Category Archives: EdFestivals 2022

All our coverage from the 2022 festivals.

EdFringe Talk: BOGEYMAN

Posted in *Written Interviews, EdFestivals 2022 by

“I went to university in Edinburgh and chose the city specifically to be around for the festival.”

WHO: Emily Aboud: Writer and Director.

WHAT: “‘Our modern life was built on the backs of the oppressed – if they were to demand repayment, would you be afraid?’ In 1791, a voodoo ceremony begins the Haitian Revolution to end enslavement on the island. In the present, a man is haunted by ghosts in his city. From the creators of the highly acclaimed Splintered (***** (Guardian)) BOGEYMAN is a ghost story that playfully combines music, movement and history in the ultimate underdog story of resistance against the oppressor. Powerful, moving and ultimately uplifting, BOGEYMAN is a thrilling, genre-defying tale of hope, rebellion and connection.”

WHERE: Pleasance Dome (Venue 23) 

WHEN: 15:55 (70 min)

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Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

This is my 4th fringe festival in fact! I went to university in Edinburgh and chose the city specifically to be around for the festival. Coming back is always wonderful because I adore the city, it’s like a second home and there’s so so so much theatre and people to see!

What are the big things you’ve learned since 2019 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?

The importance of rest and exercise. In lockdown I was actually sleeping the required amount, going for walks everyday or a run – time outdoors is so essential! I think also, as an employer with my theatre company, making sure that our collaborators are respected and paid properly for their time and work. I love ending rehearsals early if people are tired, rest is essential!

Tell us about your show.

BOGEYMAN is a play we’ve been making for nearly two years. Grace (the producer) and I actually met in university and I asked her to produce a production I wanted to direct and here we are, 6 years later. The company, Lagahoo Productions, was formed because, as a Caribbean woman, I was really disheartened at the complete lack of Caribbean new writing in the theatre scene. We’ve been so lucky to be supported by so many venues for this fringe run, including Camden People’s Theatre (who first commissioned it!), the Gate Theatre, the Pleasance Theatre and the Streatham Space Project.

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

You’ve got to see every show at Paines Plough roundabout, they know how to program! I’m really excited for SAP and Caste-ing. Also, I’m looking forward to seeing Move Fast and Break Things at Summerhall, and Ghosts of the Near Future. Exodus at the Traverse is also something I’m buzzing for!

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EdFringe Talk: Lion

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“Edfringe is best and the most brutal way to find out if your show is rubbish or not.”

WHO: Marc-Fredrik Gassot

WHAT: “Lion – The Weird and Magical Abracadabra Circus Show is an hour of pleasure, skills and a bit of thrilling fear led by a one-man circus crew. The performance honours the history of traditional circus with a touch of the splatter of horror films. This physical comedy is mixing magnificent mime, entertaining circus, surprising illusions and playful horror – wrapped in superb live music. Lion is a curious joyride for young people and adults alike. Welcome to our skewed circus!”

WHERE: Assembly Rooms – Ballroom (Venue 20) 

WHEN: 16:40 (60 min)

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Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

What can I say? Edfringe is biggest festival in the world and we Finns we like big things. Edfringe is best and the most brutal way to find out if your show is rubbish or not.

What are the big things you’ve learned since 2019 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?

This is my third time in this Edfringe madness so obviously I haven’t learn anything.

Tell us about your show.

Lion is best dark physical comedy at the fringe (and probably the only one)! The show mixes together circus, magic, live music and horror in a very stupid and funny way. It’s the best show that I have ever done.

I got the idea for it while I was lying in the aftermath of mole fever in a hotel room in Camden.

After the Edinburgh I’m hope to get more gigs than ever and to get a hero’s welcome when I return to Finland!

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

You should go and see all the others shows from Finland: Johnny Got His Gun, Raging Mother, Receptionists and Kvartetto. You should also see Julia Masli’s show Choosh and Viggo Venn’s show Club Comedian which are both really funny.

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EdFringe Talk: Tom Mayhew: Trash Rich

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“I have learned that I only need to eat a medium Domino’s Pizza, and that ordering a large one is capitalism tricking me. But that doesn’t stop me from occasionally ordering a large one, like a fool.”

WHO: Tom Mayhew

WHAT: “Fresh from BBC Radio 4 (Tom Mayhew is Benefit Scum), critically acclaimed comedian Tom was planning to write a show that’s less frustrated, less political… the cost of living crisis screwed that. ‘It is genuine, powerful, political stuff. These are four stars for a voice that should be heard more. Four stars for comedy shining a light on some grim, unjust places.’ **** (Scotsman). ‘Mayhew is passionate, articulate and – above all else – hilarious. His jokes are punchy, sharp and forthcoming. Despite the often weighty subject matter, laughs are never too far apart’ **** (Skinny).”

WHERE: The Stand Comedy Club 2 – Stand 2 (Venue 5) 

WHEN: 21:20 (60 min)

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Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

No, I came to Edinburgh for the first time 10 years ago! It was a festival I had dreamed of coming to purely by hearing how highly so many comedians spoke of it, and as soon as I came for the first time back in 2012, I was hooked. It’s one of my favourite months of every single year, as you see all your mates, get to see lots of shows, and you are in a beautiful city. If I didn’t have to worry about ticket sales, it would be the dream month for me!

What are the big things you’ve learned since 2019 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?

I have learned that I only need to eat a medium Domino’s Pizza, and that ordering a large one is capitalism tricking me. But that doesn’t stop me from occasionally ordering a large one, like a fool.

Tell us about your show.

It’s written by me and produced by Objectively Funny, and it has been previewed all over the country before Edinburgh. Whether it goes elsewhere will depend on how well the Edinburgh run goes, to be honest! But I’m hopeful we might be able to tour it.

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

Laura Davis should already be on their list of shows to see. She has been consistently excellent for years, if there’s any justice then she’ll sell out, so get your tickets quick.

Sian Davies is doing her debut show, and it is incredible. There is so much heart and proper laughs in there, I can’t recommend it enough.

Finally, Adele Cliff has been one of the best joke-writers at the Fringe for years, and she’s put together a fantastic show for 2022. It’s jam-packed with great jokes and astute observations, and it’s pretty much a guarantee nowadays that you will see one of the “Dave’s Top 10 Jokes of the Fringe” nominees in there!

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EdFringe Talk: Nick Everritt: Quiet

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“I’m a big fan of the Fringe. I love the hustle, and indeed the bustle. It’s one great big orgy of arts.”

WHO: Nick Everritt

WHAT: “Watch in awe as quiet man Nick Everritt establishes a comedic persona and performs a series of jokes. Featuring perfunctory crowd-work, a series of ice-breaking gags relating to his physical appearance, a lengthy Tinder bit and an obligatory emotionally resonant finale. ‘Those in search of the truly alternative, look no further’ **** (One4Review.co.uk). ‘A droll, witty and very self-conscious deconstruction of comedy… Expect to see more of him’ (Chortle.co.uk). 3rd place, South Coast Comedian of the Year 2020/21. Finalist: Max Turner Prize 2020, Sketch Off! 2019, Get Up Stand Up 2019, Laughing Horse New Act 2018.”

WHERE: Paradise in The Vault – The Vault (Venue 29) 

WHEN: 15:45(60 min)

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Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

This is my third Edinburgh run. I did a split bill in 2018 and my first hour in 2019. It was at the 2019 Fringe that I learned that performing an hour of niche meta anti-comedy to an audience of 3 in a sweltering cave isn’t always a recipe of success. I’ve therefore designed my current show to be more accessible by featuring more so-called ‘jokes’. I hope to achieve a lower walk-out rate this time around. (It was 9% in 2019).

I’m a big fan of the Fringe. I love the hustle, and indeed the bustle. It’s one great big orgy of arts. You get to rub shoulders with so many aspiring young artists and creatives and you can practically smell the debt in the air. What better way to spend all your savings and annual leave?

What are the big things you’ve learned since 2019 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?

Since the pandemic I’ve learned that nothing is permanent, save for the indelible truth of the statement “nothing is permanent”, which is indeed permanent. I’ve learned that you have to live life to the full each and every day, but doing so is difficult in practical terms due to work, responsibilities, the cost of living, global events over which you have no control, and the paralysing pressuring of feeling like you have to live life to the full each and every day.

Tell us about your show.

Nick Everritt: Quiet is a parody of an Edinburgh hour. On paper the show is about shyness and how I’m trying to overcome it through comedy, but in truth the theme of shyness is only there to provide the illusion of structure and dramatic heft. In the show I establish a shy and creepy comedic persona and then perform a series of jokes. These jokes alternate between conventional jokes which are good because they’re funny, and jokes which are so bad they’re good because they’re not funny, but that’s what makes them funny.

Is the show good? I don’t know because nobody came to my previews. But each joke has worked on multiple occasions in the mics, pubs and clubs of Greater London and rural Kent.

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

Ted Hill: All The Presidents Man. I normally have a visceral hatred of PowerPoint shows but this one’s really good. Aside from that you should seek out the weirdest shows you can. Watch the one-woman King Lear where she’s dressed as a flightless cormorant for no reason. Seek out the mentally ill out of work actor trying to convince a Chinese tourist in the audience to eat cress out of the small of his back. The golden rule is this: the worse the show, the better the anecdote.

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EdFringe Talk: Self Service

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” My approach was to flick through the brochure, pause on any image that caught my eye, read the blurb and if it hooked me, I’d see it – a lucky dip.”

WHO: Anne Rabbitt

WHAT: “Breaking down? Lost the manual? Book in for this funny (meta)physical dive into how to keep going. Based on a complete strip-down and rebuild of the 1962 Rabbitt model. This 21,000-day service includes a troubleshooting guide and FAQs fielded by experts such as philosophers, physicists, poets and the manufacturers: Mum and Dad. Learn to laugh at built-in obsolescence and override factory settings. Lost your feeler gauge? Find it here. Warning: may contain candour. When life needs a service, rummage under the bonnet with the award-winning Anne Rabbitt – ‘reinventing her work with wonderful results!’ (FringeReview, 2021).”

WHERE: theSpace @ Surgeons Hall – Theatre 1 (Venue 53) 

WHEN: 19:15 (50 min)

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Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

Well, as punter or performer? They’re very different experiences. As a performer, this is my second time at the festival, the first being in 1986 (yes, 36 years ago) with my then double act partner, Doon Mackichan. I stayed in a single bed in the box room of an empty house, rented by students during term time (my dad wrangled it – the Catholic mafia at work). I was woken early one morning by the woman who owned/ran the house showing a potential student the room (“Here is table. Here is bed”…I pointed out that I wasn’t part of the deal.) As a punter I went a couple of years on the trot when my daughter was a student here (she wasn’t thrilled by my snoring). Edinburgh’s a wonderful city for a festival, not only beautiful but small enough to get around on foot/bike. My approach was to flick through the brochure, pause on any image that caught my eye, read the blurb and if it hooked me, I’d see it – a lucky dip. The late great Peter Brook could have been talking about the festival when he said, “A man walks across this empty space whilst someone else is watching him, and this is all that’s needed for an act of theatre to be engaged.”

What are the big things you’ve learned since 2019 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?

Human beings need to go out to play. No one cares/Some people care. Paprika crisps are the best in the world. “Missing out is what makes our choices meaningful in the first place,” wrote Olive Burkman; and, “To remember how little you matter on a cosmic timescale, can feel like putting down a heavy burden…” followed by Joe Moran’s “Your failure was like billions of other failures except that it was yours. And like those billions of other failures…it was a heroic and heartening thing.” You can judge if I’ve absorbed the lesson(s) by coming to see my show!

Tell us about your show.

Self Service was meant to premiere back in 2020, so it’s only two years late. And after 15 years away from performing, what’s another two years? (A lot! I’m not getting any younger you know!) I’m not only the creator/performer but everything else – producer, costume, props, sound design – though I’ve shamelessly asked for help from wonderful friends and family. The show draws on my background in dance, physical theatre, comedy and propensity for introspection. As another friend said, it will make you laugh and break your heart.

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

PUSH (Popelei) at The Pleasance Courtyard. I saw this at the Vault Festival (London) in 2019 and loved it. Another solo show about motherhood from the other end of the telescope (to bear a child or not…) It’s funny and physical and brilliantly performed.

Also, I must recommend my fellow flat mates, stand-up Charmian Hughes: She! Immortal Horror Queen’s Guide to Life. Charmian was on the cabaret circuit when I was doing my double-act Rabbitt & Doon (with Doon Mackichan) in the 1980s and unlike me, has never stopped. She’s a cracker, and Maureen Langan, who I don’t know, who’s coming all the way from the States with her show, Don’t Make Me Hate You.

Finally, I must plug a talk at the International Book Festival (come on, it’s the same city) by my friend and writer, Vanessa Onwuemezi. Following her debut collection of stories, Dark Neighbourhood, she’s discussing ‘Landscapes on the Edge’ at Northside Theatre on 17 August.

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EdFringe Talk: Made in India/Britain

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“I had an opportunity to go over things what I wanted to do in my future; It was a period that really shaped my current work.”

WHO: Rinkoo Barpaga

WHAT: “Since leaving home in Birmingham, Rinkoo Barpaga has been determined to find somewhere to settle. Along the way he’s encountered racism, discrimination and has begun asking himself: ‘Where do I belong?’ Join him as he delves deep into past experiences in order to discover his true self and a place he can finally call home. Performed by Rinkoo in British Sign Language, with live voiceover provided by an actor. Supported by the Pleasance’s Generate Fund. Directed by Tyrone Huggins.”

WHERE: Pleasance Courtyard – Pleasance Two (Venue 33) 

WHEN: 13:40 (60 min)

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Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

It’s my first time going to a fringe and performing in one – I feel like I’m going to the World Cup! You want to do your best and I want to showcase the best of what I can do. It’ll be a very interesting experience for me because I have had to use my physical performance skills a lot growing up in the deaf community. I’ve relied a lot on body movements and facial expressions. Having the chance to perform using aspects of languages has been very informative for me.

In terms of what makes a great festival, this feels like a bit of a trick question.

For me accessibility, is a huge thing. BSL isn’t a foreign language and I think it’s a shame it gets treated like one by not getting taught in mainstream schools.

What are the big things you’ve learned since 2019 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?

I think the biggest thing I’ve learnt was in lockdown, as it gave me the chance to reflect. It gave me a lot of time to look back on my life, on everything that I’ve done, what my thoughts were about the past and what they are now. I had an opportunity to go over things what I wanted to do in my future; It was a period that really shaped my current work.

Tell us about your show.

The show is about finding a home that I still haven’t found. I have an amazing team that helped me write this performance all based on my life story.

Daniel Bailey is the dramaturge and original director of the show. Tyrone Higgins is the current director of the show. Mathias Andre is assistant director and my voice over. I can’t forget Deaf Explorer who I became involved with in 2016 and are producing the shows.

It started coming together when I was at Birmingham Rep doing a one year foundry course. You learn to develop your work about theatre making everything to do with performance. I performed an iteration of the show at The Rep, The Midlands Art Theatre, Camden People Theatre and Crystal Palace Festival.

I have no clue what will happen afterwards but I would really like to perform around the UK. Here, compared to abroad, we have a lot of great deaf actors. We’ve got a lot of good stuff and I would like to be able to perform abroad and show deaf people in other countries what they can do.

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

Block’d Off because like my show it’s based on real stories and real lives, exposing what it’s like to be working-class in London today. Rapsody is also one to look out for because it’s a young Birmingham based company that’s bringing rap, trap and drill music to the main stage. Looking at the programme at Summerhall and Pleasance My Voice Was Heard But It Was Ignored and Rajesh and Naresh have also caught my eye.

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EdFringe Talk: How to Build a Wax Figure

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“Whenever we tell people we’re going up, they respond by either literally squealing with excitement, an involuntary shudder, telling us to pack a bag full of vitamins, or unveiling a parchment scroll of their favourite street corners.”

WHO: Isabella Waldron: Playwright

WHAT: “Girl meets anatomical wax sculptor. Anatomical wax sculptor meets girl. They fall in love. Or something like that. Bea’s older neighbour was her first love, her first cigarette, her first prosthetic eye. When Bea is invited to the Wellcome Collection to speak about her expertise making glass eyes, she finds herself unable to untie Margot from all that she does. As she tries to unpack her mentor’s effect on her work, Bea must dissect for herself what love really looks like.”

WHERE: Assembly George Square Studios – Studio Four (Venue 17) 

WHEN: 12:55 (60 min)

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Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

Yes, this will be the first time in Edinburgh for both Nell and me. We’re really excited to be up there, and get to experience firsthand all the Edinburgh lore. Whenever we tell people we’re going up, they respond by either literally squealing with excitement, an involuntary shudder, telling us to pack a bag full of vitamins, or unveiling a parchment scroll of their favourite street corners. We’re really excited that we will soon be a part of that now.

Also, my Scottish grandmother is absolutely thrilled and convinced that I’ll be converted by the charms of Edinburgh and move out of England.

What are the big things you’ve learned since 2019 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?

I was supposed to take a show to the Fringe in 2020 that was obviously derailed due to pandemic. Since then I’ve learned that bringing twelve enormous moth puppets from the States to Edinburgh Fringe was probably not my best, nor cost-effective, idea.

Alright, but really, I feel like a big learning over the last few years has been accepting that things probably won’t go to plan, and that that is just part of the process. That one has been harder to learn, but important.

Tell us about your show.

This play is really about how we mould each other (ha ha – wax sculpting, get it?); that people in our lives sometimes weave in and out, leaving behind these huge impacts on who we are. And I think maybe that’s not such a horrible thing.

Through our first staged reading at the Golden Goose in London, to the sadly cancelled VAULT festival, to restaging for a preview run up at the Pleasance, this play has been shaped by so many incredible creatives.

Writing the first draft in deep, dark Covid times in Oregon, I could never have imagined the incredible people this play would bring into my life. I met our brilliant, sensitive director Nell from a mutual friend on Zoom. We both moved to London amid pandemic, and decided to workshop ‘wax figure’ a bit. Now, here we are.

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

Y’all. I don’t know how people do this. The list of incredible shows I want to see is so long. Does anyone blink, let alone sleep, for the entire month of August?

Theatre-wise, I’m really excited to see ‘Hungry’ at Roundabout, ‘Caste-ing’ with Nouveau Riche, ‘Speed Dial’ from Spies Like Us, ‘Happy Meal’ by lovely Tabby Lamb, and so many more. Also, I’m pumped to see the wonderful comics who performed at our big cabaret fundraiser in June — Jo Griffin, Diane Chorley, and Celya AB. Just fabulous people (and the cherry on top is they’re all incredibly talented).

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EdFringe Talk: Aidan Sadler: Tropicana

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“Keep an eye out for performers out on the street without huge gimmicks, big casts. Those are usually the hidden gems of the Fringe.”

WHO: Aidan Sadler

WHAT: “Join queer cabaret icon Aidan Sadler as they take you on the award-winning journey to Tropicana! Nothing is safe from ridicule so be led on an exploration of body image, heteronormativity and sometimes wearing a dress round the house on a muggy day. Here, you’ll experience belting 80’s synth-pop nostalgia punctuated with world class stand-up comedy. Featuring electrifying 80’s hits from Spandau Ballet to ABC, Tropicana returns to Fringe from its sell-out, extended run in 2021 to explore, bend and abuse the gender binary.”

WHERE: Assembly George Square – The Blue Room (Venue 8) 

WHEN: 22:20 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

This will be Tropicana’s second go at the Edinburgh Fringe and my god is it a different year to last! The festival last year created so many magical connections – I still see all of the people I met on a regular basis, how crazy is that?! I feel like in the real world that never happens! We all have this joint experience (or trauma depending on the season) and we use it to connect and bond.

A great festival happens about half way through when the collective, city-wide burnout kicks in. That’s when the real fun begins and the insanity starts to unfold and everyone begins to come together to just… Make it happen! You need a toilet roll delivered to half way down the royal mile? A message is sent into the ether and there, in front of you it appears! It’s all great fun, god I’ve missed it.

What are the big things you’ve learned since 2019 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?

Don’t take anything for granted! Your entire life can be snatched away from you in a heart beat, and the powers that you think have it all figured out probably don’t! The reality of society is anarchy! Pure chaos! I’m rejecting all of the lessons I learned pre pandemic and embracing the new ones. How many apocalypses (apocali?) will we collectively experience? Let’s go crazy, write that show you’ve always wanted to write, make a move on the guy you’ve been flirting with for the last year, record a cover of your favourite song! Oh, and book tickets to Tropicana (duh).

Tell us about your show.

I wrote this silly little thing over the pandemic when I was in quite a dark place (no spoilers!) and since debuting last year at the fringe it has spiralled into this gargantuan creature that has toured the UK, performed an off-west end run and rocked Brighton Fringe, it’s just been insane. I have to perpetually pinch myself that this is just what I do now. From nothing to… something!

The company was created out of a handful of my friends who were made redundant over the pandemic who had also gone freelance. This was our opportunity to get out of our funk, and boy has Tropicana got us out of it! None of us had ever done anything like this before so it was an awesome (and sometimes soul destroying) journey. I feel like we’re now a gorgeous sexy dysfunctional unit, working together to make a very professional looking grassroots show happen.

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

Keep an eye out for performers out on the street without huge gimmicks, big casts. Those are usually the hidden gems of the Fringe. And my god, is it lonely to try and plug and sell your wares to the general public.

My biggest recommendation is Hummus: After Dark. It’s a surrealist stand-up, monologue-y, music-y thing that is offensive, silly and will make you look at Hummus differently for the rest of your life. Some other friends – PotatoHead (bonkers), I Am Not A Gorilla (insane), Laurie Black (punky) Clementine (unhinged). For a cabaret person I sure am recommending a lot of character comedy!!!! Being on the road a lot I’ve had the joy of seeing so many awesome acts, sorry if I missed you out!

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EdFringe Talk: The Stones

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“We were meant to be presenting “The Stones” in 2020, but, well, we all know what happened!”

WHO: Kit Brookman: Writer/director

WHAT: “In the aftermath of a terrible break-up, Nick takes a job out of town as a private tutor to two young children. The job seems perfect, the family too good to be true. But then the stones begin to arrive. The Stones is a darkly comic gothic mystery about guilt, delusion and the responsibility we share for the next generation of people who have to live on this planet.”

WHERE: Assembly Roxy – Downstairs (Venue 139) 

WHEN: 12:30 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

Yes, this my first time in Edinburgh both as someone presenting work and as a punter. We were meant to be presenting “The Stones” in 2020, but, well, we all know what happened! But I have a lot of mates who’ve brought shows to the Fringe in the past and they’ve all talked about what a particular experience it is – fun, full on, often exciting, occasionally maddening, probably exhausting. And I thought: I could do with a bit of that in August.

What are the big things you’ve learned since 2019 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?

I think the big thing I’ve learned over the past couple of years is the utter fragility of so much about our lives that we take for granted. To give an obvious example, I live in London but I’m from Australia, and that distance has always felt manageable because in my mind I was only ever a flight away. But actually, 17,016 kilometres is not a short distance! And suddenly when you can’t fly you’re confronted with how unsustainable that choice is on a number of levels. Or in terms of working in theatre, you always assume you’ll be able to be in a room with other people, until suddenly you can’t. I think this lesson of fragility is something that all of us are probably going to have to keep learning in different ways in the future.

Tell us about your show.

“The Stones” is a solo show, a contemporary riff on the gothic mystery genre. It’s a funny and frightening deep-dive into guilt and delusion with a persuasive, unreliable narrator. I wrote it specifically for Luke Mullins, who’s an extraordinary performer from Australia. Luke’s created a number of massively acclaimed solo shows in the past like “Lake Disappointment” and “Autobiography of Red”, and with this show we wanted to create something that was radically distilled, that used the barest elements of theatre in the most effective way we could imagine. We did a brief 1-week tryout of the show in London in 2019 and the responses were really great, so we decided to keep developing it and bring it to Edinburgh.

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

OK – I have a long list but I’ll try to be brief! See David Finnigan’s “You’re Safe Til 2024” – David makes amazing work at the intersection of science and theatre, and this show brings an urgent perspective to the climate emergency. In terms of comedy, I’m sure everyone already knows they should go and see Rhys Nicholson at Underbelly, but I’m telling you anyway. In terms of theatre, I’m very keen to see Antler’s show, “Civilization”. A newer company whose work I’m going to check out is Alien Jefferson, a young company out of East 15’s excellent Theatre and Contemporary Performance course. I taught them for a unit in their second year and they’re smart and inventive and have created a genuinely odd and moving show with “Enter Mr. Citrus Man”. And if you see one thing in the international festival, make it Belvoir St Theatre’s “Counting and Cracking”, an extraordinary multi-generational story spanning Sri Lanka and Australia.

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EdFringe Talk: Mrs Roosevelt Flies to London

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“The Fringe is special because it’s in beautiful atmospheric Edinburgh; it offers an amazing range of global live performance, it’s been at it for a few years, and there’s always a mood of celebration and kindliness, I’ve found, which makes it about coming together and celebrating talent, and difference.”

WHO: Alison Skilbeck

WHAT: “Returning to Edinburgh following a near sell-out 2016 Assembly season, Alison Skilbeck’s critically acclaimed one-woman show reveals the public and private life of one of the most extraordinary women of the 20th Century, Eleanor Roosevelt, from her daring trip to wartime Britain to her unconventional partnership with President Roosevelt. Granted special permission to use Eleanor’s diary and daily newspaper columns, this is the story of a passionate humanitarian, a woman beset by deep personal insecurities and tragedy, but one who never lost her passionate belief in the strength of the human spirit.”

WHERE: Assembly George Square Studios – Studio Five (Venue 17) 

WHEN: 10:25 (75 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

No. I was first here as a student in the Oxford Revue, in 1967. Then not until 2008 for just a week with my first show ARE THERE MORE OF YOU, then I and the wonderful Jacqui brought that show again in 2011, then Mrs Roosevelt in 2016 ( near sell out!) then THE POWER BEHIND THECRONE in 2017, celebrating Shakespeare’s older women, then in 2018 ARE THERE MORE OF YOU again, a very very near sell-out! The Fringe is special because it’s in beautiful atmospheric Edinburgh; it offers an amazing range of global live performance, it’s been at it for a few years, and there’s always a mood of celebration and kindliness, I’ve found, which makes it about coming together and celebrating talent, and difference. These are the qualities that make for a great festival – taking time to experience it all being curious, being surprised, being afraid in a good challenging way.

What are the big things you’ve learned since 2019 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?

Since 2019 and the lockdown I’ve learnt how crucial live performance is to our human health. We need it. We need same time, same place communication, communion, and are poor without it. I just premiered a new show ( set during the pandemic) at the Buxton Festival, and the feeling of sharing something again was wonderful. I’ve also learnt to keep at the creativity, and have written two shows. I’ve learnt that as an artist , as an actress, you have to find ways to practise in the way painters and musicians do. I teach actors and non-actors, but most of all I develop my own stuff. I suppose it’s never give up, and don’t take ‘no’ for an answer. No idea if this is what ‘you’ wanted?!

Tell us about your show.

After my first show pure imagination – I wanted to write about someone famous, and it had to be someone I sympathised with. Eleanor Roosevelt, life long campaigner for peace, democracy, and human rights equality, was the one. I researched and wrote at the British Library, visited the Roosevelt Library in the US and was much helped, got permission to use her writings from her grand-daughter, and premiered it at the RADA festival in 2013. My wonderful producer Jacqui garbett of Hint of Lime ever at the helm. I toured Ireland, had a run at the king’s Head in 2015 with discussions after with Dame Helena Kennedy among others, and then brought it to Edinburgh in 2016 for its near sell-out run. I’ve toured the UK and also taken it to France. No idea where it might go after this time… It’s not all serious; tells her life story through her trip to London in 1942, and I play a total of 27 characters, some very funny, like the posh Mrs Egereton Warburton of the Cheshire WVS.

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

I’m sure there’s loads I don’t yet know about but friends shows, well, do see SPOONS at Gilded Balloon, MULAN and WAR OF THE WORLDS at same venue; HANDS AND FLOWERS by some terrific Oxford students, are Surgeons Hall, and BLOODY DIFFICULT WOMEN at Assembly. Oh and the one woman THIS IS PARADISE at Traverse.

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