“What’s great about the Fringe is that it provides such a wide range of cultural experiences. It’s a real melting pot of talent and a privilege to rub shoulders with so many other artists and kindred sprits.”
WHO: David Aldred
WHAT: “‘If music be the food of love, play on… get on the dancefloor!’ Our fresh take on the bard’s gender-bending comedy, set to a disco soundtrack, will have you on your feet. This glitzy show is performed with singing and dancing by an all-male cast for that authentic Shakespearean experience. Featuring classic disco numbers including Night Fever, Rock The Boat, I Feel Love, Boogie Wonderland and That’s The Way (I Like It)… it’s a brand-new genre: Shakespeare Disco. From the same people that brought you last year’s Fringe Sell-Out Show Laurel winning smash-hit Rockbeth.”
WHERE: theSpaceTriplex – Big (End On) (Venue 117)
WHEN: 14:40 (70 min)
MORE: Click Here!
Is this your first time to Edinburgh?
Edinburgh is one of my favourite cities, at any time of year, but especially during August for the Fringe, come rain, sunshine and rain again. I have been to the festival on many a tour – as both producer and punter, and in the company of friends, family and students. It’s a joy to have introduced so many young performers to the festival as a teacher of drama, director of theatre, and trip leader. What’s great about the Fringe is that it provides such a wide range of cultural experiences. It’s a real melting pot of talent and a privilege to rub shoulders with so many other artists and kindred spirits.
What are the big things you’ve learned since 2023 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?
Last year, I brought Rockbeth, my modernised and musicalised adaptation of Macbeth, to the Fringe with a group who had never been before. We were an unknown company with new material and there was little fanfare. One of the few people to show an interest was Get Your Coats On – thank you! Anyway, despite fairly low expectations, the play must have hit a nerve because it became a smash-hit, winning a Fringe Sell-out Laurel and receiving excellent reviews to boot. Having come out of a difficult period, which had resulted in a completely new direction for me, that experience was so joyful and life affirming… I think to quote Ted Lasso, I learned to ‘believe’ again. Still believing… let’s do it again with Twelfth Night Fever.
Tell us about your show.
Twelfth Night Fever is my adaptation of Shakespeare’s gender-bending comedy with lots of disco music and dancing involved. As lovers of the bard’s comedies will know, you can expect in-jokes about boys dressing up as girls, mistaken identities, general confusion, and melodramatic conflict, but all ending happily with lovers coupled up. In other words, just like Love Island. In my version, the play ends with a massive dance off. Shakespeare is probably rolling his eyes somewhere.
Where did it all begin? After last year’s success with Rockbeth, we thought: let’s have another romp with a Shakespeare play. So far, we have performed Twelfth Night Fever to audiences at our school in Surrey and we are now transferring to Haslemere Hall, before taking it on the road to Edinburgh. We have had so much support and generosity along the way – with many kind sponsors making it possible for us to do the tour.
Our theatre company is More The Merrier and we are promoters of neurodiversity in the performing arts. All our performers are neurodiverse and have overcome many personal challenges to appear on stage at the world’s largest arts festival. We believe in the rich potential of the human spirit to triumph over adversity, and to take performance to the highest level, whatever the ability, regardless of neurodiversity. Our journey has taken us from the humble beginnings of a small stage in a specialist school in Surrey to the bright lights of the Edinburgh Fringe, and who knows where next?
What should your audience see at the festivals after they’ve seen your show?
Take a punt! There is so much on offer. It’s like an all-you-can-eat theatrical buffet. We will go and see as much as possible – from stand-up to musicals to improv to experimental theatre. A good way to discover stuff is to speak to other playgoers on the Mile and find out what’s got the buzz. That’s how Rockbeth got its audiences last year – the word-of-mouth buzz worked for us then and let’s hope we can do the same with Twelfth Night Fever. Plus if you like our show, then you should also enjoy Shakespeare For Breakfast, similar fare to ours but they also give you a croissant.
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