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: Spoon-Feeders

Posted in *Written Interviews, EdFestivals 2016 by

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“Each year we take an original piece of writing to the Fringe.”

WHO: Chloe Burton – Production Manager

WHAT: “Spoon-Feeders follows the daily lives of four actors working for STN News; exploring the interaction between the worlds of information and entertainment. Max, Tibby, Jons and Felicity all have their own dramatic aspirations but Felicity, quashed by the others, has to satisfy herself with office work. When Stephen, an aspiring actor and recent graduate accepts a job at the office, Tibby and Jons feel their positions are threatened. The prospect of a career-making scoop beckons and claws are sharpened. As each party vies for supremacy, a question emerges: What does it really mean to control something?”

WHERE: theSpace @ Surgeons Hall (Venue 53)

WHEN: 20:30 (40 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

This is not our company’s first time in Edinburgh, previous members of NUTS have taken shows to the Fringe for years, most recently If Only Diana Were Queer (2015) at Greenside and Big Brother: Blitzkrieg (2014) at theSpaceUK; the venue we return to this year.

Our production team have been in shows and have worked at some fringe venues before but for all our actors this will be their first time acting at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Tell us about your show.

Spoon-Feeders was written by Patrick Watson, a member of our company. We are Newcastle University Theatre Society and we are one of the largest and most successful student theatre societies in the country and one of the oldest societies at Newcastle University. Students from all over the university come together each year to showcase their talents in the form of 10 plays, 2 musicals and 6 student written plays and each year we take an original piece of writing to the Fringe.

We premiered Spoon-Feeders at our Drama Festival in June showcasing 6 student written plays from Newcastle and 1 from Durham University. Since then the show has developed, grown, been rewritten and recast and comes to the show with a new director, Lucy Sherratt, production manager Chloe Burton and show producer Thomas Edney.

We don’t have any plans to tour after Fringe but the writer is keen to develop and keep changing the show based on feedback during our run up here in Edinburgh.

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

Our cast and crew saw a fantastically self-aware, self-deprecating and very funny (also student written) performance by Manchester University Drama Society called Novel Experiments In Living. The characters in the play slowly discover that they are indeed characters, not real as they thought, and they try to take control of their own ‘script.’

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+3 Interview: Russell Hicks: Deadliner

Posted in *Written Interviews, EdFestivals 2016 by

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“Every night all the freaks, weirdos, drunks, and rabble rousers would congregate around me as I free wheeled nonsense to the kind of passionate reception one can receive only in the supremely inebriated.”

WHO: Russell Hicks – Comedian

WHAT: “Dead’liner’ n. 1. Closing act from the Bizarro Universe. 2. One who exists within the parameters of their own self-made regiment. 3. A hero of the moment. Adj. last, final, absolute >SYNS outlaw, bankrobber, mercenary for truth >ANTS headliner”

WHERE: The Free Sisters (Venue 272)

WHEN: 16:30 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

Oh, no, I’ve been here two whole times before. The first time I did an extremely late night show at the Tron which was very interesting in that it was essentially a drain that collected drunken refuse at the end of the evening. It was great actually.

Every night all the freaks, weirdos, drunks, and rabble rousers would congregate around me as I free wheeled nonsense to the kind of passionate reception one can receive only in the supremely inebriated.

Ever since then I have gone on at 4:30pm/5pm at the Three Sisters where the audience has usually had about one pint so they tend to put money in the bucket at the end rather than mistake it for a courtesy bin for their vomit.

Will you be touring immediately after the Fringe?

Ha. Touring shows after the Fringe is kind of one of those traditions that no one seems to question… I mean doesn’t it make sense to not tour it after the Fringe? It’s done now. I always see the Fringe as sort of the book mark to a chapter of your life. Usually whatever I was on abut that month I have completely expurgated my soul from by the end so I couldn’t possibly continue performing it with any heart. Also, no one writes my shows, including myself.

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

Go see Candy Gigi at the Hive. After that go see anything Bob Slayer is producing at his Heroes venues. Then splash on one big production, that you would never normally go to, something like a circus show or a theatre production.

The best part of the Fringe is going to see something in a tiny little hut somewhere that is off the beaten path, that you only walked into to get shelter from the storm, when suddenly that rare confluence of events happens where performers and audience are on the same wave length and somehow it becomes the greatest show happening at that moment in the whole festival and you just know it.

Those of you who know what I’m talking about, know what I’m talking about.

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+3 Interview: Star Trek vs Star Wars

Posted in *Written Interviews, EdFestivals 2016 by

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“I did my first show in 2010 and since then I have performed as a comedian every year.”

WHO: Rik Carranza – Host

WHAT: “Rik Carranza leads two comedians through an epic debate to finally put to rest which is better, Star Trek or Star Wars. They are the biggest sci-fi franchises in history both with their legions of fans. Trek or Wars, Enterprise or Falcon, Phaser or Blaster, Jar Jar or Neelix. Will Star Trek ‘engage’ you or will you find it ‘most illogical’? Will Stars Wars make you ‘let go of your hate’ or will you ‘get a bad feeling about this’? It’s up to you, the audience, to decide. Different guests every day.”

WHERE: The Banana Skin (Venue 396) 

WHEN: Times Vary (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

This is my 7th year performing at the Edinburgh Fringe though I am from the city originally. My first year I was part of a local theatre company and we brought a self-penned play to the Fringe. A few years later I started performing as a stand up comedian. I did my first show in 2010 and since then I have performed as a comedian every year.

Tell us about your show.

The show is a comedy debate panel show featuring 2 comedians battling it out to decide once and for all, which franchise is better, Star Trek or Star Wars. The show was created and previewed at the 2015 Edinburgh Fringe as well as other geek events, including Capital Sci Fi Con in Edinburgh. Once the Fringe is over there are now plans to take the show to other cities and festivals.

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

The Dark Room by John Robertson is an amazing interactive show that never fails to entertain. Comedians Against Humanity see’s comedians going to dark places with the help of the audience suggestions and Card against Humanity.

Stack at Bedlam Theatre is a brilliantly immature and fantastically put together one man show. I saw Ria Linas’ Dear Daughter at the Manchester Fringe as a preview and am looking forward to seeing it again. Doug Segal’s I Can Make you Feel Good is a great show. Doug always puts on shows that leave you laughing while you look on in wonder.

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+3 Interview: Laughing Stock 

Posted in *Written Interviews, EdFestivals 2016 by

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“Thus began a month of treacherous crutching and wheelchair manoeuvring around Edinburgh, a famously cobbled and hilly city.”

WHO: Rhys Bevan – Performer

WHAT: “Irreverent. Irrelevant. Elephant. Last year, Laughing Stock were a brand new sketch comedy foursome. Now, they’re back to improve upon their five-star debut. Winners of the SketchFest 2015 Audience Choice Award, finalists at Sketch Club 2015, Sketch Off 2016 and official selection at the SketchFest and CoFilmic Sketch Screen Awards.”

WHERE: Underbelly, Cowgate (Venue 61)

WHEN: 15:40 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

No, this is Laughing Stock’s second year up at the Fringe. Last year we were just about to perform our London previews when Lewis (one of the four performers) ruptured his achilles tendon. Thus began a month of treacherous crutching and wheelchair manoeuvring around Edinburgh, a famously cobbled and hilly city.

Despite this, and the many other hurdles that came with it being our first foray into the Fringe, we had loads of fun, some great audiences and some lovely reviews. So here we are again!

Tell us about your show.

Our show is a sketch comedy show, irreverent and varied with music, dance, storytelling and song. We devise it, write it, produce it and rehearse it ourselves. We are Rhys Bevan, Arabella Gibbins, Lewis Doherty and Phoebe Higson. We all met many moons ago at drama school and have all given up lucrative Los Angeles-based careers for this.

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

So difficult to pick one. But I was so impressed with Emma Sidi yesterday. Super slick, polished and laugh-out-loud funny. Even better than last year!

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+3 Interview: Not Quite Write

Posted in *Written Interviews, EdFestivals 2016 by

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“The material is partially stuff we have performed in Oxford before, and partially un-vetted material incognita. Scary.”

WHO: Barney Rowe – Producer, Writer

WHAT: “We always strive for those eureka moments, the top 1% of ideas, but what about the other 99%? Rubbish right? Wrong. Not Quite Write prides itself on the 99%. All that glistens isn’t gold, but it’s sure worth trying to make a cheap joke out of. Join Oxford student comics Low Hanging Fruit as they take a deconstructed look at the sketch writing process, imagining a fictional writers’ office which throws quality control out the window and stages the lot: the good, the bad, and the not quite right.”

WHERE: theSpace @ Jury’s Inn (Venue 260) 

WHEN: 20:40 (55 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

Yes, this is our first show in Edinburgh. Apparently some of us had been here as toddlers but we don’t remember that.

Tell us about your show.

Not Quite Write in part aimed to capture how we ourselves write sketches. Since the entire cast create and develop the material, often as a group, there are many frustrations. Certain sketches go down a storm, others go down like a cup of cold sick. By setting Not Quite Write in a TV writer’s office we were able to both perform traditional sketch comedy, as well as capturing some of the process we undertake to create them in the first place.

All members of Low Hanging Fruit, (“us” and “we”; Barney Rowe, Jordan Reed, Sybil Devlin, and Tommy Jolowicz), have written this show in part. We are, regrettably, all recent graduates from Oxford University. The material is partially stuff we have performed in Oxford before, and partially un-vetted material incognita. Scary.

Our producers are the heroic Jordan Reed and Barney Rowe, whose names you may recognise from around 30 seconds ago. They both have eight arms and two brains and one patience shared between them.

We may hope to take Not Quite Write, or some of its material to a small theatre/venue somewhere in Didcot after Edinburgh! Just kidding, London.

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

We saw The Starship Osiris by Willis & Vere a few days ago and it was incredible. A remarkably ambiguous show that was never clearly on- or off-script, in both an unsettling and hilarious way. Highly recommended for fans of sci-fi, fourth wall breaking, and for the downtrodden cast members in any theatre group.

We also loved Joie de Vivre by Vets Kill Comedy. Jamming more material into an hour than any show we’ve seen at the Fringe so far, it was completely unique. Part musical, part character comedy, but never safe, and never conventional. It shone like a light amongst average stand-up and paint by numbers Revues.

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+3 Interview: Revan and Fennell: Fan Club

Posted in *Written Interviews, EdFestivals 2016 by

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“We felt it would be a real shame to put the show that we had worked so hard on to bed before showcasing it at the festival once more.”

WHO: Alice Fennell – Co-creator, writer and performer

WHAT: “Award-winning double act, Revan and Fennell, return to the Fringe after making their critically acclaimed Edinburgh debut last year. 2016 New Act of the Year finalists, 2015 Foster’s Golden Jester finalists and 2013 Best New Sketch Act finalists.”

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

WHEN: 12:05 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

Nope, we made our debut last year and caught the bug… the Edinburgh Fringe Bug, you understand – not some sort of sickness bug. We enjoyed it so much last year that we had to return, and we’re so glad we have. We’re having a great time!

Tell us about your show.

It’s a comedy sketch show, and we write, produce and direct it all ourselves…what saints we are! We met at East 15 Acting School and decided to become a double act a few years after graduating. Our show this year is actually a very similar show to the one we took to Edinburgh in 2015, as we didn’t really attract the audiences we had hoped to (due to the fact that it was our debut and there are hundreds of other comedy shows at the Fringe!).

So, we felt it would be a real shame to put the show that we had worked so hard on to bed before showcasing it at the festival once more. In September, we plan to start writing new material and working on our next show… Bring it on!

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

Baby Wants Candy! They’re a Chicago-based improv troupe who perform a completely improvised musical on the spot, with a full band. We saw it a few days ago and thought it was hilarious. We had tears running down our face.

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+3 Interview: In Our Hands

Posted in *Written Interviews, EdFestivals 2016 by

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“It’s a fast paced, human and heartfelt hour that will leave the audience gunning for Alf to succeed.”

WHO: Molly Freeman – Co-Artistic Director and Performer/Puppeteer

WHAT: “Alf is a trawler fisherman at the top of his game. But times are changing and so is the industry. Will Alf adapt in order to survive? Follow a fish’s journey from sea to plate, watch a seagull’s ridiculous attempt to find food and witness a father and son reunite. Award-winning Smoking Apples, co-creators of CELL, use innovative puppetry, a striking set and an original score to transport you out to sea, under the ocean and onto the deck of the Catcher’s Fortune.”

WHERE: Underbelly, Cowgate (Venue 61)

WHEN: 16:00 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

No, this is our second trip to Edinburgh. Last year, we brought our previous show, CELL, which was a collaboration with another puppetry company, Dogfish. We’ve also all been to Edinburgh prior to this with other companies and shows. It’s really exciting to be back with In Our Hands, we love the city and the festival, it’s the best bubble to be in in August.

Tell us about your show.

In Our Hands uses puppetry and visual theatre to tell the story of Alf, a trawler fisherman. It’s a show about how the current pressures in the trawling industry affect the people who work in it but it’s also about Alf’s personal life and his distant relationship with his son. It’s a fast paced, human and heartfelt hour that will leave the audience gunning for Alf to succeed.

It is a bit of an odd subject to make a show about but that’s sort of our thing. We like to take subjects that are difficult to digest and use puppetry and visuals to present them in an interesting, accessible and enjoyable way. We work very much as a devising collective with everyone in the cast taking responsibility for the creative content. Myself and my colleagues Matt and Hattie, co-produce and co-direct but ultimately, the show is a direct product of the entire cast and creative team.

We started developing In Our Hands is 2014 and premiered it last year in 2015. We chose to make a show about trawler fishing because within our cast of five, we had a number of different, conflicting opinions on it and thought this would be a good starting point. Myself, Matt and Hattie met whilst studying at Drama school and then we studied puppetry abroad in Prague together and this formed the basis of our company. Luke and George are our long term associates but we have never made a show together so decided it was time. That, and they have some great beards…

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

I highly recommend checking out The Marked by Theatre Temoin, it’s a brilliantly dark show featuring some stunning mask work and well worth a watch. The hilarious and abusive bad boys of the puppetry world, Boris and Sergey, are also back this year and they’ve brought along their own venue, the Omnitorium. They’re hugely entertaining and no two shows are the same because they are completely improvised. Also, if you’re an artist at the Fringe, you also get a discount at the bar – winner!

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+3 Interview: Aquapella: Mash-up, Mix and Blend

Posted in *Written Interviews, EdFestivals 2016 by

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“We wanted to create a show that was fun, entertaining, engaging and bursting with energy.”

WHO: Gabriella Monnington – Co-Musical Director, Main Arranger

WHAT: “Since their Edinburgh debut last year, vocal sensations Aquapella from the University of Bath have toured, won highest-placed UK mixed a cappella group at ICCA, and were a Voice Festival UK finalist. Bringing home awards for outstanding choreography and arrangements, Aquapella certainly know the recipe for success: mash-up, mix and blend. Their secret ingredient – a spoonful of sass, a pinch of humour and cheesy dance moves to taste.”

WHERE: C venues – C (Venue 34)

WHEN: 15:30 (50 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

This is our second year at the fringe and there has been a massive step up in the quality of our music, the confidence of our performers and the connection we have with our audience.

Tell us about your show.

Aquapella is an award-winning, 15-piece a cappella group from the University of Bath. We wanted to showcase our unique arrangements, high-octane choreography and sense of humour and have done so by tieing it all together in a cooking programme themed show designed to exhibit the ingredients that make our brand of a cappella so great!

This is the last hurrah for 11 of our graduating members and really shows our group off at the top of its game. We wanted to create a show that was fun, entertaining, engaging and bursting with energy and charisma but at the same time retain the incredible musical integrity the group has become known for across national and international audiences – judging by the feedback from our audience and audience reviews we seem to have achieved what we set out to do!

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

More a cappella!!! There are some incredible groups on at the fringe, we would specifically suggest our Southwest buddies the Bristol Suspensions and The Sweet Nothings but there are loads of other really talented groups out there as well!

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+3 Interview: Jack Barry: You Don’t Know Jack

Posted in *Written Interviews, EdFestivals 2016 by

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“I wanted to be in the Cambridge Footlights, but was too think.”

WHO: Jack Barry – Head Honcho

WHAT: “Who the f*ck is Jack Barry? Come and watch him figure it out in this show about identity and quarter-life crises. Tour support for Joe Lycett, Patrick Kielty and James Acaster.”

WHERE: Just the Tonic at The Mash House (Venue 288)

WHEN: 18:40 (55 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

No. This is my seventh year at the fringe. I’ve been coming since I was a student and used to do sketch comedy with the Leeds Tealights (I wanted to be in the Cambridge Footlights, but was too think.)

Since then I’ve been working on my skills as a stand up, appearing in the Comedy Reserve and Comedy Zone showcases. This year I’m performing my second solo hour. I’m also doing my third show as part of double act Twins, with Annie McGrath.

Tell us about your show.

I wrote it, I produced it, I’m performing it and the company is me. The company came together earlier this year when I was poor couldn’t afford anyone else to produce it for me. I didn’t do everything though, the wonderful Nick Helm has helped to direct me, shape it into a proper show and given me numerous pep talks over the last few months. I’ve been previewing it for some time, all over the country but have no idea what will happen to it after the fringe.

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

I’ve only seen one show far and it was my friend Mat Ewins. He is a comedy genius and his show is amazing. However, he hasn’t bought any flyers or done any promotion this year, so make sure you don’t miss it.

I’ve also previewed with Fin Taylor, his show is amazing this year and everyone should see it. I also can’t wait to see Sean McLoughlin’s now show. His show last year was my favourite thing I saw.

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+3 Interview: Hayley Ellis: FOMO

Posted in *Written Interviews, EdFestivals 2016 by

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“I’m really not good at this self promotion lark.”

WHO: Kathryn Norton – Producer, Co-Director

WHAT: “Hayley Ellis has Fear of Missing Out (FOMO to the kids). Join award-winning Ellis (tour support for Rob Delaney and regular contributor for BBC Two’s Russell Howard’s Good News) for her follow-up hour to find out how neurotic we all really are.”

WHERE: Just the Tonic at The Community Project (Venue 27)

WHEN: 21:35 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

I first came up to Edinburgh in 2012 and performed in The Comedy Zone showcase. I returned with a solo show in 2014 and this show is my second solo show. You’ll notice I have a year off every time I perform a Edinburgh show as I like to spend a lot of time writing, that and community service clashes.

Tell us about your show.

This show is an hour of stand up performed and written by myself. After Edinburgh I’m performing it at the Liverpool Comedy Festival and the Nottingham Comedy festival so far.

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

Well first they would probably need a drink as my room is very hot and they will need to replace fluids lost.

There’s loads of amazing shows up in Edinburgh and I could literally recommend so many but If I had to say just one I personally would love to see Chris Gethard’s show. I can’t see it as it clashes with mine. I mean not that I’m saying you should see his show and not mine, but if you had to pick one, then yeah go see his. I’m really not good at this self promotion lark.

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