at South Hill Park In July. Over 450 people came to watch and the audiences reaction was incredible. More recently (last weekend) we performed to thousands of children and families at Camp Bestival in Dorset and that was a fantastic experience. What next? We are taking AnimAlphabet on tour to a number of UK venues and there are plans to take the show back out on tour in 2018.

AnimAlphabet The Musical is produced by Hit The Mark Theatre.

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

Come see AnimAlphabet and then, maybe, come see it again. After that Gruffalo’s Child for families, The Nature of Forgetting is a fantastic show, Merrily We Roll Along, and Lula Del Ray by Manual Cinema.

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