“It’s a real masterclass in acting.”
WHO: Euan Borland, Producer
WHAT: “He tries his best with girls. He tries his best with mates. But for all his efforts, things just don’t seem to be going right. So he’s making a change. Something’s triggered him to stand up for himself. He’s got a new plan, and he’s going to reassert his worth. But does he have the balls to go through with it? Inspired by mass shooter Elliot Rodger’s manifesto, Ballistic is a one-man tour de force about the life of a loner.”
WHERE: Pleasance Courtyard (Venue 33)
WHEN: 14:15 (60 min)
MORE: Click Here!
Is this your first time to Edinburgh?
This is my third time producing a show at the Edinburgh Fringe. The first show I took up was called Body of Water by playwright Stuart Purcell back in 2011. I was fresh out of drama school and completely naive. The show had a cast of nine performers and our playing space was 4m x 2m. We could barely fit on stage! Despite the restrictions the show ended up being nominated for Best Ensemble in the Edinburgh Stage Awards. I was pretty hooked on the Fringe after that…
I returned in 2012 with One Hour Only, a beautiful play by Sabrina Mahfouz, about the hopes and sexual politics of young people in Britain. We were lucky enough to be supported by Old Vic New Voices, Ideastap and the Underbelly as part of their Edinburgh New Voices Season. That brought a whole new level of exposure to the show which was fantastic.
Now I’m up with my third show Ballistic and I can’t wait for an entirely new set of challenges an surprises.
Tell us about your show.
Based on real events, Ballistic follows the descent of one young man as he plans to commit an act of terrible violence. The play deals with themes of masculinity, violence and misogyny. What I love about the play is the way in which it plays with the audience. It’s been fascinating to see how far an audiences sympathies might stretch and at what point they turn against our character. I’ve been really surprised by the responses so far… they haven’t been what I predicted at all.
Ballistic is the debut play by writer Alex Packer who was inspired to write it after reading countless stories about young men committing lone-wolf violent acts. He wanted to understand why. Our performer Mark Conway is incredible at charting the characters journey from childhood, through his teenage years and into adulthood. It’s a real masterclass in acting. Our Designer Frances Roughton and Lighting Designer Peter Tomes have made it look beautiful. Finally our Director Anna Marsland has expertly tied everything together. I’m really proud of our team and what they have achieved.
We hope the show will provoke debate and leave the audience asking questions. Hopefully Ballistic will have a life beyond the Fringe.
What should your audience see at the festivals after they’ve seen your show?
There’s a lot of great work up this year! Don’t miss Brutal Cessation at Assembly, Testosterone by Rhum and Clay at Pleasance, Tumble Tuck at Underbelly, Curse of the Mummy at Just the Tonic and Odette! at Laughing Horse.
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