Category Archives: EdFestivals 2023

EdFringe Talk: Tied for Second

Posted in *Written Interviews, EdFestivals 2023 by

“My takeaway and my intent for this year is what it almost always is: go in with the lowest possible expectations, don’t be rude, drink water.”

WHO: Zoe Brownstone and Dom McGovern

WHAT: “A split-bill comedy hour from two rapidly rising stars of the UK comedy scene. Dominic McGovern and Zoe Brownstone are two comedians with different styles, backgrounds, and approaches to comedy, but a shared biting wit, astute cultural observations, and ability to make audiences howl with laughter. Tied for Second is an hour of fast-paced jokes from two comedians from different religious backgrounds who somehow share the same God complex.”

WHERE: Just the Tonic Nucleus – Just the Sub-Atomic Room(Venue 393) 

WHEN: 16:30 (55 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

Zoe: This is our first at The Fringe with our own show. I went up last year for 10 days and was so blown away by the vastness, the ludicrousness, the hilariousness that yes I did start making up words because plain English doesn’t seem to cut it. As a comic you see a lot of things on stage that don’t always make sense, but the make up of the Fringe festival takes creativity to a whole other level, where the show just doesn’t end. Ever. It just rolls into the next hour of stand up, the next clown show, the round of drinks at the Pleasance tent, the Glaswegian taxi driver who has an insane story about meeting Stephan Fry in the early noughts. It’s everywhere all at once and the appeal to be a part of that is nothing short of mouth watering.

Dom: I visit the Edinburgh fringe every week in a recurring stress dream I have but other than that I’ve only been once. I spent a stressful month at the fringe working in production in 2019 so I’m excited to return as a performer, famously not stressful or burdensome in any way.

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

Zoe: I had the incredible experience of sharing a flat with three comics who had (seemingly) dream Fringe experiences. The newcomer of the year (the delightful Lara Ricote), fellow nominee in that category (voice of his generation Leo Reich) and winner of best show at the Fringe (the inestimable Sam Campbell). So naturally from my point of view Fringe is a super fun and east month where you get reviewed by the Guardian, 5 stars from everyone and at the end either a big award or a SoHo run, that’s normal right??

I’ve been doing stand up long enough to know that’s not how it goes for 99.9999% of us at The Fringe or anywhere else in the performing arts. My takeaway and my intent for this year is what it almost always is: go in with the lowest possible expectations, don’t be rude, drink water.

Dom: like Zoe said, I’m going in with low expectations and even lower standards and my main aim is to have as much fun as possible without getting laryngitis.

Tell us about your show.

Zoe: Our show is called Tied For Second. It’s a split hour of stand up comedy from two almost winners. Dom and I met as contestants on a comedy competition sponsored by Only Fans (it was a comedy competition, not a sexy comedy competition much to our disappointment). The most gruelling 6 days of both of our comedy careers so far that ended in a live show at Hoxton Hall in London where both Dom and I watched as our fellow finalist Mary O’Connell won £100,000.

We also won some cash, we are not complaining. But not that kind of cash. Instead of writing our memoirs we decided to come together and work out a new half hour each of stellar stand up to bring to the festival. We are self produced, self funded and fully self conscious. Please come see our show. We will likely tour after Edinburgh before recording it in 2024 (for our mums to watch when they finally figure out how YouTube works)

Dom: We’re actually both really proud of the show; since we started working on it at the beginning of this year it’s come on leaps and bounds and our sort of opposite energies work well together across the hour. There’s really something for everyone.

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

Zoe: Mary is debuting her show Money Princess this year with the Pleasance, go see her! Meg Stalter is also coming this year which we are insanely excited for. Micky Overman never disappoints. Also very excited to see Mike Birbiglia’s Old Man and the Pool show toward the end of the month.

Dom: I can’t recommend Rosalie Minnitt’s ‘Clementine’ enough – she’s an insane genius. I’m so excited to see Mary O’Connell’s Money Princess, and spend an absurd evening with the boys of Stamptown.

LIKE WHAT YOU JUST READ? FOLLOW US ON TWITTER! FIND US ON FACEBOOK! OR SIGN UP TO OUR MAILING LIST!

INTERESTED IN BEING INTERVIEWED TOO? CLICK HERE!

EdFringe Talk: Mad Ron: Crime School

Posted in *Written Interviews, EdFestivals 2023 by

“I came up as a punter in 2000 and 2001 and absolutely loved it. I watched 8-10 shows a day and was completely shattered at the end of it.”

WHO: Steve Lee

WHAT: “Leicester Comedy Festival nomination for Best Show 2023. In these uncertain economic times, why not take matters into your own hands and turn to a life of crime? At Mad Ron’s Crime School, you’ll learn all the tricks of the trade of a not-so-honest day’s work from Uxbridge’s third hardest man. ‘A masterclass in criminality and comedy writing’ (Lucy Porter).”

WHERE: Assembly George Square – The Box (Venue 8) 

WHEN: 22:35 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

No – I came up as a punter in 2000 and 2001 and absolutely loved it. I watched 8-10 shows a day and was completely shattered at the end of it. I saw some amazing acts and ended up with some amazing stories – Emo Phillips doing the first half hour of his show without the quirky voice – Jimmy Carr/Robin Ince/Ricky Gervais and Steve Merchant doing a compilation show called Rubberneckers – Rob Rouse stripping off and getting into a paddling pool of baked beans – Count Arthur Strong’s “Forgotten Egypt” all amazingly funny. I’ve since been up a few times as a performer mainly grabbing a few spots but I’ve done a few shorter shows but this will be the first time I will have done a full hour. Hopefully I can capture the spirit of the best show’s that I’ve seen.

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

I’ve mainly been doing 20 min sets on the pro circuit so it’s a great opportunity to watch the guys who are at the top of their game in different rooms. I always try to turn up early enough to see the MC and the opening act in action and stay to the end and catch the headliner. There are always tips to pick up. The great thing is by doing 20’s in a decent room there is always room for a minute of new material or to experiment with a wording change. I keep trying to make my set stronger and be better every time I go on stage.

Tell us about your show.

Mad Ron: Crime School is several years in the making, I write every day and going back over the piles of writing that I have created I realised that my skills as a writer had improved and I could make the stuff funny. A couple of months later I had a lot of stuff to try out and I needed a theme. I turned out that Mad Ron was a very opinionated man who needs his message to get across. He wants to teach people there is a better way than this modern World. Live life the Ron way! So Crime School was born. Alexis Dubus who performs as Marcel Lucont has directed the show and he knows what he’s doing.

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

Masai Graham 101 Clean Jokes and 101 Naughty Jokes in 30 mins – twice winner of “Joke of the Fringe” Former UK pun champion and all round top bloke!

William Stone: Lofi Jokes to Study/Relax to is worth a look too, a great mate and he always makes me laugh.

Josh Glanc: Collections 2023 had a great show last year. Can’t wait to see what he’s come up with this year.

Frank Skinner: 30 Years of Dirt is a must see – the preview was really something.

Simon Evans: Have We Met? has some of the best writing.

Ian Crawford – Accident Avoidance Training Workshop – Intermediate. It’s insane stuff very silly and great fun.

Marcel Lucont: Les Enfants Terribles – A Gameshow For Awful Children – If you are looking for show for your kids then this is the one.

LIKE WHAT YOU JUST READ? FOLLOW US ON TWITTER! FIND US ON FACEBOOK! OR SIGN UP TO OUR MAILING LIST!

INTERESTED IN BEING INTERVIEWED TOO? CLICK HERE!

EdFringe Talk: Hive

Posted in *Written Interviews, EdFestivals 2023 by

“Remember you’re giving a gift, even when it’s hard and feels close to the bone. You won’t be for everyone but you’ll be for a lot of people, and that’s really special.”

WHO: Ariella Stoian

WHAT: “Uncanny adventure. A demolition site. A new queer, weird fiction play about housing insecurity, displacement and corporate development. Using lyrical language to explore lost homes, new storms and eldritch infestations. Reluctant Megacorp conservationist and single mum Ria has been called in to sort a hive. It’s halting work, messing up the bottom line. Plus it’s the worst possible timing because Ria’s teenage kid Salve was just suspended for unrepentant thievery. But cagey site manager Craig hints at something more… unusual. More sinister. Director of Colossal, Winner Best Show of the Edinburgh Fringe 2022. Originally commissioned by The Space.”

WHERE: Assembly Roxy – Downstairs (Venue 117) 

WHEN: 16:35 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

We’re a mix! It’s some of our first times and some not! So we have both the wisdom that comes from experience as well as the collective excitement and joy of offering this show for the first time in this eclectic, completely alive, festival environment. We’re so delighted we get to connect with a lot of different people we wouldn’t usually have the chance to meet. Fate and this pinball machine.

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

Have a plan. Structure your time. Have safe places, places to laugh and keep perspective. Be playful. Remember you’re giving a gift, even when it’s hard and feels close to the bone. You won’t be for everyone but you’ll be for a lot of people, and that’s really special. Cook more. Eat more. Sleep more maybe. Be open except when you need to be closed. Learning’s for a lifetime. Probably some lessons have been absorbed.

Tell us about your show.

HIVE is a new queer, weird fiction play about displacement, memory, and eldritch infestations. HIVE uses lyrical language to explore lost homes, new storms and friendly cryptids. At a demolition site in an eerie world, HIVE focuses on the relationship between reluctant Megacorp conservationist and single mum Ria and her teenage kid Salve (they/them) who was just suspended for unrepentant thievery following the loss of Nan; the third-pillar of their family. It is a magical cross-generational story set in an imagined world to consider connection after loss – both whimsical and full of love.

HIVE is presented by Mushmoss Collective, a non-binary, queer and neurodivergent collective, consisting of Ariella Como-Stoian, who is making their Fringe debut as a playwright, and director Susie MacDonald who directed “Colossal’, Winner Best Show of the Edinburgh Fringe 2022. Ariella and Susie teamed up with Sophie Visscher and Zoe Novello of Speakerphone Productions to produce the show! Speakerphone Productions is a queer women-led production company dedicated to amplifying the voices of emerging and LGBTQIA+ artists, producing new interdisciplinary works, and building a joyous creative community. We are all thrilled to be working together, and with our incredible actors Emily Millwood and Elin Doyle, to bring this sweet and strange story to life.

We presented a rehearsed reading of HIVE at A Pinch of Vaults Festival this past June, and we are having a pre-fringe preview on the 23 of July at 7:15 pm at the Camden People’s Theatre. Following the Fringe, we hope to bring HIVE to the stage again!

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

Cowboys and Lesbians
You should definitely go check out Cowboys and Lesbians! Cowboys and Lesbians is a queer romantic comedy about two best schoolfriends writing a parody coming-of-age film and realising they fancy each other in the process – it is campy, funny, and queer! We can’t wait to see it….

Power of Yep
Our brilliant friends Carter and Lexi are bringing their show The Power of Yep all the way over from NYC! The Power of Yep is part play, part clown, and part character comedy – and it always makes us laugh until our faces hurt. Definitely recommend for a taste of something hilarious and unique!

LIKE WHAT YOU JUST READ? FOLLOW US ON TWITTER! FIND US ON FACEBOOK! OR SIGN UP TO OUR MAILING LIST!

INTERESTED IN BEING INTERVIEWED TOO? CLICK HERE!

EdFringe Talk: Robin Ince – Weapons of Empathy

Posted in EdFestivals 2023 by

“I want this to be a show of happiness and curiosity and delight.”

WHO: Robin Ince

WHAT: “Award-winning comedian and bibliomaniac, Robin Ince, takes audiences on a celebratory tour of the places books can take us, and of the ideas that can make wonder and widen the sky. Robin was the Bookseller’s Association 2022 Author of the Year. The Times Literary Supplement described Bibliomaniac as ‘joyous, irreverent – liberating and life-affirming’ while Eric Idle said ‘one of the most delightful books I have ever read… always making me laugh’. Expect a chaos of words and ideas, love and delight. And also a very long reading list.”

WHERE: Gilded Balloon at the Museum – Auditorium (Venue 64) 

WHEN: 13:00 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

I have been visiting the Edinburgh fringe for the entirety of my adult life. I remember the excitement of bumping into Jeremy Hardy in the street in 1987 and asking him how I could become a comedian – despite his best efforts I did.

In 1990, I worked at Greyfriar’s Kirkhouse where I filmed Eddie Izzard’s show for him every night for him. A few years later, we put out a fire in a flat using a watermelon and some pineapples which is probably exactly how people would expect Eddie Izzard to put out a fire.

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

I have learned that reading Tove Jannson and Ursula le Guin is NEVER time wasted. I have learned that I really am unable to take time off – if I am not creating something then it leads to headaches and melancholy. I have also learned what Exeter Libray keeps in its basement and I can’t tell you now, but it is wonderful.

I have also learnt even more about the importance of reading. When my father was dying, we sat around his hospital bed and read him Tarka the Otter and The Hobbit and it felt like connections were still being created right up until the end. It gave us a sense of ritual – a ritual of reading.

Tell us about your show.

These show really came out of me touring around independent bookshops and libraries over the last two years – every time I get a bit ion free time, I fill it by going to talk to readers. The stories built and built and no location was without beautiful incidents or fabulous shared stories. They were/are such spaces of joy and delight and it has been a great way of warding off the negative voices that can seem to surround us.

I want this to be a show of happiness and curiosity and delight.

Someone wrote of a recent book of mine that it was “a tonic”. I love the idea of being a tonic. It is the sort of thing your gran would say of someone with delight.

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

Check out what the independent bookshops have got going on – they often have talks and events and Lighthouse Books is just around the corner from my venue so I will be hanging out their a lot. I haven’t checked out much that is on yet – but I like the sound of Bowjangles: Dracula in Space, Dahlia Wilde’s science show sounds a blast, and I am really looking forward to seeing Don Biswas live. Ian Stone is one of the great circuit comics so I will be seeing him too – plus Eleanor Morton, Laura Davis, Gavin Webster, Paul Zenon, John Robertson…

LIKE WHAT YOU JUST READ? FOLLOW US ON TWITTER! FIND US ON FACEBOOK! OR SIGN UP TO OUR MAILING LIST!

INTERESTED IN BEING INTERVIEWED TOO? CLICK HERE!

EdFringe Talk: Robin Ince – MELONS: A Love Letter to Stand-Up Comedy

Posted in *Written Interviews, EdFestivals 2023 by

“It was in 2004 that, while punching a melon, I realised the direction I should be going in and that has led to a Rose d’or, a Sony Gold AND two wins on Pointless Celebrities.”

WHO: Robin Ince

WHAT: “Robin’s first solo show was a disaster, but a disaster that ended with him punching a melon with Vernon Kay’s face drawn on it before singing Mustang Sally (still no cruise ship bookings). Despite this, actually, because of this, Robin ended up playing to arenas with Professor Brian Cox. This is the story of how he fell in love with comedy thanks to The Goodies and Rik Mayall and how after 30 years he started to find his voice. Winner: Rose D’Or, Sony Gold and The Arthur C Clarke Award.”

WHERE: The Stand’s New Town Theatre – Studio (Venue 7) 

WHEN: 20:35 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

It is 19 years since my first solo show and 35 years since my first visit.

When I was 18 years old there was nothing more exciting in the world.

When I was 22, there was nothing more terrifying than being part of a comedy competition (So You Think You’re Funny, I came second)

I have broken my arm here, wept in churchyards and had some of the greatest nights of my life. It was in 2004 that, while punching a melon, I realised the direction I should be going in and that has led to a Rose d’or, a Sony Gold AND two wins on Pointless Celebrities.

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

Every year I learn a little bit more about how to avoid the negative critical voices and I’ve also learned to write better poetry (still needs some work) – I also continue to learn that there is far more to be gained from punching up rather than down or even not punching at all (unless you are punching a melon – I have learnt not to punch honeydew as they are explosive, I stick to Galia melons) – I have also learned out bees with exploding genitalia and have come one step closer to understanding some of the things Brian Cox says about the event horizon having spent a year touring with him.

Tell us about your show.

I have been in love with comedy since I was small – first it was The Goodies, then it was Alexei Sayle and Rik Mayall – this show is about why I love stand up and what I think it is capable of doing. There is nothing better than someone feeling less alone after they have heard someone on a stage express the thoughts they might be hiding in their head. The show starts here, though it was inspired by the lecture I gave in memory of Linda Smith at the University of Kent in 2021.

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

Don’t just stick to one venue, don’t just stick to people you know. get to the free fringe shows, go see something that doesn’t sound like your cup of tea.

I haven’t checked out too much of what is on yet but do go and see Laura Davis because she always says something that will fascinate you, Lulu Popplewell as she asked the front row the most nerve jangling question I have seen, Paul Zenon because he is perpetually inventive, The dark Room for Kids because John Robertson is a great showman, Circus Sonas because the kids will enjoy its mighty energy, Eleanor Morton because she is always funny, Gavin Webster because he deserves to be revered.

LIKE WHAT YOU JUST READ? FOLLOW US ON TWITTER! FIND US ON FACEBOOK! OR SIGN UP TO OUR MAILING LIST!

INTERESTED IN BEING INTERVIEWED TOO? CLICK HERE!

EdFringe Talk: Serious Nonsense (for Terribly Grown-Up People)

Posted in EdFestivals 2023 by

“The Fringe is special because of the freedom it brings, you can find anything on any of the streets.”

WHO: Ben Macpherson

WHAT: “Funny, horrible and a little bit naughty, this poetry show is perfect for children no matter how old. Meet the chaotic kids, gruesome grown-ups and bizarre beasts that fill the imagination of Ben Macpherson (BBC Radio 4 Extra) and his debut poetry collection. Expect energetic rhymes, masterful storytelling and laugh-out-loud moments from this verbal tour de force. If you like Roald Dahl, David Walliams or Spike Milligan you are going to love this whirlwind of words. ‘Fantastic’ (Michael Rosen). Part of the PBH’s Free Fringe.”

WHERE: PBH’s Free Fringe @ Burrito ‘n’ Shake – Downstairs Room (Venue 605) 

WHEN: 10:45 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

No! I’ve been coming to the fringe since 2012 and have brought shows up 4 of those years. The Fringe is special because of the freedom it brings, you can find anything on any of the streets. It makes you feel sort of small but I find that encouraging – it’s the space to grow and explore, putting ego aside and just doing the work.

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

Location Location location – last years show was in New town a long enough walk from the mile that there was no passing traffic. With PBH you get the venues they can offer so you’re always at the whims of who they can partner with but the best thing I’ve found is focus who you’re trying to share the show with – find where your audience is and chat with them!

Tell us about your show.

Serious Nonsense for Terribly Grown up people is a self written and produced spoken word show. Funny, horrible and a little bit naughty, this poetry show is perfect for families with children aged 8 and up. If you enjoy the poetry of Roald Dahl, Spike Milligan or Hilaire Belloc, this show is a sure-fire hit. Developed alongside my first poetry collection of the same name, the show draws on my experience as a director of Nottingham Poetry Festival and the work I have done in schools sharing poetry. Michael Rosen has said it’s “Full of Humour and Drive!”

Luckily the show was supported by the Keep It Fringe Fund, trying to find a new way of sharing poetry and spoken word with audiences under 18. This time around it is stripped back – a Man, a book and some poems but this is the first step to developing it into a more theatrical show in the Autumn.

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

This is a tough one! the good news is my show is so early you can see just about everything after it! But I would especially shout out Chronic Insanity’s play 24, 23, 22 which is a brilliant Gig Theatre Piece from some of my colleagues back in Nottingham. I’ve seen it along it’s creative process and after a successful run in London it’s heading Fringe-ward.

LIKE WHAT YOU JUST READ? FOLLOW US ON TWITTER! FIND US ON FACEBOOK! OR SIGN UP TO OUR MAILING LIST!

INTERESTED IN BEING INTERVIEWED TOO? CLICK HERE!

EdFringe Talk: A/lone

Posted in *Written Interviews, EdFestivals 2023 by

“We are feeling super prepared for the whirlwind that is the fringe! (Well as prepared as we can be!)”

WHO: Stacey Carmichael

WHAT: “In the experience of profound disconnection, when there are no more floors to crash through, the only way out is in. This dynamic Australian work explores the painful depths of loneliness and the profound joy of aloneness. A/lone combines physical theatre, contemporary dance, and verbatim theatre with an evocative live original score. Directed by Janine McKenzie and featuring original music by Kirstin Honey, A/lone is brought to life by performers Xavier McGettigan and Stacey Carmichael. This Australian team is assisted by Geelong Arts Centre.”

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

WHEN: 21:00 (50 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

Yes! This is our first time at the Edinburgh Fringe! And what a platform to launch our work internationally! Project Connect is a group of Aussie creatives and we are so excited to be doing our premier season at the Fringe. We haven’t even toured it here in Australia yet! I got to attend the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2019 as an audience member, and we are all just bursting with excitement to be coming over to perform. We are feeling super prepared for the whirlwind that is the fringe! (Well as prepared as we can be!)

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

What a thought-provoking question (Lucky we love those). As a team we did a deep dive into the human condition of loneliness and aloneness in 2022, collecting interviews and conducting research on this topic in order to give us material to explore on the floor! We love sharing stories of the human condition on stage. It really has been a privilege to sit with people and hear their stories. I think the lesson we’ve taken from this is the importance of using theatre to tell these precious stories.

Tell us about your show.

Project Connect is a group of 4 Independent Regional Australian Artists that joined forces to explore the idea of connection. Our little team is made up of two performers, a writer/director and a composer/musician. When we all got together, we settled on exploring the idea of loneliness and aloneness. From there we conducted interviews, collected text and used group devised theatre processes to develop what has become a theatrical cycle that combines physical theatre, verbatim text, poetry, projection and live original music!

We had a preview premiere performance to a sold-out audience at Geelong Arts Centre last month, and plan to tour regional Australia in 2024. We are very lucky to have had our creative development and our international premiere supported by Geelong Arts Centre.

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

We are so excited to have some fellow Aussies coming over and highly recommend checking out Anglesea Performing Arts production of Shadows of Angels. A fascinating look at female identity and history in 1920’s Australia. We will also be checking out, Attitude Dance Company and their production of Perfect Pairing (Because who doesn’t love wine and dance!). Go Aussies!

LIKE WHAT YOU JUST READ? FOLLOW US ON TWITTER! FIND US ON FACEBOOK! OR SIGN UP TO OUR MAILING LIST!

INTERESTED IN BEING INTERVIEWED TOO? CLICK HERE!

EdFringe Talk: Lights Up! The Improvised Musical

Posted in *Written Interviews, EdFestivals 2023 by

“There’s no one else in Germany doing what we do, so one of the ways we’ve been moving forward has been by reaching out to our musical improv heroes for guidance.”

WHO: Tina Marie Serra

WHAT: “It’s Lights Up! on this Fringe debut: a completely improvised musical comedy! Unforgettable characters sing, dance, rap, and harmonise their way through action-packed stories in an exuberant joyride that audiences have described as pure magic on stage. It’s a jubilant, electric adventure that’s brand new every night – because it’s made up on the spot from your suggestions! Berlin’s Kaleidoscope is a tour-de-force of musical talent and comedic storytelling that’s making waves and blowing up the genre of improvised musicals. Become part of the show that’s touched hearts and sold out theatres wherever it goes!”

WHERE: theSpace on the Mile – Space 1 (Venue 39) 

WHEN: 20:45 (50 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

Yes, this is our first time at the Edinburgh Fringe–both as performers and punters!

Edinburgh Fringe has long been a goal for all of us individually, but we didn’t think it was an option this year. The company was in its very first weeks when we decided to apply; we had done exactly one show (a musical about land sharks, of all the things), but we sent it to some venues, not thinking we’d hear anything. But theSpace came back to us just a few days later and said they’d love to have us and our collective jaws hit the floor. It didn’t feel real; it still doesn’t. But we said yes and got to work.

We’re really excited to be sharing our show with a new audience! But we’re also really, really excited to spend three weeks in the maelstrom of creativity–seeing our idols live for the first time, supporting our friends’ shows, being inspired by the incredible talent on display, and swapping ideas and stories with friends, both old and new.

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

We’re still a very new company–we’ll only be eleven months old at Fringe! So our whole journey towards the Festival has been filled with so much learning. How do we improvise musical numbers, how do we collectively tell a story, how do we move, how do we begin and end shows, how do we dance/rap/harmonize, how do we communicate those choices to each other, and how do we make it look scripted?

There’s no one else in Germany doing what we do, so one of the ways we’ve been moving forward has been by reaching out to our musical improv heroes for guidance. We’ve talked to Dylan Emery of Showstoppers, Alan Kliffer of Asylum NYC, Hollie Ann James of The Impromptunes, and Scott Passarella from Off Book. They’ve all been incredibly generous with their time, their wisdom, and their encouragement. We feel so lucky that people this phenomenal have been willing to share their experience and advice with us; one day we’ll pay it forward by doing the same for the people coming up behind us.

Tell us about your show.

Happily! We are Kaleidoscope, a musical theater/comedy company based in Berlin, and we perform an improvised, Broadway-style musical called Lights Up!. We start with an audience suggestion of a location and then we’re off on an adventure. Our musical director improvises all the music on his keyboard, and the performers on stage improvise everything else–the lyrics, the melodies, the harmonies, the raps, the dancing, and of course, the stories!

The company came together in September 2022 with the goal of combining the best musical theater and improv talent in Berlin and putting on the type of show that didn’t exist in Germany yet. We all knew we wanted to put on the best improvised musical in town, but I don’t think any of us were prepared for the response we got. We sold out our very first show, and then our second, and then our third, and the venues kept getting bigger but the shows kept selling out. Whatever we were doing was resonating with Berlin audiences in a way we’d never imagined.

I think it’s because everything we do comes from a deep love for both musicals as a genre and improv as an art form; our joy on stage is glaringly apparent and I think there’s nothing more fun for an audience to watch than a performer who is deeply, hopelessly in love with their art.

I also think that audiences keep coming back because we’re not afraid to tackle big problems or go to hard places. I believe all art burns life for fuel, but life is particularly immediate in improv, and you can see it in our shows. Our characters are complicated and flawed, and the issues and heartbreaks they deal with are very real. We put our whole selves into our stories–all of the amazing, beautiful, hard things that make us artists–but we wrap it up in a melodic hook that’ll still be stuck in your head the next morning.

After Edinburgh, we’ll be back in Berlin with a few dates already lined up in other German cities. We’re hoping to tour Germany/continental Europe, get a residency in a London theater, and down the line–a West End run!

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

Oh my goodness, there are SO MANY incredible shows to see if you love what we do!

First, you’ve absolutely got to get your tickets, yesterday, for Showstopper! The Improvised Musical. The stuff they can do will absolutely blow your mind and they’ve been a huge inspiration to us, and we’re so excited to finally see them live (already got our tickets!)

Then of course there’s Baby Wants Candy doing an improvised musical and their spin-off show Shamilton, an improvised hip hop musical about a famous person the audience suggests. They’re the biggest musical improv group to come out of the US and we’ve heard such incredible things that we bought our tickets weeks ago.

More improvised hip hop: it’s MC Hammersmith in Straight Outta Brompton! I’ve had the pleasure of meeting the man behind MC Hammersmith, Will Naameh, a few times in person and he is fiendishly talented and another one we absolutely can’t wait to see live.

We are really excited to see Men With Coconuts and The Totally Improvised Musical–two more shows doing musical improv and we can’t wait to see their takes on this wild art form that we love and share!

For pure improv, we’re really excited for Austentatious doing an improvised Jane Austen novel. I saw them once in Brighton, long before I started doing improv; some of the stuff they did in that show lives rent-free in my brain and I use it to inspire my own improv. I’m also super pumped for St Doctor’s Hospital, they do an improvised medical drama. I saw them perform at the Edinburgh Improv Fest back in March and they were phenomenal.

I met the people behind Spontaneous Potter when I was visiting Edinburgh on holiday, and again at the Edinburgh improv festival, so I can’t wait to see them do an improvised Harry Potter fan fiction. Likewise I’m really looking forward to Absolute Improv, because Paul Connolly, one of the performers behind it, is one of the loveliest (and funniest) humans I’ve ever met. He’s also in Spontaneous Potter!

Outside of improv, we’re going to see Frankenstein from the Berlin Open Theater to support our fellow Berliners (and also our friend Izzy Rousmaniere, who’s in it!) and Serious Nonsense (for Terribly Grown-Up People), by Ben Macpherson, whom I met at the Robin Hood Improv Festival in Nottingham and who is a phenomenal performer.

LIKE WHAT YOU JUST READ? FOLLOW US ON TWITTER! FIND US ON FACEBOOK! OR SIGN UP TO OUR MAILING LIST!

INTERESTED IN BEING INTERVIEWED TOO? CLICK HERE!

EdFringe Talk: BUTCHERED

Posted in *Written Interviews, EdFestivals 2023 by

“Blood, sweat and tears went into making this show what it is today and it’s an absolute monster. Sometimes it feels like it could eat us, it’s so immense.”

WHO: Nic Lawton

WHAT: “Welcome to the kitchen where dreams come to die. Master Sausage only knows one thing. Eat, sleep, sausage, repeat. But when a fresh-faced Apprentice arrives, sinister questions rear their heads. Is there more to life than this? What does it mean to be happy? And what’s in those sausages anyway? Featuring dynamic physical theatre, a pitch-black comedic script and a killer soundtrack, Expial Atrocious’ absurdist thriller demands to be seen and heard… Have you got the guts? ***** (Everything-Theatre.co.uk). ***** (FringeBiscuit.com). Nominated for an OffFest award at VAULT Festival 2023.”

WHERE: Underbelly, Cowgate – Iron Belly (Venue 61) 

WHEN: 17:10 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

We performed at the Fringe for the first time last year with an earlier version of BUTCHERED and let me tell you, it was the single most greatest experience we’d ever had as artists and as people. The festival gave us a taste of what it was like to be a successful touring company, and we have been hungry for more ever since. We performed at Greenside @ Nicholson Square and had a wonderful time networking with other artists and companies, and found that through the support and immaculate vibes of the festival, we solidified who we were as a company. We make gutsy absurdist horror theatre. And we do it well.

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

Some big things we’ve learned from last year is to be confident and passionate about your work. It’s infectious when you get excited about what you’re doing, what your work means to you and how cool it would be if other people saw it.

We’ve learned to be fearless in our theatrical processes but also in the admin side. Send those emails, ask for that feedback, shoot your shot for a spot in a big theatre’s upcoming programme.
Be present and engaging online and in person. Listen to and support others. Sharing really is caring, whether that’s in the form of a retweet on a poster or giving out a piece of advice.

If you don’t ask, you don’t get. Opportunities are everywhere if you look for them. Ask that theatre to go for a coffee with you, offer out that incredibly niche workshop to your local creative venue, shout from the rooftops about the kind of support you need to help you breathe life into your artistic visions.

And finally, go big and monstrous or go home. We’ve learned to take risks, apply for every opportunity and reach out to likeminded artists and organisations along the way. Take some big scary steps and see what happens. You may be surprised.

Tell us about your show.

We are Expial Atrocious – a West Midlands-based theatre company who are carving our way into the horror theatre scene. Co-founded in the back of a Wetherspoons in Worcester by theatrical soulmates, Nic Lawton and Ez Holland, we aim to find new and unusual methods of storytelling and present the familiar in unfamiliar ways. With the weird, wonderful and wicked at the heart of our practice, we are inspired by creating dynamic visuals, immersive soundscapes and shows that make you say “what the f*ck?”

Our horrible little show BUTCHERED was written, produced, choreographed, composed and is performed by us. Blood, sweat and tears went into making this show what it is today and it’s an absolute monster. Sometimes it feels like it could eat us, it’s so immense. From the day of its conception in February 2022 to right now, BUTCHERED is our favourite thing we’ve ever made and we hope to keep thrilling audiences with it for many years to come. It’s loud, it’s demanding, it’s about two underground sausage-makers and the guts it takes to be a human…

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

Go and see things that will shock you. Take risks on lesser known artists and companies because you may surprise yourself and find your new favourite show. And if you like the work we make, here are some of our recommendations:

We’re beyond excited to see @KitschTheatre return to the Fringe with their blood-thirsty comedy, Attachment: The Leech Show. It was the funniest show we saw last year and cannot wait to howl all over again! 14th-19th @ 17:15, Ivy Studio, Greenside Infirmary Street.

Our good friends @_blackbright are bringing their post-apocalyptic kitchen-sink drama, The Hunger, to the Fringe and we can’t wait to be immersed in the horror of it all… 2nd-28th (not 15th) @ 13:10, Studio Four, Assembly George Square Gardens.

Also cannot WAIT to see the incredible @alistairhallyes in his haunting rural thriller, Declan. 15th-27th @ 14:35, Belly Laugh, Underbelly Cowgate. And The Society for New Cuisine @SFNCplay is a dark fable we cannot wait to sink our teeth into. 3rd-27th (not 14th) @ 18:40, Iron Belly, Underbelly Cowgate. Massive shoutout to the rest of our Underbelly Buddies who we cannot wait to see at the Fringe! Big butchered love gang, see you on the road x

LIKE WHAT YOU JUST READ? FOLLOW US ON TWITTER! FIND US ON FACEBOOK! OR SIGN UP TO OUR MAILING LIST!

INTERESTED IN BEING INTERVIEWED TOO? CLICK HERE!