Author Archives: Dan Lentell

EdFringe Talk: Wild Things

Posted in *Written Interviews, EdFestivals 2023 by

“I always prefer to go up with a show, it makes you feel like part of the action.”

WHO: Emma Hinnells

WHAT: “Conservation and comedy collide in this hour-long improvised play about endangered species. Join us to explore the fate of a completely invented animal and a community’s journey to save it. Informed by conservation research, Wild Things is a ‘hilarious yet poignant’ (Oxford Scientist) show that tackles environmental themes and nature in a way that will have you laughing and learning. All made up entirely on the spot based on audience suggestions, this creature’s story has never been told before… because we need you to help us make the show. You create the animal, we’ll fend off extinction!”

WHERE: Greenside @ Riddles Court – Willow Studio (Venue 16) 

WHEN: 13:55 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

All the performers have been to Edinburgh before, but this is our first time bringing this particular show. We LOVE the Edinburgh Fringe, it’s the highlight of our year! What makes the Fringe so special is the feeling of constant buzz around you – there are shows all over the city at all times of the day and night. It’s an incredibly exciting creative space to be in. I always prefer to go up with a show, it makes you feel like part of the action.

What are the big things you’ve learned since 2022 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?

Building relationships with other shows can transform your experience of the Fringe, making you feel like a part of a big community rather than going it alone. We’re trying to reach out to other shows more, particularly within our Greenside Venues, to build that sense of camaraderie. You’re always learning up at the Fringe so you’ll never have a ‘perfect’ run, but that’s all part of the experience.

Tell us about your show.

Wild Things is a longform improv show where the audience creates the animal and the performers try to fend off extinction! It is informed by conservation science and supported by the British Ecological Society. Wild Things is primarily an entertainment show, but we are doing additional impact evaluation to better understand how the show affects people’s understanding of biodiversity and nature conservation.

Our Director is Sofia Castelló y Tickell, a conservation scientist and science communicator. She devised the format of Wild Things whilst researching for her PhD at the University of Oxford as a way to combine theoretical models for understanding conservation efforts with the immediacy and humour provided by improvised comedy. Wild Things was performed in Oxford for a limited run in February 2020 and now we’re bringing it to the Fringe for the first time!

Sofia is supported by Assistant Director and Musician Matthew Kemp, a geologist and science communicator with Geologise Theatre.

I am Emma Hinnells, Producer for the show and for performance group Just Improv. I work as an independent Producer for live events, short films and audio production and hve been improvising for over five years.

We’re so excited to bring this show to the Fringe and then hopefully take it round the country!

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

Disoriented on the Murder Express by House of Improv – lots of our group trained with House of Improv so we know just how good the performers are. It’s an improvised murder mystery that is guaranteed to make you laugh (and it’s on the Free Fringe!)

Chrissie and the Skiddle Witch by Geologise Theatre – Matthew’s other show is also FANTASTIC! A climate change story with brilliant songs, incredible writing and outstanding performances, and its on the slot before us in the same room so you can double up.

The Oxford Imps – an icon of the Fringe, this group at slick, quick and witty. Some of our team also trained with them, so they must be good 😉

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EdFringe Talk: Modern Witches

Posted in *Written Interviews, EdFestivals 2023 by

“I am loathe to be so honest because I fear it punts me into a horrid stereotype of a haggard old theatre dame coveting youthful spirit.”

WHO: Katie Kopajtic

WHAT: “Lesbian actor Kate struggles to create a self-tape audition as Virginia Woolf, revealing that she is frozen in the midst of running away from her healthy relationship. The self-tape shifts from an actor’s grind to an incantation as Kate accidentally summons the ghost of Virginia Woolf, whose bold approach to life helps her to uncover the root of her fear. From the storefront of a mystic shop to the rabbit hole of #WitchTok, this comedic romp explores Woolf’s biography, queer relationship anxiety, and archetypes of the modern witch.”

WHERE: Greenside @ Infirmary Street – Ivy Studio (Venue 236) 

WHEN: 19:35 (50 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

This is my second festival! I was here for a full run in 2017 with my solo show “Confessions of a Personal Trainer,” which gave me the first time high feeling of performing to a streak of full houses, and a first time low feeling of a terrible audience review. *That* guy felt like he was just “watching one of his mates complain about work.” Sorry, sir!

That first fringe experience reinstated my faith in theatre. Being in the U.S. can absolutely kill your soul as an artist, because it often feels like no one outside of theatre circles attends live theatre. At the fringe, seeing what I would describe (lovingly) as “regular people” show up at weird venues to see weird people do their weird art was literally life giving.

I was 28, I am 34 now. I am different. COVID changed us all, right? The rose colored glasses of “Maybe XYZ will happen and my career will go to the moon!” are off my face and across the room. I’m excited to be back because 1. my wife is running tech for me and that is sexy for us, and 2. I love my show. My palms are sweating with nervous excitement to showcase my American interpretation of Virginia Woolf for a U.K. audience.

What are the big things you’ve learned since 2022 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?

Oh, sure! Nothing in life is guaranteed so you have to try! Really, I am loathe to be so honest because I fear it punts me into a horrid stereotype of a haggard old theatre dame coveting youthful spirit, but truly: it was the most freeing thing to let go of the entitled feeling that: since I am making this art, something must come out of it to further my career along. No. All your life as an artist, the best and most repeated wisdom is: trust the process. But I don’t think that happens right away. I feel like I’m finally starting to not only trust the process, but also cherish it.

Also, when life gets you down, grow some seeds in your house and plant them in some dirt. Nothing gives me more joy than to see a new squash sprout out from my garden.

Tell us about your show.

Modern Witches! I started writing this in 2019 after my older sister, a literal Doctor of Philosophy and Woolf scholar, told me I had a Woolfian profile and that I “should write a show about her.” Ever the obedient one, here I am. Modern Witches has taken on the roles of co-production, commissioned work and fringe show in Nashville, Baltimore, New York state and New York City. Ed Fringe will be its Global Premiere.

Our company Tres Brujas Productions – which is me and my wife – came together prior to the fringe in 2017. TBP is a lot of producing my work, but we also support and produce theatre from San Juan, Puerto Rico.

No after plans yet.

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

Hey so I am super biased, ok? Super biased. GO SEE QUEER THEATRE. Women kissing women. Enbys kissing enbys. t4t. Drag shows. Beards on beards. Shows about being trans. Some shows that have come across my radar around these matters are “Cowboys and Lesbians” “A Shark Ate My Penis,” “Burnt Lavender,” and “Vita and Virginia.”

Other things: I am very excited to catch the action in Bob’s Blundabus, and whatever Lucy Hopkins is doing this year. Lucy is an INSANELY TALENTED CLOWN. Summerhall is a dope venue and their programming just tends to be great, so I’ll be there as well. Finally, Janey Godley Janey Godley Janey Godley. Her show time unfortunately runs up against mine but I pray we’ll be able to find a way to squeeze the “Not Dead Yet” show on an off day.

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EdFringe Talk: Party Scene: Chemsex. Community. Crisis.

Posted in *Written Interviews, EdFestivals 2023 by

“If all else fails, get a falafel wrap.”

WHO: Carl Harrison

WHAT: “Journey into the underbelly of queer culture and experience a sweaty pulsing dance theatre show exploring the complexities of desire, intimacy, isolation and addiction. With an international company of incredible performers, Party Scene celebrates the heady high of the session but poses tough questions around drug use, sex, consent and mental health in the queer community. A bold and wild ride, the show sparks conversation around identity, self-worth, isolation, homophobia, family and care.?”

WHERE: Summerhall – Main Hall (Venue 26) 

WHEN: 17:35 (65 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

This is my third time to Edinburgh. First time was with my mate Lucy’s family – Lucy and I wrote a song on the way up here from Manchester about a tiny penis – it was called ‘An Ode to a Chode’. I remember seeing Flight of the Conchords and we were spitting distance from Jimmy Carr. Second time was with a queer show called ‘I Heart Catherine Pistachio’ at Paines Plough about an abused teenage girl who’s obsessed with Saved by the Bell. I count that as one of the most thrilling performance experiences. So close to the audience and such an electric atmosphere in that tiny tent. Delighted to be graduating to Summerhall for my third visit.

What are the big things you’ve learned since 2022 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?

I think it’s that the world around us can become quite die, cry, hate so I’m pushing even further into the ultimate affirmation of live, laugh love. And if all else fails, get a falafel wrap.

Solid Fringe advice too.

Tell us about your show.

Party Scene is a horny, writhing animal of a show about gays, drugs, sex, pleasure, loneliness and shame. It’s a thrilling, tense, and arousing piece of dance and theatre starring an international cast of four men in very little clothing.

It is written by Phillip McMahon and co-directed with Phillip Connaughton. THISISPOPBABY have been going for 15 years making work about pop culture, counter culture and queerness be it cabaret, plays, dance or film. Party Scene has had two lives so far – it was initially a short film we created in lockdown from which a live version was created for an Irish tour and now we’re bringing that work to Edinburgh. Lock up your sons.

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

The nepotist in me recommends –

Solene Weinachter – After All. An extraordinary performer who has to be seen to be believed. CAPTIVATING!

Figs in Wigs – Little Wimmin – a bonkers, queer retelling of this classic story. So funny and so brilliant. The figs are the Spice Girls of queer performance.

Hannah Maxwell – Nan, Me and Barbara Previ – An amazing wordsmith(stress?) telling a story of caring for her nan – La la Land meets mission impossible meets Hannah’s nan.

Plus there is a LOT of great Irish work on – check out the Wild Geeze, Eva O’Connor’s Chicken, Junk Ensemble’s Dances Like a Bomb and the Culture Ireland programme.

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EdFringe Talk: TINK

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“Life is too short to wait around for people to give you opportunities.”

WHO: Kat Kleve

WHAT: “‘Simply Brilliant… every girl and woman should see this’ (Bristol Post). ‘A tour-de-force performance’ (Bristol247.com). ‘Fabulous, funny and true to life’ (Rapscallion Magazine). Did you know fairies are born big? Tink was a big, brilliant young fairy. Until one day, in a tragic cliché, Tink began to shrink. A nostalgic, modern, musical monologue navigating the complex social struggles of tweens, teens and full-on adulting. A love letter to a young you reminding you to shine – like little you would want you to! TINK was first performed in association with Tobacco Factory Theatres.”

WHERE: Underbelly, Bristo Square – Clover (Venue 302) 

WHEN: 12:55 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

This is my second time performing at the Fringe but the first time bringing my own show here! The last time I was working with the incredible million selling author Rohan Candappa which was the most amazing experience so he’s probably the one to blame for me throwing myself into yet another mad summer at the Fringe! I’m so glad to have experienced the madness before though so I know slightly better what to expect because it really is ALL the things – exciting, exhilarating, stressful, tiring, fulfilling, joyful, hilarious and so much more…DAILY!

What are the big things you’ve learned since 2022 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?

The big things I’ve learned since 2022 are that life is too short to wait around for people to give you opportunities, if you want to do something, go out and create it for yourself!!

Tell us about your show.

So! Our show is called Tink, it’s all about how we start big and confident as young children and slowly start to dim our lights as we grow older. The book is written by the fabulous Lizzy Connolly, I wrote the music with additional lyrics by Lizzy and the whole thing was co-created by the pair of us. This is our first piece of writing together, we met performing in a show at the Bath Theatre Royal which then transferred to the West End, directed by the amazing Terry Johnson called Mrs Henderson Presents. We’ve been such good friends ever since and the creation of TINK came about really naturally and it’s kind of taken on a life of its own!

It first premiered and was produced in association with Tobacco Factory Theatres in March in Bristol (my hometown…big up Brizzle!) and were encouraged by a load of audience members to take it to the Fringe which wasn’t initially the plan…but a few months later…Here. We. Are!
We’re self-producing it, which is a lot! Anyone who’s taken or is taking a show to the fringe – WE FEEL YOU! But, we believe in this show so much and are so excited for more people to see it that it’s going to be worth every strand of stressed hair we’ve lost along the way!!

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

There are so many shows we’d love audiences to see, some of our amazingly hard working and talented fellow creatives are taking shows up there this year including Kathy and Stella Solve a Murder at Underbelly George Square, Sea Words by the incredibly talented Olly Gully at Summerhall and Declan Bennett, who I worked with in the Original West End cast of ‘Once’, he’s bringing his amazing show ‘Boy Out The City’ to Underbelly Cowgate. We’d also recommend you check out the FemiFringe Guide! An awesome guide dedicated to shows led by women and people of marginalised genders.

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EdFringe Talk: Saturn Return

Posted in *Written Interviews, EdFestivals 2023 by

“It’s definitely not been easy bringing the show to Fringe, with lots of ups and downs and unforeseen circumstances on the way, but that only made the show better and myself stronger as an artist and producer.”

WHO: Natalya Samee

WHAT: “A Saturn Return is one’s astrological coming of age, propelling major life transformations. Think getting married or breaking up, finding your dream job or quitting. For Natalya? It was the demise of her seven-year relationship. Saturn forced her to learn life’s big lessons the hard way. She’s ready to talk – now that she can be funny about it. Join acclaimed performer Natalya Samee (Ars Nova, Brooklyn Comedy Collective) in her new comedy-turned-theatre one-woman show exploring love, loss and finding your life force among the cosmos.”

WHERE: Pleasance Courtyard – Beside (Venue 117) 

WHEN: 16:50 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

Not only is this my first Fringe, this is the first theater festival I have ever been to, let alone performed in! I’ve organized, produced, and attended my fair share of music festivals though, big and small, so learning the ropes from that has really helped inform the process for producing my own show.

What are the big things you’ve learned since 2022 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?

Where to start? As both a person and artist, I’ve learned to let go and trust the process in moments when you put in your all and something doesn’t go as planned.

At the same time, as a producer, I’ve learned to take control in areas that I was less comfortable in before because of the skills and confidence I’ve gained making this show. For example, speaking up about how I want something to look and feel, proactive communication with collaborators, final say on an edit, and maximum transparency on everything from the get go to avoid letting anyone down.

Tell us about your show.

I am the writer, performer, and producer of my solo show, SATURN RETURN. I worked on this show for nine months in a comedic artist development program at an off-broadway theater in NYC called Ars Nova. Through Ars Nova, I met my Director, Arpita Mukherjee, who is highly accomplished in film, TV, and theater. I have learned an incredible amount from her. My show debuted two months ago to a sold out audience in New York, which felt incredible. Just proving to myself that I could do this was all I needed to know I could do this again and again in higher pressure situations with fewer resources. It’s definitely not been easy bringing the show to Fringe, with lots of ups and downs and unforeseen circumstances on the way, but that only made the show better and myself stronger as an artist and producer. After Fringe, we’re headed back to New York for another off-broadway performance – and who’s to say what’s next!

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

Go see WELCOME TO THE BIG SHOW at Summerhall, by Gara Lonning. He is a one of a kind, incredible, true artist (comedian, dancer, director, producer, writer) and one of my favorite collaborators. We have a podcast together (HE’S COPY – streaming everywhere) which can give you a taste of how dynamic and hilarious he is. Don’t miss it!

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EdFringe Talk: Martin Urbano: Apology Comeback Tour

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“Was just waiting until I had thousands of dollars I was willing to never see again, and this year I’m finally doing it.”

WHO: Martin Urbano

WHAT: “Martin Urbano spent his long, lucky career talking and saying anything he wanted, until allegations surfaced, he stepped out of the spotlight, promising to take a long time to listen. Now he’s back! Martin tackles his allegations (and much more!) in this long-awaited apology comeback show. He shares his humorous musings on being cancelled, woke Twitter mobs and Uber. ‘Martin Urbano is sincerely subversive’ (New York Times). ‘His work combines edgy, almost-over-the-line humor with – get this – really good jokes’ (Vulture.com). ‘He often leans into a persona of a sex creep’ (Vice.com).”

WHERE: Pleasance Courtyard – Bunker Three (Venue 33) 

WHEN: 21:45 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

This is my first time at Fringe, but I’ve wanted to go for years! Was just waiting until I had thousands of dollars I was willing to never see again, and this year I’m finally doing it. I got my entire life’s savings together, put it into an envelope labelled “Stamptown Productions,” and handed it directly to the head of Stamptown; Zach Zucker

What are the big things you’ve learned since 2022 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?

I learned a lot of things that are much too private to share with you. So instead I’ll give you this answer: I learned how to make a woman have an orgasm, but can’t say the lesson has quite sunk in yet!

Tell us about your show.

My show, Apology Comeback Tour, highlights my abilities as a “truth-teller” comedian. I wrote the show by watching funny stand-up comedians and then writing down what they said verbatim. I’ve been touring this show in the United States of America, mostly at comedy clubs, where crowds have had mixed reactions. Depending how it does at the Fringe, I will either tour it more and film it, or I will quit stand-up comedy forever.

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

America needs a win, so please check out some funny Americans, like: Ike Ufomadu (let’s just say… he’s kind of weird!), Chloe Radcliffe and her show about cheating, Myq Kaplan’s show which is at the same exact time as mine, the show ( . ) ( . ), not American but I’ll give her a pass, Janine Harouni, and despite all of the horrible things you may have heard about their personal lives, check out the briTANick guys.

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EdFringe Talk: Annabel Marlow… is this okay??

Posted in *Written Interviews, EdFestivals 2023 by

“Everyone I love is there, being talented and clever and good looking. Heaven, heaven, heaven.”

WHO: Annabel Marlow

WHAT: “From SIX (Edinburgh Fringe original cast), Public (Vaults) and several perfect pictures (Instagram) Annabel Marlow makes her solo debut. Enjoy a comedy gig (we’re making it a thing!) of original music, perfect singing (not even kidding), and absolute vibes. This show explores love (whatever that is!), contraception (modern!), graphic designers (nooo!), having opinions (or not!), overthinking (she sounds cute!) and just how much attention one girl apparently needs. So put down the knitting, and bring a hot single friend to watch Annabel perform all these songs and jokes about literally herself and maybe three others.”

WHERE: Pleasance Courtyard – The Attic (Venue 33) 

WHEN: 20:30 (60 min)

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Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

This is my fourth time at Edinburgh! I was in the first ever cast of the musical Six as the original Katherine Howard in 2017 which was obviously insane and perfect. And since then I’ve been going with either my brother or a bunch of friends, not performing, but to watch a billion shows and have a billion beers. I always cry on the last day because I have to wait a whole year till I can go back to the heaven that is the Fringe. Everyone I love is there, being talented and clever and good looking. Heaven, heaven, heaven.

What are the big things you’ve learned since 2022 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?

This year I’ve just really had to really gosh darn believe in myself because, apart from all the gorgeous people at Stamptown (my producers) and the support of my family and friends, I really am just like doing quite an insane thing. Putting on makeup and lovely outfits and getting up in front of people and basically being like ‘here’s all this stuff I wrote I hope you like it.’ You really have to back yourself and believe in what you’re doing but sometimes that can be hard when it’s just you writing in your room without showering for days what who said that? And what really helps is giving the support I want for myself, to other people doing the same thing around me. Be good to people, help people when you can, give advice, be kind, and it literally all comes back to you in some way or another!

Tell us about your show.

I wrote my show, and the lovely folks over at Stamptown are producing it! It’s me at the keyboard singing with one of the best voices you might ever hear, being a bit funny, being a bit sad, telling some stories and having a jolly old time. I did 3 previews in London which all went super well! Scary though lemme tell ya. I’m not sure what will happen after Edinburgh but my money’s on a Netflix special.

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

Well firstly I will plug the other show I’m doing which is a brand-new musical called ‘Public’ which is just two hours before my show also in the Courtyard at 6:30!!! It’s hilarious, moving, the music is unreal I must say. Come come come.

Obviously all the other Stamptown shows are going to be epic party times, with very talented clever lovely people who you should really grab tickets to see before they are all shipped on a boat to Hollywood on the 1st of September undoubtedly. My best friend Rosie is directing and producing an original musical called ’We’;; Have Nun of it’ at Underbelly. My friend Rosalie Minnitt is doing her one-woman comedy extravaganza called Clementine. John Tothill, Lorna Rose Treen. My friend James’ ‘Pleading Stupidity’, my friend Cat’s ‘Artist/Muse’. SO MANY.

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EdFringe Talk: Please Love Me

Posted in *Written Interviews, EdFestivals 2023 by

“It’s good to have someone to keep you in check mentally when there are so many other acts to compare yourself to.”

WHO: Clementine Bogg-Hargroves and Zoey Barnes

WHAT: “‘I felt this pressure to be sexy from the second I got tits. And then the f*ckers didn’t even grow that much.’ From the creators of the sell out show Skank (The Times’ Critics choice for 2021 Edinburgh Fringe and Offies 2021 OffFest nominee) comes a one-woman spectacle featuring pole dancing and original music. A first love, second heartbreak, and third piece of cake in a row make a naughty teenager question if she can ever be a “good woman”. And what the hell that even means. Ready for some clubland classics and moral philosophy?”

WHERE: Pleasance Dome – AceDome (Venue 23) 

WHEN: 20:20 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

This will be our third time at The Pleasance, as well as having performed at the free fringe and with other companies long ago. Edfringe is such a unique experience, it just covers the whole city in posters and glitter and talent. We always walk away having made new fringe friends and having ideas for 100 new shows because there’s just so much to take in!

What are the big things you’ve learned since 2022 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?

We’ve learned that the fringe is best experienced together. As our last show was a solo show, created and performed by Clem, she spent the majority of her time in Ed alone, which can be really daunting and isolating. When the two of us were there together it just became a blast. It’s good to have someone to keep you in check mentally when there are so many other acts to compare yourself to.

Tell us about your show.

Making our show has been a collaborative process, Clem is the creator and performer and Zoey is the co-creator and songwriter. We don’t easily fit into legible roles because we’ve both touched all elements of the show. We met in drama school in 2016 and became instant best friends like that mashed potato powder you just add water to. We’ve been collaborators ever since; this is our third show together and our work has scaled enormously each time.

Please Love Me will premiere in Edinburgh this year! Then we’re hoping to do a national tour. As Clem grew up in France, there’s talk of translating it and taking it there! Clem is excited to perform in a place she can call home and Zoey is excited to drink red wine and smoke cigarettes in a beret.

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

Clem: My good mate Harry Stachini is going up with his stand-up hour Grenade and I can’t wait to be in the audience and cheer him on in Scotland. I’m a big fan. He’s just fantastic at what he does and he’s also an absolute dream of a person. A GOOD LAD!

My other good mate Eva O’Connor is taking her new show Chicken to Summerhall, where she’s performing as a life size chicken in a rubber chicken suit. Need I say more?

I’m also really excited to see Lucy Mccormick as I’ve never seen her perform before but her energy is electric and I’ve only heard good things.

We’re also excited to catch F-Bomb theatre’s smash hit The Beatles Were a Boyband as we somehow missed it last year! Frankie Thompson and Liv Ello’s Body show looks amazing and Ageless, a physical theatre piece by Scotland’s leading dance company for those aged over 60.

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EdFringe Talk: Clown Sex

Posted in *Written Interviews, EdFestivals 2023 by

“As a live performer, it’s really important to have a good home life, and enjoy the times when you aren’t making a show or are on stage. It’s essential to find enjoyment in your day-to-day life.”

WHO: Natasha Sutton-Williams

WHAT: “Join Gary Strange in the London sewers as he encounters stories of bad sex, sad sex and clown sex. From garlic-flavoured nipples to cat cunnilingus, it’s funny, grotesque and surprisingly relatable. Visceral and ‘brilliantly oddball’ (Time Out), this show makes audiences laugh, cry, and even gag. Expect the unexpected. Nominations: People’s Choice Award (VAULT Festival 2023), Best Performance in an IDEA Production (Offies Award 2023), Clown Sex Podcast (OffComm Award 2023). ‘Unique and mouthwatering’ ***** (NorthWestEnd.co.uk). ‘Examines sex in all its messy glory’ ****½ (Breaking-the-Fourth-Wall.com). ‘Unexpected comedy’ **** (BroadwayWorld.com).”

WHERE: Pleasance Courtyard – Bunker Two (Venue 33) 

WHEN: 13:45 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

Yes! This is the first time that I will be performing in Edinburgh, and am doing the marathon of the month at the Pleasance Courtyard. I’ve performed many times in London at festivals like VAULT and previously I have been reluctant to go up to Edinburgh because it can feel like there is so much noise and that you are screaming into a void. But because Clown Sex sold out at VAULT this year and received a number of award nominations and great reviews, it felt like this year would be the best time to give Edinburgh a go.

What are the big things you’ve learned since 2022 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?

There’s two big things I’ve learnt in relation to live performance since the pandemic. One is that there is still a huge public desire to see live performances on stage. It is an inbuilt urge for humans to tell each other stories and watch each other perform live and in the flesh. That gives me hope even in these steadily difficult times.

The second thing I’ve learnt is that as a live performer, it’s really important to have a good home life, and enjoy the times when you aren’t making a show or are on stage. It’s essential to find enjoyment in your day-to-day life. Creating and performing work is one of the most exciting things you can do with your time, but it’s important to find other stimuli in addition to treading the boards if you want to keep your sanity in this insane business.

Tell us about your show.

Gary Strange has moved into the London sewers due to the cost-of-living crisis. One benefit of living in London’s innards is that Gary can listen to his high-rise neighbours through drainpipes and plugholes, overhearing stories of bad sex, sad sex and even clown sex. He recounts a day in the life of a failed teacher and party animal, a journalist’s enlightening sexual encounter with a feline friend, and Gary’s personal experience of getting jiggy with a kink-positive clown.

I have a real soft spot for Gary, even though some people might find him to be a bit of a wrong’un. It’s true that he has some odd tastes – clown sex being one of them – and he loves to bask in the joy of filth, but what is so great about Gary is that he doesn’t let society’s prejudices get in the way of expressing himself, or his pleasure seeking. He is cheery, sweet and really quite thoughtful, especially when it comes to his romantic partners. He has taken wokeness very seriously.

I’ve written and am performing the show. My incredible producer Steph J Weller is producing the show, along with some support from Wildpark Entertainment. Steph and I co-founded Working Birthday Theatre company. We’re the filthy joke that makes your mum laugh in spite of herself. Our theatrical goal is to subvert traditional representations of women and instead presents complex, hilarious, and even amoral female protagonists with unflinching detail. We’ve created critically acclaimed shows like Freud the Musical which explore mental health, sexuality, and the enduring quest for human connection.

Clown Sex has had different permutations over the years, but the version you will see at Edinburgh has never been seen before! During the pandemic I adapted Clown Sex into a 6-part comedy drama podcast which was a great experience. It has much more material in it than I am able to illustrate in an hour show, and I am able to delve more deeply into the world of the characters. You can listen to the Clown Sex podcast wherever you get your pods! Here is a link to it on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/3oCmcBVAsFhqCQnOmNsoRi

The next steps of the project are all very hush hush, so watch this space to see what grotesque hilarity seeps out from the sewers of my mind!

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

Last year when I went up to the Fringe as a punter, I saw the queer, burlesque clown show Trash Salad devised and performed by Rosa Garland. It has gained quite a following since last year, and is on for the first two weeks of Edinburgh at the Pleasance. It is a truly original show, so if you like your burlesque queer and freaky with a dash of vinaigrette on the side, be sure to check it out!

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EdFringe Talk: How to Write a Eulogy That Kills

Posted in *Written Interviews, EdFestivals 2023 by

“I love, love, love the fringe for the non-stop performances, all the creativity literally everywhere you go, the new people to meet, the feverish excitement, and of course all the walking I’m forced to do and how shapely my calves will become.”

WHO: Angela Beevers

WHAT: “From a producer on Silicon Valley and Beavis and Butt-head comes an irreverent true story about belly dance, cancer, fiddling, beekeeping, and a psychotic deathbed wish. After a sold-out run at the Hollywood Fringe and an Encore Producer’s Award, this show makes its international debut promising both laughs and cries. Mostly laughs. Definitely some cries though.”

WHERE: Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose – Snug (Venue 24) 

WHEN: 23:00 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

This is my first time to Fringe as a performer. I came in 2019 as a tourist and also to see all the amazing shows and meet comedians for my job. In addition to doing my own comedy shows, I also work in development as an Associate Producer, so I’m so, so lucky to not only perform but also meet other amazing talented people and hopefully develop with them as well. I love, love, love the fringe for the non-stop performances, all the creativity literally everywhere you go, the new people to meet, the feverish excitement, and of course all the walking I’m forced to do and how shapely my calves will become. I also can’t wait to have my mind blown by all the incredible shows this year. I can’t stop thinking about everything I saw in 2019.

What are the big things you’ve learned since 2022 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?

Eeek. I wish I could say I’ve learned a ton, but one big change I’ve made is to try to not let fear of Covid stop me from performing. I spent a lot of 2022 indoors, feeling generally uneasy. So I guess the big thing I’ve learned is to get back out there. That, and that audience members love when you give each of them a tender kiss on the top of their head at the end. It makes them feel special, and it’s more unique than a bow.

Tell us about your show.

My show is called How to Write a Eulogy That Kills. And I’m actually producing it all by myself, and I’m in it alone, so it’s really just a lonely company of one. I do not suggest this to people, it is very difficult, however it’s one way to get yourself out there!! And learn a ton! I did premier it before Edinburgh in 2019 at the Hollywood Fringe, and after the pandemic I’m finally getting it to Edinburgh this year. I have a wonderful community of artists and performers I work with all the time in LA, including my friend Eden Sher who is also doing a one-woman show at Fringe this year, called I Was on a Sitcom. She and I have both really helped each other out, while producing our individual shows on our own. We’ve known each other for years; her husband Nick has been my writing partner since college. I love collaborating and will likely add a team to this show as I do this run. After Edinburgh, I plan to go back to LA, NY, and SF at first, and am looking at other Fringe festivals as well.

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

Well, I definitely want people to go see Eden Sher’s I Was on a Sitcom (it’s got masterful physical comedy, amazing hilarious and tender writing, and a really intimate and casual look at someone who most people know as a character on TV).

I absolutely adore Courtney Pauroso’s work, and everyone should see Vanessa 5000. She blows me away with her shows every time, so funny, so fearless. She’s playing a sex robot this time, and I can’t wait to see her completely embody that role and what she and her director Corey Podell have come up with this time.

Another LA clown to watch out for is Bill O’Neill, with his show The Amazing Banana Brothers. He’s going to slip on 1000 banana peels, which is also mind-blowing physical comedy (plus he’s directed by Natalie Palamides, need I say more?)

Also, Katherine Bourne Taylor’s Grown Up Orphan Annie, and Mark Vigeant’s Mark Pleases You, both just had huge audiences at the Hollywood Fringe. I love character comedy and I’m so ready to see Orphan Annie all grown up, and apparently, there will be original music and orcas? Mark Pleases You is a hilarious whirlwind, all about confronting your inner child — I’d describe more, but I really want Mark to show you himself. You simply must see all, there is no option to skip a single one of these wonderful shows or you will have bad luck for seven years. I don’t make the rules.

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