Category Archives: EdFestivals 2017

All our coverage from the 2017 festivals.

+3 Interview: 1 Woman, a High-Flyer and a Flat Bottom: Samantha Baines

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

“Expect facts, puns and a whiskey bottle attached to an ear trumpet.”

WHO: Samantha Baines, Writer/Perfromer

WHAT: “Award-winning comedian Samantha Baines (The Crown, Sunny D, BBC Radio 4) returns to Edinburgh after a smash-hit, sell-out run in 2016. This year she’s exploring the lost women of science. Expect facts, puns and an ear trumpet attached to a whiskey bottle. It’s science meets funny.”

WHERE: Pleasance Courtyard (Venue 33) ​

WHEN: 15:30 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

What’s the biggest thing to have happened to you since Festivals ’16?

Gosh well quite a bit has happened! I got married that was a big event and a big bill. I am in Netflix series The Crown which came out last year and includes a stella cast the like of which makes me think “why am I in it?!” – I think there was a mix up with the casting and they just didn’t realise but I had the best time filming it. I also published a comedy poetry book which I have two boxes full of at home if anyone would like one? My father also died this year which has been really tough but I mention some fond memories of him in my show this year.

Tell us about your show.

I wrote it, I perform it and it’s all about me! Actually my show this year is about the lost women of science with a bit of me thrown in for good measure. I set myself the challenge of finding some amazing women in science to readdress the balance of doing a whole show last year about Cox (Professor Brian).

I introduce three wonderful women from science that I’ve discovered during my research with the aim of celebrating them and raising awareness of their amazing achievements. Expect facts, puns and a whiskey bottle attached to an ear trumpet.

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

Well… I also have another show called 2 Girls 1 Cup of Comedy which is a comedy line up of TV names and some of the best new comedians. I host the show and it’s produced by Kate Lennon and we always have at least two women on the bill but usually many more! 2 Girls 1 Cup of Comedy bears no relation to THAT youtube video and is on at 11pm at Just the Tonic at the Mash House, 3rd – 27th August.

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+3 Interview: Becoming Scheherazade

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“It’s a personal story as much as a theatrical one.”

WHO: Kamaal Hussain, Writer/Director/Performer

WHAT: “The Thief of Baghdad presents Becoming Scheherazade. Magic and reality collide as one British Arab navigates the voyages of Sindbad and tries to make sense of his own family’s relationship to their migration from Iraq to the UK. ‘One wants to tell a story, like Scheherazade, in order not to die. It’s one of the oldest urges of mankind. It’s a way of stalling death’ (Carlos Fuentes).”

WHERE: Summerhall (Venue 26) 

WHEN: 15:00 (50 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

No, but the last time I performed there was in 1995! I’ve been coming the Fringe regularly as a punter for years, but haven’t brought a show in over 20 years!

Tell us about your show.

Becoming Scheherazade is an examination of my family’s migration to the UK from Iraq, all beautifully interwoven with the stories of Sinbad from the Arabian Nights.

It really looks at the human story of migration, and challenges the assumptions made about Arabs in the UK.

As it’s a personal story as much as a theatrical one, it’s written by me, and has been fomenting in my mind over the last couple of years.

After the Fringe, I hope to tour.

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

I saw Every Brilliant Thing a couple of years ago, which was marvelous. The Jurassic Parks is fun too!

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+3 Interview: Happily Never After

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“Each show is different, of course, but they all have dark comedy, improvised music and songs and, quite regularly, a number of improvised deaths.”

WHO: Jen Rowe, Performer

WHAT: “Award-winning improvisers The Maydays present this skin-prickling tale full of black comedy and haunting music, inspired by the warped imaginations of Tim Burton, Lemony Snicket and the Brothers Grimm. Starting with your suggestion, The Maydays take you on a bone-chilling journey, meeting the grotesque and the innocent, weaving a fantastical story that’s different every time. Happily Never After returns to edfringe for a second year after sell-out shows across Europe.”

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

WHEN: 16:30 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

No, we’ve been coming to the Fringe, on and off, since 2007 with various improvised shows. The Maydays have been running since 2004 so we have a fair few shows under our belt! Previously, we’ve brought The Improvability Drive, Confessions and Oh Boy! The Quantum Leap show to the Fringe. This is the second year with Happily Never After and we can’t wait.

Tell us about your show.

Happily Never After is a loose homage to the films of Tim Burton, the Brothers Grimm and other dark tales. The company (The Maydays) have been working together for around 14 years; we’ve often found that our performances have a certain flavour to them that we’ve really been able to harness for this show.

Joe Samuel is our musical director, our regular pianist and the originator of the idea, although we’ve all had a part in its development. Each show is different, of course, but they all have dark comedy, improvised music and songs and, quite regularly, a number of improvised deaths. We have a very distinctive ‘look’ for this show – you’ll recognise us by our black and white stripes.

We’ve recently performed at Barcelona, Athens and Finland improv festivals to rave reviews. In fact, we’ve been a bit overwhelmed with the response so far!

After the fringe, we’ll be performing at London’s The Nursery Theatre and at the Birmingham Improv Festival. We also run two improv Retreats and regular classes so we’ll be gearing up for all of that too.

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

The improv community in the UK is still very small but produces some amazing stuff, both improvised and scripted. Performers in our own show are also in Impromptu Shakespeare, Showstopper! The Improvised Musical, Schutte the Unromantic, Nightmare Live, Adventures of the Improvised Sherlock Holmes, Rhiannon Vivian’s Office Meltdown, The Science of Cringe and Bumper Blyton Improv.

Personally, I’ll also be going to see Rhinocerous at the Lyceum, Cacophany at Sweet Venues and The Time Machine at Voodoo Rooms. And Baby Wants Candy, which is now an Edfringe institution.

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+3 Interview: Scribble

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“The common thread that links all of us is new writing and it’s great to bring all we’ve learnt from previous years to Scribble!”

WHO: Rachel D’Arcy, Producer

WHAT: “Bran flakes, anxiety and gravity. The smallest moments in history. The largest events in the universe. Blink and you’ll miss it. This scribble from your chest. New writing about mental health and supernovas from Andy Edwards, directed by Amy Gilmartin. Winner of the inaugural Assembly Roxy Theatre (ART) Award. Developed under Playwrights’ Studio Scotland Mentoring Programme, with support from the Tom McGrath Trust, Scribble was selected for a rehearsed reading at the Traverse Theatre’s 2016 Hothouse showcase for emerging Scottish artists.”

WHERE: Assembly Roxy (Venue 139) 

WHEN: 15:50 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

This is our first Fringe as a team working together, however as individuals we have been kicking around Edinburgh during Festival time since 2012. Our playwright Andy presented his first full length play, Killing Time at Bedlam Theatre with the Edinburgh University Theatre Company that year, and our director Amy has presented a lot of work with her company Urban Fox going back to 2013. I’ve worked on shows at the Festival since 2014 and came back with Paines Plough at the Roundabout @ Summerhall. The common thread that links all of us is new writing and it’s great to bring all we’ve learnt from previous years to Scribble!

Tell us about your show.

Scribble began life during Andy’s time being mentored by Rob Drummond on the Playwrights’ Studio Scotland mentoring scheme. It was presented at the Traverse Theatre’s Hothouse season in 2016 as a script-in-hand reading and then the Assembly Roxy Theatre ART Award came up and Andy and Amy went for it because the Fringe felt like a great place to have a really wide conversation with a really varied audience.

After they got the award they approached me, and the team has been growing ever since! We have Blair Coron composing our music, recent RCS graduate Jenny Booth is doing our set and costume design, and Alan MacKenzie is playing the lead role.

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

Immediately after our show (in the same space!) is Mental by Kane Power Theatre which looks great. It’s been great being on social media as we’ve connected with the creative team there and are really looking forward to meeting them in person.

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+3 Interview: Merrily We Roll Along

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“The musical score is punchy, lyrical and contains some of Sondheim’s most sparkling narrative writing…”

WHO: Bridget Biggar, Artistic Director

WHAT: “Following last year’s five-star reviews for Sondheim’s Assassins at the Fringe, BB Theatre Productions present a poignant, uplifting musical which explores friendship, ambition and the pressures of showbusiness, capturing the life turning points of three friends. A unique musical, portraying the disintegration of a friendship back through time to youthful confidence and hope. Sondheim’s hummable melodies and Furth’s powerful yet funny script interpreted by a professionally trained cast and live band.”

WHERE: C venues – C (Venue 34) 

WHEN: 12:10 (130 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

We are very excited to return to The Edinburgh Fringe after our inaugural production of Sondheim’s Assassins in 2016. This year we are excited to present another Sondheim classic, Merrily We Roll along. A poignant and uplifting musical, this heart-rending show explores friendship, ambition and the pressures of show business.

Tell us about your show.

Founded in 2015, BPTP’s mission is to bring local talent to the national stage, producing shows with professional production values, a stellar cast and professional band, and this show is no exception. We were thrilled to preview it at The Wilde Theatre, South Hill Park earlier in July. Next year we are planning on moving away from Sondheim – watch this space!

With a very short, intensive rehearsal period, we cast only those who have played leading roles in other productions and are perfectly suited to the role: we make no compromises. The chemistry and creative energy from putting top talent together to work intensively on inspirational yet stretching music theatre produces memorable and electric performances. We also work as a team with the professional musicians rather than adding them as an accompaniment.

Starting at a hedonistic Hollywood showbiz party in 1976 and working its way back to the New York rooftop in 1957, Merrily We Roll Along portrays the story of three friends who we join at the end of their friendship, tussling with disappointment, heartbreak and disillusionment with fame. The story moves back through time, each musical number perfectly scored to reflect the genre of its era and the emotional roller-coaster of its characters.

The musical score is punchy, lyrical and contains some of Sondheim’s most sparkling narrative writing including Our Time and Old Friends. As two of the friends try to make it into show business, we hear some of Sondheim’s own early frustrations with agents not daring to make the break from traditional musicals. The reverse chronology time structure heightens audience emotion, wistfully pointing out the artistic and personal compromises faced by the characters along the way. A must see, both for Sondheim aficionados, but also for anyone with a passion for musical theatre.

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

Ordinary Days – it’s one of our favourites and every time we see it, we spot something new! A witty, poignant, and ultimately very relatable story about human connection and finding beauty in unexpected places.

Animalphabet – perfect for everyone with music by the Hoosiers. What’s not to like!!

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+3 Interview: Yianni Agisilaou: Pockets of Equality

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“Why should she have no pockets just because she’s a woman?”

WHO: Yianni Agisilaou, Performer/Writer 

WHAT: “Yianni accidentally wore his girlfriend’s jeans and discovered that when it comes to pockets, women are far from equal. A funny show about men, women and society’s double standards.”

WHERE: Banshee Labyrinth (Venue 156) 

WHEN: 14:00 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

It’s actually my FOURTEENTH Edinburgh Fringe. My first Edinburgh was in 1947, where a war-weary Edinburgh welcomed a rag-tag collection of Abbott and Costello knockoffs and blackface minstrels for two weeks of frivolity at the very first Fringe festival. There was a single flyerer named Rory who handed out pamphlets for everyone and the award for best comedy went to a poorly written drama production that was so bad it was good.

But seriously though, I’ve been to the Fringe many times since I first came in 2002 to do a multiple bill show of newer Australian comedians called Raw Prawns (geddit?) I’ve performed at paid venues and free venues, and in 2013 whilst doing a show called Think Big about ambition, I booked the 1200 seat Edinburgh International Conference Centre for a one off performance on the final day and spent the entire month trying to sell it out*

* In answer to your question, no I didn’t. I still sold about 500 tickets though, more than I’d ever sold to anything.

Tell us about your show.

My show is called Pockets of Equality and it’s about the funny little rules and double standards floating around society depending on whether we’re men or women. The title comes from the day I accidentally wore my girlfriend’s jeans (yes, accidentally!) and was amazed at the size (or lack thereof) of her pockets. I thought, ‘Why should she have no pockets just because she’s a woman?’ So, having walked a mile in her pockets, it got me to thinking what other situations life makes harder or easier depending on what bits we’ve got. Unsurprisingly, there are hundreds.

I wrote it, and my girlfriend is producing it. We’re being sponsored by Levi Strauss (not really, it’s Calvin Klein). We performed it earlier this year at four festivals in Australia and it got nominated for best comedy show in Perth. Afterwards, we’re going to try to modify it and pitch it to high schools.

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

Oh, there are some amazing things on this year. Red Bastard is doing a new show and I recommend going to see it. He’s one of those characters you’ll either love or hate, but people who love it love it so much that it’s worth shelling out the ticket money and taking a chance.

Eric Davis who performs it is an extraordinary ‘bouffon clown’ (In normal clowning, the butt of the joke is the clown. In bouffon clowning, the joke is on the audience) It’s confronting plus it’s improvised and interactive so it’s different each night and very unique to each audience. Definitely worth catching. Love it or hate it, I guarantee you’ll talk about it afterwards a LOT.

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+3 Interview: Pike St.

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“Pike St. is based on the neighborhood I was raised in so it’ll be doubly meaningful to perform it where I had such life affirming experiences.”

WHO: Nilaja Sun, Writer/performer

WHAT: “Award-winning Nilaja Sun (No Child…) breathes life into a vibrant mix of Lower East Side residents in her latest solo show. At the heart of Pike St. is Evelyn. She’s balancing welcoming her Navy SEAL brother home, keeping her eccentric father out of trouble and providing electricity for her daughter on life-support. All this before a hurricane hits NYC. Pike St. is one of 2017’s unmissable shows.”

WHERE: Roundabout @ Summerhall (Venue 26)

WHEN: 15:00 (75 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

I first came to Edinburgh in 2010 to perform my last solo piece No Child… The experience of performing for such exuberant and in tune audiences made me promise myself to return with a new show. Pike St. is based on the neighborhood I was raised in so it’ll be doubly meaningful to perform it where I had such life affirming experiences.

Tell us about your show.

Pike St. is a solo piece that follows a family in New York City during a disastrous hurricane. I am excited to be working with Scott Morphee and the Barrow St. Theatre, who originally produced No Child… at the Fringe in 2010, and previously off Broadway and throughout the U.S. from 2006- 2011. After Edinburgh, I will be taking Pike St. to Melbourne, Australia and then back to the States (Detroit, and Berkeley, Ca).

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

I look forward to seeing Adam from the National Theatre of Scotland, at the Traverse. It looks like it will be enlightening, heart breaking and soulful. I go to the theatre to have my heart break a little so this is right up my alley.

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+3 Interview: Stuart Black: It’s the End of the World as We Know It

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“I just love the festival. It’s the best arts festival in the world. But I don’t need to tell you that.”

WHO: Stuart Black, Performer/Writer

WHAT: “The worse the world gets the funnier Stuart Black gets. So there’s good news and bad news. The bad news is that the world is totally f*cked, the good news: Stuart Black is in the form of his life, and returns to the Fringe with his funniest show to date.”

WHERE: Just the Tonic at The Tron (Venue 51)

WHEN: 23:40 (50 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

I’ve been coming to the fringe since I started doing stand-up in 2004. I just love the festival. It’s the best arts festival in the world. But I don’t need to tell you that. Actually the very first time I came to Edinburgh was way back in the nineties for some day-job related thing. It was winter and I am soft, and from London. It was cold btw. Really cold. I’m talking C.O.L.D. But I don’t need to tell you that.

Tell us about your show.

My show, like most stand-up, is all me. I wrote it, directed it, I’m bloody in it! That’s the beauty of stand-up: you are the absolute boss. But you do have to do all the driving – swings and roundabouts.

I often get described as dark and poetic, which is fair. I don’t really try to be like that. That’s just me being me. I’ve had a crazy life and some of my show is about that. Now I’m feeling old, and some of my show is about that

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

My show is at 23.40 so afterwards you should see a lot of happy drunk people… Why not join them! (Don’t go to Cowgate, watch out for seagulls.)

If you want another show Tiff Stevenson – Bombshell.

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+3 Interview: Abigoliah Schamaun: Namaste, Bitches

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“70 years later a lot has changed and at the same time, nothing has changed.”

WHO: Abigoliah Schamaun, Performer/Writer

WHAT: “What’s the point in pursuing enlightenment when you could just put your feet up and knock back a bourbon? And what passes for happiness these days? Abigoliah is a certified Bikram Yoga instructor; she’s run marathons and Tough Mudders, participated in Crossfit competitions… Why would she bother when you’re just as likely to find those sweet endorphins at the bottom of a pint glass? She dissects mankind’s relationship with wellness and happiness; a show for anyone who’s paused on a treadmill or over a shot glass and wondered ‘wait… what am I doing?’”

WHERE: Underbelly, Cowgate (Venue 61) 

WHEN: 19:40 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

Oh no. this is not my first Fringe it’s not even my FIFTH Fringe!!! I’ve been coming to Edinburgh every year in August since BEFORE the Fringe happened! Back then there were no Q & A’s, no punters. There weren’t even venues. We just had to perform in cardboard boxes. Every night us performers would crawl into our boxes then shout at passers by to come in and join us for a pint and a story. And that was the start of The Fringe. So as you can see, now 70 years later a lot has changed and at the same time, nothing has changed.

Tell us about your show.

My show is called Abigoliah Schamaun: Namaste, Bitches. I’m allowed to put my own name in the title because I wrote it and am the star of it. Live Nation are my producers but, they only came on when they agreed the show wouldn’t be called Live Nation: Namaste, Bitches. That was my bargaining chip and I won.

I’m excited to have my show premiere at the Fringe. It’s a fun stand-up show about obsession; fitness; and the pursuit of enlightenment. After The Fringe I plan on using the show as my platform to run for president. I’m not a politician but I am an American and as a child they told us, anyone can be president. This past year has proved that, so if they let a Reality TV star into the Whitehouse why not a plucky Fringe performer?

My campaign slogan will be: Namaste, Bitches! Let’s make America betteer! Catchy, don’t you think!?

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

I always recommend Tomás Ford. He’s a crazy awesome cabaret performer from Perth who blows my socks off every time. See him in Craptacular at 5pm at the Gilded Balloon. If you don’t see me, fine, if you don’t see him, you’ve done the Fringe wrong.

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+3 Interview: The Man on the Moor

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“I can’t imagine not being here now. It’s part of me.”

WHO: Max Dickins, Performer/Writer

WHAT: “On 12th December 2015, the body of a man was found dead on Saddleworth Moor. Train tickets showed he’d travelled 200 miles from south-west London, apparently just to die. Despite a national media campaign, he remained unidentified. This is the story of what happened next. Written and performed by Max Dickins of last year’s critical smash-hit The Trunk, this one-man play looks at how people come to disappear and the impact on those they leave behind.”

WHERE: Underbelly, Cowgate (Venue 61) 

WHEN: 15:00 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

No! This is my eighth year out of nine at the fringe. My love affair started as a student at Leeds University when I came up to do a sketch comedy show with ‘the Leeds Tealights’. It was exciting and inspiring: an almost overwhelming theme park of art. Since then I’ve done double-act shows, 3 solo stand-up shows, a play and various new talent showcase shows. I can’t imagine not being here now. It’s part of me.

Tell us about your show.

My show, which I wrote and also perform, is called The Man on the Moor. It’s a gripping one-man play inspired by an incredible true story. On 12th December 2015, a smartly dressed man was found dead on Saddleworth Moor. He was carrying no form of identification. In his pockets was just £130 in cash and return train tickets from London from the previous day. Despite a national media campaign, he remained unidentified. He appeared to have no family, no friends, and no home. He didn’t even have a name. He was simply known as ‘the man on the moor.’

Three questions abounded: Who was this man? Why did he travel 200 miles to die? And why did nobody seem to miss him? After the police went public with the man’s image, 40 different people reached out to claim ‘the man on the moor’ as their missing brother, father, or friend. These people are the left behind. Those who pick up the pieces when someone they love leaves and never comes home again. This show tells their story.

It debuted at the Kings Head Theatre in July before heading to the fringe. I hope to tour it afterwards.

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

Go and see lunatic genius comic John Kearns, hilarious off-beat poet Rob Auton, and high-paced improvised comedy troupe The Committee.

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