Category Archives: *Written Interviews

From time to time we encounter an artist or producer toiling away at something pretty special. Here’s what they have to say, in their own words, about their work.

+3 Interview: The Travelling Sisters

Posted in *Written Interviews, EdFestivals 2016 by

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“It is fun, absurd and ridiculous. We met at uni in Toowoomba, Australia and then studied at Ecole Philippe Gaulier in France.”

WHO: Laura Trenerry, Performer

WHAT: “With wild eyes and a wicked flavour of comedy, Australian trio The Travelling Sisters serve up a gang of tragically charming misfits. Ridiculous. Unexpected.”

WHERE: Pleasance Courtyard (Venue 33)

WHEN: 22:45 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

No! We went last year and played in the Free Fringe. The venue smelled like poo but we packed it out and have a great first Fringe experience.

Tell us about your show.

We are The Travelling Sisters – Laura Trenerry, Ell Sachs and Lucy Fox. The show is a mash up of physical comedy, clown, characters and songs that make you wanna jiggle your booty. It is fun, absurd and ridiculous. We met at uni in Toowoomba, Australia and then studied at Ecole Philippe Gaulier in France.

We have performed in many weird and wonderful places including caravans, pubs, boats, hair salons, churches… The show this year is brand spankin’ new. We have recently performed at Prague Fringe Festival, Bath Comedy Festival, Berlin Comedy Cafe and Bedford Fringe Festival. After Ed Fringe we will be taking it around the Australian festival circuit.

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

They should see Tessa Waters: Over Promises, The Desperettes, The Story of A Nervous Man, Zach & Viggo: Thunderflop, The Establishment, Norris and Parker, as well as Spencer Jones.

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+3 Interview: A Broad Abroad!

Posted in *Written Interviews, EdFestivals 2016 by

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“I’m better the second time around.”

WHO: D’yan Forest, Co-writer/performer

WHAT: “Eight decades of music, madness and foreign affairs are scandalously revealed in this tantalizing new one-woman musical comedy cabaret; from femme fatale D’yan’s lusty adventures in 1950s Paris to her romantic swains in Italy, Austria, Jordan and the whole world. This feisty 82-year-old is still going strong with her pithy songs, witty stand-up, racy tales, yodelling, ukulele and piano-playing.”

WHERE: Greenside @ Infirmary Street (Venue 236)

WHEN: 18:25 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

Yes! And I’m so excited. I’ve traveled the world but I’ve never been to Scotland.

Tell us about your show.

The show was inspired by my travels abroad over the last 40 years. I co-wrote A Broad Abroad! with Eric Kornfeld who is also the director The show has played to sold-out houses at the Frigid Festival and The Duplex in New York, and the Orlando Fringe Festival in last May. I’m not sure where we’re going after Edinburgh but I’d love to travel the world with the show.

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

They should come back and see me! I’m better the second time around. There’s also a lot of great shows at the Greenside Venue. I’m looking forward to seeing a lot of theatre while I’m in Edinburgh.

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+3 Interview: How Is Uncle John?

Posted in *Written Interviews, EdFestivals 2016 by

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“There’s so much to see and especially great theatre made by women, which is so refreshing.”

WHO: Sally Lewis, Writer

WHAT: “When Hope was young, her mother did everything she could to ensure her daughter was safe. As she grew more independent, Hope began to slip from her mother’s fingers. Years later, Hope has fallen in love. When she goes on holiday with her new partner, a few days turn into months. At home, sick with worry, Hope’s mother receives a telephone call. The remarkable story of a daughter trafficked into the sex market and her mother’s journey to bring her home, this one-woman play is an unflinching descent into darkness.”

WHERE: Assembly Hall (Venue 35)

WHEN: 15:00 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

Both Ben (Director) and I have been before but this is our first full dramatic show together- very exciting. Holly Joyce (Mother) has performed several times before but it’s a first for Taha Haq (Hope). We are all very excited to be here and especially at The Assembly.

Tell us about your show.

I wrote it. It’s a new play about a mother’s journey to realise and rescue her adult daughter has been trafficked abroad into the sex trade and she is the only person who can rescue her. It’s about love, intuition, strength, courage and the bond between a mother and a child, no matter how old that child may be. It’s being produced by Creative Garage, a collective Ben runs.

Ben and I had worked on a few other pieces of my work so it seemed only right we would work on this play together when I discussed it with him one night in the pub. Finding Holly Joyce and Taha Haq has been challenging, but also very exciting and has really helped the play develop. We are previewing on July 29th at The Nuffield Theatre in Southampton for one night only as we are focusing on our Edinburgh run. We would love to tour in the New Year, fingers crossed.

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

The sunshine!

There’s so much to see and especially great theatre made by women, which is so refreshing. I’d definitely signpost them to Mr Incredible by Camilla Whitehill and directed by the wonderful Sarah Myott-Meadows at the Underbelly, Cowgate.

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+3 Interview: Loud Poets

Posted in *Written Interviews, EdFestivals 2016 by

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“Some poems have been written solo and some together, but they’re organised too to create a narrative of how we make poetry loud.”

WHO: Catherine Wilson, Organiser

WHAT: “This is slam style, make some noise, fist-thumping, pint-drinking, side-tickling, heart-wrenching poetry. This is poetry for the masses. This is the spoken word revolution. Featuring the best spoken word artists from Scotland and beyond. Performing with a live band which means an exciting, different show every night.”

WHERE: Scottish Storytelling Centre (Venue 30)

WHEN: 21:00 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

This is our third year at Edinburgh Fringe, and we’re also based in Edinburgh: running monthly nights there and in Glasgow. It’s fantastic to be able to perform the Fringe show in our home, and already know how to navigate the city.

Tell us about your show.

Our show is a showcase of the best spoken word from Scotland and beyond, we wrote the show together to create a line-up of poetry with music and projections. Some poems have been written solo and some together, but they’re organised too to create a narrative of how we make poetry loud – how we transform spoken word into something more than just the writing and actually a performance.

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

There’s a wealth of spoken word on across the city, if you hang around Banshee Labirynth you can catch incredible amounts of pay what you wish. We’re excited to see acts such as Sara Hirsch and Ben Fagan, Dan Simpson and Andrew Blair and Ross Mcleary. Outside of spoken word we’re also fans of the improvised comedy group Men with Coconuts!

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+3 Interview: Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppet Theatre Do Shakespeare

Posted in *Written Interviews, EdFestivals 2016 by

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“Once upon a time there was a stand up comedian called Kev F… turns out the Socks were funnier”

WHO: Kev F Sutherland, Writer and producer

WHAT: “Earth’s funniest footwear return with a brand new show of songs, sketches, socks and violence, taking on The Bard of Avon himself. Howl at their Hamlet, roar at their Romeo and Juliet and peer into their Coriolanus. Plus all the usual satirical nonsense from the two gentlesocks of verrucca.”

WHERE: Gilded Balloon Teviot – Sportsmans

WHEN: 22:30 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

The Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppet Theatre have been taking a new show up to Edinburgh almost every year since 2007. Recent shows include our sci fi themed show Socks In Space (’13), our socky horror show Boo Lingerie (12), and last year’s crime show Minging Detectives. This year we’re doing Shakespeare.

Tell us about your show.

Once upon a time there was a stand up comedian called Kev F who was doing a sketch show, and he wrote some two-handers that he didn’t want the actors to bugger up. So he turned up at the writers meeting with a pair of socks on his hands, ducked under the table and put on a silly voice. Turns out the Socks were funnier than anything he had ever done, and went on to steal all his gigs.

Socks Do Shakespeare started trying out sketches way back at the Leicester Comedy Festival in February, and has had a run of 10 full Previews in July from Bristol to Barnes, from Bedford to Blaenavon (plus 6 towns not beginning with a B)

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

A bartender.

Then the next day (our show finishes just before midnight) go see the art. The Socks and their creator went to art college, and like to remind everyone that Edinburgh in August is full of art, from the brilliant work at Summerhall, to the monumental stuff at the Gallery of Modern Art, the City Gallery, Collective up on Calton Hill, the National Portrait Gallery, the Museum on the Mound and 100 places in between.

If you’ve got to see comedy, obviously our venue (The Gilded Balloon) has the best, but please don’t stick to seeing the folks off the telly. Dip your toe in the water of the Free Fringe, take a gamble on an act who thrusts a flyer in your hand, and by god go and see theatre. There’s still more theatre than comedy in Edinburgh, so don’t let it pass you by.

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+3 Interview: My Leonard Cohen (incl. follow-up)

Posted in *Written Interviews, EdFestivals 2016 by

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“I fell in love with Edinburgh and with the Scots. You’re so friendly and so much fun!”

WHO: Sandy Bruns, Co-Producer

WHAT: “Few bodies of musical work rouse, seduce and are of such solace as that of the great Leonard Cohen. Stewart D’Arrietta’s musical interpretations are gutsy and arresting, and the stories he tells add an intimate insight into Cohen’s life and motivations. The six-piece band perform 15 songs including the heartrending Suzanne, the iconic Tower of Song, the desperately seductive I’m Your Man, the rousing Hallelujah, plus more.”

WHERE: Assembly Hall (Venue 35)

WHEN: 18:15 (75 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

We came last year with Lennon Through A Glass Onion and I fell in love with Edinburgh and with the Scots. You’re so friendly and so much fun!

I spent the days out ‘flyering’ which enabled me to interact with loads of great people. I also got to see 29 shows, all of which were good in their own way, and many of which were absolutely FANTASTIC!

Tell us about your show.

Stewart D’Arrietta wrote the show and is the lead performer. This is a showcase of Stewart’s many talents.

His great love is playing with other talented musicians, and he’s been doing so for a long time with various shows and many bands. Other musos like working with him too. The great energy they have together on stage is palpable. His musician mates back home in Sydney love working with Stewie, so he was able to bring some of our best with him. We’ve picked up two local musicians too.

The high cost of bringing 5 people all the way from Australia and housing everyone means we will probably struggle to cover costs. Because of this, we decided to fund ourselves rather than have anyone else tproduce us. Hopefully it will pay off.

We played to a full house and standing ovation at the Canberra Festival, and our brief Australian tour was extremely well received too.

Provided you like us in Edinburgh, we plan to do a UK run next year…

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

We are looking forward to seeing Deeptime, the sound and light extravaganza projected onto the magnificent Edinburgh Castle. I think it will be an extraordinary moving, historically rich experience. We lack that sense of history back home.

On a lighter note and for side splitting laughs, I recommend seeing the Irish born Australain comedian, Jimeoin. He is hilarious!

POST-FRINGE ’16 UPDATE 

What’s the one thing you wish you’d done this year (that you didn’t do, or didn’t do earlier), and what’s the first thing you’re going to remember for next time?

We loved our flat, but next year we will ask for one on the ground floor, or one flight up at the most. We don’t mind stairs; but lugging our equipment up and down was challenging/ exhausting.

Best thing we did early in the piece was get a 4 week Lothian bus pass. So good to be able to hop on and off buses at whim.

Who outside your company did the most to make your Fringe? What did they do for you? Did you know them before the Edinburgh Festivals ’16?

Our mates at the Wash Bar next door to the Assembly Hall made us feel so welcome, like last year.

The Assembly staff, particularly those in the reception at the Press office were also very friendly and nice to us. And our stage managers were amazing, getting all our stuff on and off stage in record time. With a smile!

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+3 Interview: Criminology 303

Posted in *Written Interviews, EdFestivals 2016 by

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“Our actors, Jilly Bond and Julian Gartside, starred in Macbeth (another Scottish story of murder and ghosts) for Compass Theatre Co. exactly thirty years ago.”

WHO: Jilly Bond, Producer

WHAT: “Professor Norma Bates, retired detective, lectures on past cases, but hostile technology is out to get her, forcing her to confront the one that remains unsolved. A story of betrayal and lost love – and a murder which refuses to give up its secret. Until tonight. Join her as she relives her encounter with the pivotal witness and the truth erupts. Not your average ghost story by promising new writer, Rose Miller. Starring Jilly Bond (Island, National Theatre) and Julian Gartside (Casualty). Presented by Tangent Theatre Company.”

WHERE: Venue 13 (Venue 13) 

WHEN: 21:30 (35 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

It is Tangent Theatre’s first visit, but two of our actors, Jilly Bond and Julian Gartside, starred in Macbeth (another Scottish story of murder and ghosts) for Compass Theatre Co. exactly thirty years ago.

Tell us about your show.

It’s written by a 20 year old American student during a play-writing course for international students at Westminster Uni. Jilly was asked to participate in the reading of some extracts, was intrigued by the section she heard and decided to produce the whole play (re-located to Scotland rather than southern states America) in Edinburgh.

Her partner, Julian Gartside was perfect casting for the mysterious Scottish Laird; she’d recently worked with director, Tommo Fowler on an award-winning play at the Finborough and wanted to work with him again, and Antonis Sideras, third member of the cast, has just graduated from Drama Studio London, where Jilly teaches. This will be the premiere, but we are hoping for a London transfer.

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

A Tale of Two Cities: Blood for Blood at the Pleasance Courtyard – not only because it contains a quote from Macbeth in the title as our play, purely coincidentally, does in our text, but because the last production from the Chung Ying Theatre Co, directed by Jonathan Holloway of Red Shift, was stunning. Both our lead actors have also worked with Red Shift in the past and been influenced by their style.

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+3 Interview: {title of show}

Posted in *Written Interviews, EdFestivals 2016 by

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“At its heart, it is a musical about friendship, risks and the importance of learning to be true to both yourself and your dreams – however scary that may seem.”

WHO: Leah Weerasinghe

WHAT: “Four chairs. Three weeks. Two bickering writers. One award-winning original musical. Follow the challenges and triumphs of four nobodies in New York on their hilarious quest for Broadway, acceptance and a spot on Ellen DeGeneres’ couch! An eccentric, witty and self-aware show (about the creation of a show!) filled with diva riff offs, talking notepads and a jealous onstage pianist… what could possibly go wrong?”

WHERE: C venues – C cubed (Venue 50)

WHEN: 21:20 (90 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

Together as a company, this is our first time in Edinburgh. However, members of both our production team and cast have performed at the Fringe in previous years.

Tell us about your show.

{title of show} follows the challenges and triumphs of four nobodies in New York on their hilarious quest for Broadway, acceptance and a spot on Ellen DeGeneres’ couch! At its heart, it is a musical about friendship, risks and the importance of learning to be true to both yourself and your dreams – however scary that may seem. An eccentric, witty and self-aware show (about the creation of a show) filled with diva riff offs, talking notepads and a jealous onstage pianist… what could possibly go wrong?

On their quest to create an original musical, composer/lyricist Jeff Bowen and book-writer Hunter Bell found that their conversations about what to write were far more interesting than the ideas they were coming up with; [title of show] was born. The show chronicles the true(ly embellished) story of its own creation from page to the Broadway stage, via the New York Theatre Festival and featured its creators playing themselves in the original production, which both won an Obie Award and was nominated for a Tony.

Cobbles & Rhyme Productions was founded in early 2016 by Harry Haden-Brown and Jack Reitman, graduates of the University of Bristol, who have had extensive performing experience both on a regional and national scale. Harry is Bristol-based freelance musical director whilst Jack is an actor-singer turned director, soon to be studying at the renowned Royal Academy of Music; both have worked with the National Youth Musical Theatre. Cobbles & Rhyme Productions is an exciting, emerging new company that strives to showcase quality musical theatre productions, cabarets and performances, and to develop new writing. The company will be making its debut at the 2016 Edinburgh Fringe Festival from August 4th-29th, with the musical-comedy [title of show] and the daily themed-cabaret [title of songs].

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

Well, I have no doubt that Alan Cumming Sings Sappy Songs will be amazing and MTW’s Improv Musical has been really entertaining the past few years so I’m sure that will be brilliant. Jack was once a member of Young Pleasance and always sings their praises, so watch out for Alice Unhinged. It may be somewhat cheeky of me but Cobbles & Rhyme are taking up a pay what you think cabaret called [title of songs] so I would recommend that  🙂

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+3 Interview: 5 Out of 10 Men

Posted in *Written Interviews, EdFestivals 2016 by

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“Duncan’s the oldest in the group and he’s been bringing work with schools and youth groups since around the Middle Ages.”

WHO: Roland Reynolds

WHAT: “On average, 12 men take their own life every single day. Rooted in true experiences and deep exploration of mental health, 5 Out of 10 Men invites men to be open – to journey unabashedly into themselves. With a fun, interactive style and a penetrating dark humour, a mixed ensemble leads a wounded man as he weaves a confessional hymn to his dead brother, torn between the man he is and a man he strives to be.”

WHERE: theSpace on Niddry St (Venue 9)

WHEN: 16:55 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

As a band of theatre practitioners it’s our first time to Edinburgh, yes – it’s our first project together!

But among us there’s a fair amount of Fringe experience. Duncan’s the oldest in the group and he’s been bringing work with schools and youth groups since around the Middle Ages. He has a long relationship with theSpaceUK and has worked for and alongside them in a number of capacities over the past 10-15 years.

Roland wrote, produced and directed his first show at the Fringe when he was 16 back in 2008. It was a rain-soaked, empty-bellied, back-breaking experience and he knew he’d be doing this for the rest of his life. A glutton for punishment, he returned to Edinburgh with another show the year after and came on board an opera the year after that.

Tell us about your show.

The show is a new piece about men, masculinity and mental health. It’s been written by me, and is produced and directed by me and Duncan Alldridge.

Our company formed out of a year’s research & development process including some ensemble-based workshop auditions this spring. There are some statistics that were the spark for this work: 76% of suicides in the UK are men; suicide is the major cause of death for men aged under 45. We were inspired to come together to create an honest, intimate playing space where we explore these devastating facts and some of the roots beneath them.

5 Out of 10 Men will premier in Edinburgh; we’re already in discussions to bring the work to London in the months after the Fringe and we’re looking to have more conversations with venues and potential collaborators all over the UK to see where we can take this. It’s fun, visceral, inclusive, important, relevant work representing an often misunderstood voice.

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

This year’s programme at the fringe is all about defying convention and we’re hunting out the shows to see that are breaking down boundaries on all levels of engagement.

At theSpaceUK there’s exciting work surrounding women’s issues being produced, with Killer Cells dealing with the agony of miscarriage, Broken Fanny, a comedy on adapting to life with a new baby, and more.

We’ve also been long-term followers of the work produced by Northern Stage, especially since the tenure of Lorne Campbell began; this year they’re based at Summerhall, a venue that immediately caught our interest when it opened a few years ago. This year’s highlight for us is Two Man Show by RashDash, a playful new show about gender and language.

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+3 Interview: If There’s Not Dancing at the Revolution, I’m Not Coming

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“I created this show while studying in New York City and the city is infused into every part of this work. “

WHO: Julia Croft

WHAT: “A rich contemporary performance collage of film scripts, pop songs, advertisements, elaborate costumes and dance all stretched, teased, shattered, and reassembled to challenge the treatment of women’s bodies as spectacle in popular culture. If there’s not dancing… uncovers the collective fantasies underneath these bodies, intervenes and explodes them into feminist confetti.”

WHERE: Summerhall – Anatomy Lecture Theatre

WHEN: 12:05 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

Yes. First time. Anticipating a trial by fire. And some great whiskey [sic].

Tell us about your show.

If There’s Not Dancing At The Revolution, I’m Not Coming is a rich, contemporary performance collage of film scripts, pop songs, elaborate costumes, dance and live art, all stretched, teased shattered and reassembled in order to challenge the treatment of women’s bodies in popular culture. It is a wild, anarchic and poetic collision of popular culture texts combined to uncover the collective fantasies underneath female bodies. It unapologetically intervenes and explodes these fantasies into feminist confetti.

I created it because I am angry. It was created as a response to powerful men feel who so much ownership over a woman’s body that pulling a women’s ponytail is “just joking around” and the idea that this does not happen in a vacuum. These actions come out of a cultural context. How we look at women and violence towards women are not unrelated things; they are part of a spectrum. This is about how we look and how our looking is a political act.

I created this show while studying in New York City and the city is infused into every part of this work. I have performed in in 3 seasons in New Zealand, all of which have sold out. Post fringe I am travelling to Mexico to create a new work in collaboration with a Mexican artist. Dancing will tour to Australia early next year and hopefully return to the UK/Europe after that.

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

There is a great contingent of shows coming all the way from New Zealand, and my lord I mean ALL the way. Torum Heng’s one woman show, Keep out of my box at the Gilded balloon. She is a brilliant boss lady comedian. Tim Carlson performing his solo One Day Moko about homelessness in New Zealand, also at the Gilded balloon. Arthur Meek performing his solo Hilary Clinton/Young Lover at Summerhall. Come see what theatre looks like at the bottom of the world.

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