Tag Archives: EdFestivals

+3 Interview: Susan Riddell: Duvet Day

Posted in *Written Interviews, Plus 3 2019 – Features by

“I’m developing a sitcom script which is a life long dream of mine.”

WHO: Susan Riddell, Comedian

WHAT: “‘A Scottish talent on the rise’ (Scotsman). Best Scottish Newcomer nominee and Funny Women runner-up Susan Riddell’s debut show champions laziness in an increasingly manic world. The rising star’s sharp observations and sparkling wit have already been highlighted as a must watch show at the Glasgow International Comedy Festival (Scotsman). ‘A brilliant comedian… A star on the rise’ (BBC Comedy Presents). ‘Emerging talent… Original comic voice’ (Funny Women). ‘Formidable, fearless… Quick with the audience. She’s sharp make no mistake’ (TheWeeReview.com).”

WHERE: Monkey Barrel Comedy – Monkey Barrel 5 (Venue 151) 

WHEN: 19:15 (55 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

This will be my first hour long show at the Fringe but my third year taking part. The first time was part of CKP Lunchtime Special – a compilation show of five up and comers including myself. Then last year I split the bill with my friend Steff Todd, so we did half an hour each.

What’s the biggest thing to have happened to you since Festivals ’18?

I got to host the stand up comedy show the Comedy Underground on BBC Scotland and filmed a six part comedy BBC series called State of It which will be up on the iPlayer later this year. I’m developing a sitcom script which is a life long dream of mine and I’m supporting Arlon O’Hanlon and Fern Brady after the fringe on the Scottish dates of their UK tours! So it’s all really exciting!

Tell us about your show.

Right well originally I wanted to call the show Lazy Susan but there’s a well known and very good sketch group who have this name already and they go to the Fringe every year, so I had to change it to save confusion. I settled on Duvet Day for the title and I just talk about how everything is getting in the way of me having a lie down to be honest. I love a good lie down. Nothing better. We should all lie down more.

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

My pal Steff Todd who I split the show with last year! She’s on at 2pm at Just the Tonic with her show Reality Check. She does great impressions of all the reality TV stars and she’s brilliant!

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!

+3 Interview: Dave Green: Guest Bed

Posted in *Written Interviews, Plus 3 2019 – Features by

“My show this year is a bit of a departure from my usual stuff as it will be a personal storytelling type show.”

WHO: Dave Green, Comedian

WHAT: “Dave grew up with two beds in his bedroom and he’s trying to find out why. Join Dave as he takes you on his journey to becoming a celebrity lookalike and the resulting chance encounter which forces him to confront his past. Sometimes the only way to be yourself is to become someone else. Guest Bed is an absurd tale of shape-shifting identities and buried memories. ‘Keen eye for the absurd’ (TheWeeReview.com). ‘Fantastically original gags’ (Bruce Dessau). Time Out’s One to Watch.”

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

WHEN: 19:55 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

This will be my seventh year doing the Edinburgh Fringe. The show is called ‘Guest Bed’ and it is the follow up to my debut solo show ‘Melt’ which I performed at last years festival. Prior to that I did a lot of split bill shows and appeared on some showcases like ‘AAA’ and ‘The Lunchtime Special’.

What’s the biggest thing to have happened to you since Festivals ’18?

The biggest thing to happen to me since last years Fringe is that I have quit my day job and become a full time comedian. Partly because I am totally smashing the comedy circuit and partly because of some life events which have left me temporarily unable to work. I won’t give too much away here because this is kind of the subject of the show.

Tell us about your show.

My show this year is a bit of a departure from my usual stuff as it will be a personal storytelling type show. Previously my style of comedy has been somewhat on the surreal side and I didn’t really talk about stuff from my actual life so this year is a little different in that respect. It’s still going to be a bit bizarre and otherworldly but it will touch upon some fairly dark real-life events.

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

After they’ve seen my show they are going to need to go home and take a long nap. When they’ve awoken from their slumber they should go and watch ‘Nick Elleray: Big Nick Energy’ at The Counting House. I did a preview with him the other day and his show is just so tightly written and full of great bits. Not a word wasted. I would also recommend anything at ‘The Heroes’ venues. They tend to programme stuff that is a bit more off beat and always seem to have a great selection of shows.

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!

+3 Interview: The Easy Rollers: Speakeasy Jazz

Posted in *Written Interviews, Plus 3 2019 – Features by

“We have grown as a band and discovered what we want to be focusing on in terms of sound and types of events…. we also have merch for the first time!!”

WHO: Dani, Vocalist & Co-founder

WHAT: “Grab your dancin’ shoes cos the 20s are here to stay! Taking you back to the golden age of jazz, The Easy Rollers is a roaring seven-piece band performing hits from the speakeasy bars of the Prohibition era. Fronted by award-winning vocalist Dani Sicari, they have had audiences jumpin’ and jivin’ on dance floors across the country! ‘They present the music of their chosen era with verve, showmanship and great technical skill’ (TheJazzMann.com).”

WHERE: The Jazz Bar – Partially Seated (Venue 57) 

WHEN: Times vary (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

This is our third time at the Edinburgh Fringe! We did a mini tour when the band first started and this included a trip to Edinburgh. We had to come back!

Our first Fringe was in 2017 and this was to celebrate our first ever EP. We had a few performances in a few different places like The Pear Tree, Stramash and some of the busking stages. Our EP/Fringe show launch was at The Jazz Bar for only one night and that was our main show. It was a success! We were so pleased that so many people came and had a good time so we decided to try and do a few more in 2018. That year we did 3 shows along with a few great nights at the A Club.

This year we are thrilled to be doing 5 consecutive afternoons at The Jazz Bar from 11t Aug-15 Aug.

What’s the biggest thing to have happened to you since Festivals ’18?

Since Festivals ’18 we have been able to get our name out there and establish ourselves as ‘The Easy Rollers’. We have grown as a band and discovered what we want to be focusing on in terms of sound and types of events…. we also have merch for the first time!! That is very exciting for us!

Tell us about your show.

We are a group of jazz musicians but our show also includes elements of dance, dialogues and interesting facts about the Prohibition/ The Jazz Age. Everyone in the band gets involved and it is very much a ‘show’ rather than just an ordinary gig. “Speakeasy Jazz” is a cabaret style performance, this means that we have chosen lots of different songs, in this case from 1920-1933, and have strung a narrative to connect each of them. Sometimes it is a musical or fun skit segue and sometimes it is a historical one.

As a band we have been performing in jazz festivals, events and gigs for the last three years but this particular ‘theatre show’ was written specifically for the Edinburgh Fringe. We wrote it together in 2016 just to see how it would go and the rest is history!

For the future, we have plans to tour the show around the UK. More specifically in 2020 when we will literally be in the 20s again and we are still looking for new venues to add to our ’20s tour. This show will be based off our previous Fringe shows but instead of a 1 hour run, it will be in two parts. Starting in the Prohibition, we will make our way through The Jazz Age, into the Swing Era and The Golden Age and well… you’ll have to come and see it.

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

There are some great shows at The Jazz Bar just before and right after ours! If you want to make a whole night out of it you could see a few different jazz gigs all in one venue. Some of the shows that are on while we are in town are Tenement Jazz Band, Ali Affleck, Colin Steele / Martin Kershaw Quintet and Acoustic Lunch Time Blues.

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!

+3 Interview: Suffering from Scottishness

Posted in *Written Interviews, Plus 3 2019 – Features by

“The concept is that the audience are in fact a focus group who must vote on what questions make it into the first ever Scottish Citizenship Test.”

WHO: Kevin P. Gilday, Writer/performer

WHAT: “Citizen Scotland cordially invites you to take part in a focus group that will define the very future of the nation – for better or worse. An immersive theatrical experience that confronts the unique absurdity of Scottish identity. Award-winning writer and spoken word artist Kevin P Gilday (Sonnet Youth, National Theatre of Scotland, BBC) turns a hilariously caustic eye on notions of nationhood and patriotism. From history to inventions, language to neighbourly relations, the independence referendum to the toxic mire of present political debate – we gleefully dissect the still-beating dark heart of the country.”

WHERE: Assembly Roxy – Downstairs (Venue 139) 

WHEN: 17:10 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

No, I brought my first show to the free fringe in 2013 and have been performing regularly since – working my way through a series of pub basements, dungeons and karaoke booths as I did. It’s my first time working with the team at Assembly Roxy though, very much looking forward to staging the show in their fantastic space.

What’s the biggest thing to have happened to you since Festivals ’18?

Alongside developing the show I also completed a manuscript for my first full length poetry collection. It’s called Sad Songs for White Boys and will be published by Speculative Books in July. It also features some poems that appear in Suffering from Scottishness so there was a lovely crossover between the projects.

Tell us about your show.

Suffering from Scottishness is a darkly comic piece of immersive theatre. The concept is that the audience are in fact a focus group who must vote on what questions make it into the first ever Scottish Citizenship Test. This provides the backdrop for the main character Joe, and the audience, to explore the absurdity of Scottish identity and perhaps come to some personal conclusions about nationalism.

I’ve written the show as well as playing Joe, with my company Sonnet Youth producing. We’re really excited to be part of the Disruption Fest at Assembly Roxy – not only are we subtitled ‘The Best of New Theatre’ (no pressure), but we get to work with the brilliant High Tide.

There’re no immediate plans for the show post-fringe but I’m looking to bring the show to both an international audience and local Scottish communities in future.

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

They should 100% catch #Girlhood by my Sonnet Youth partner Cat Hepburn. Other shows I’m excited about seeing: Daddy Drag by Leyla Josephine, Umbrella Man by Colin Bramwell, This Script by Jenny Lindsay, Confessionals by Victoria McNulty and, of course, Colonel Mustard and the Big Bad Wolf. I’m also looking forward to catching some new stand-up from the likes of Amelia Bayler, Rosco Mcclelland and Chris Macarthur-Boyd.

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!

+3 Interview: Flamenco Jazzy

Posted in *Written Interviews, Plus 3 2019 – Features by

“Keep it real folks, with authentic flamenco adventures.”

WHO: Philip Adie, Performer/bandleader

WHAT: “Straight from Sevilla, the Philip Adie Trio bring us a bold and unique fusion of musical styles. With a heart of pure flamenco, and infused with jazz influences, this is flamenco with a twist. Led by the talented guitarist Philip Adie (taught by flamenco legend Paco Peña), along with double bass and drums, the group explores new landscapes in a constant search for new sounds and compositions. Their first time in the UK, the trio will be playing selections from their latest album Stone Free Flamenco, which is producing lots of interest in Spain.”

WHERE: Alba Flamenca – Alba Flamenca (Venue 237) 

WHEN: 21:15 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

Yes.

What’s the biggest thing to have happened to you since Festivals ’18?

Produced and recorded an album of original flamenco music with two extraordinary Andalusian jazz musicians. That, and being alive in this incredibly inspiring thing called LIFE!!

Tell us about your show.

Our show is an hour or so of highly creative and original flamenco jazz music, not elevator flamenco jazz, as so much you hear is, but passionate, alive, teeth bearing, original, on the edge, searching and very moving music, of course, it has its moments of tranquillity and even collaboration with a dancer or singer from the Alba Flamenco dance company.
This show is being produced by Alba Flamenco and we’re very grateful they’ve invited us to the fringe.
We’re a trio who play around Seville, we know each other from the music scene where there is a crossover between flamenco and jazz musicians. I apart from being a professional and titled flamenco guitarist also have made forays into jazz music.

We’ve just recorded our first CD, Stone Free Flamenco and after it’s release at the Ed Fringe intend to take its music on the road and create new music along the way.

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

India Flamenco and Alba Flamenca, actually they can be seen before us as they’re on at the same venue earlier in the evening 🙂

Oh aye ! Keep it real folks, with authentic flamenco adventures at venue 237 Alba Flamenca.

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!

+3 Interview: Huge Davies: The Carpark

Posted in *Written Interviews, Plus 3 2019 – Features by

“I once went to the Hive nightclub when I was visiting a friend, but I left after half and hour and broke into someone’s back garden to stroke a big cat that I saw lying in an empty water basin.”

WHO: Huge Davies, Writer/Performer

WHAT: “From Comedy Central at the Comedy Store. Huge, one the most exciting and unique new acts in the UK, presents his highly anticipated debut show. Expect dark humour, surreal songs, his customised wearable keyboard, and of course, car parks. He’ll be attempting to wear a full-size keyboard around his neck for most of the show. It’ll be funny but he’ll struggle to finish the hour. His comedy performances have featured on BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio 4, BBC3 and ITV1. ‘Priceless’ (Chortle.co.uk). ‘Dark’ (Independent). ‘Scene-stealing’ (Telegraph). ‘Perfect’ (The Stand Comedy Club). ‘Brilliant’ (The Student). ‘Appalling’ (CelebrityRadio.biz).”

WHERE: Pleasance Courtyard – Bunker Three (Venue 33) 

WHEN: 20:15 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

Edinburgh Fringe has been my summer for a number years now; as a curious comedy fan, then as a aspiring open- mic comedian/flyerer, as a musician and finally as a solo-stand up with my own show. Outside of the Fringe, I once went to the Hive nightclub when I was visiting a friend, but I left after half and hour and broke into someone’s back garden to stroke a big cat that I saw lying in an empty water basin.

What’s the biggest thing to have happened to you since Festivals ’18?

I made my first stand-up television appearance on Comedy Central Live at the Comedy Store, which is an achievement I’m really proud of. To have my act immortalised on a such a consistently well-billed show, that I used to watch as a teenager, was a very strange and rewarding experience. That or I learned the theme tune to The Apprentice on my keyboard, which has been on my to-do list for a while now. It sounds pretty close to original and I’m really pleased with the result.

Tell us about your show.

My show, which I wrote and perform in, is an hour of me wearing a full-size keyboard whilst telling dark jokes. It sounds a bit bonkers and hurts my back after a bit, but it is funny, so I’ve really dug in. The focus of the show was pushing the limits of the keyboard to make a fun, creative, layered, original hour of musical comedy, which I’ve achieved and I’m looking forward to performing for the month. I’m already booking some show post-Fringe in London, but hopefully it will get me to a point in which I’m so famous I forget all my old friends, live a life of luxury, have my life spiral into a pit of jealousy and loud sunglasses, until the last minute, where I move back to my hometown and realise what’s really important; family. Like branches on a tree, we all grow in different directions, yet our roots remain as one.

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

Established acts that I always try and see are Matt Ewins, Sean Morley, Alison-Thea Skott, Heidi Regan, Ed Night & Sam Campbell. Newer people you might now know about are Janine Harouni, Sophie Duker, Olga Koch, Jack Tucker, David McIver, Helen Bauer & Crizzards.

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!

+3 Interview: Don’t Be Terrible

Posted in *Written Interviews, Plus 3 2019 – Features by

“Our main character, self-confessed nice guy Steve, thinks comedy can save his relationship.”

WHO: Ellen Waddell, co-writer

WHAT: “Can stand-up save your love life? Self-confessed nice guy Steve thinks so. That’s why he’s asked Alice, an up-and-coming stand-up, how to make people laugh. It’s his last-ditch attempt to distract his girlfriend from the funny guy at work. Unfortunately, misanthrope Alice believes in comedy much more than she believes in love, and may not be quite the guru he was expecting. A comedy about comedy, that asks whether nice is ever funny and whether sexy is ever nice.”

WHERE: Pleasance Courtyard – Bunker One (Venue 33) 

WHEN: 23:00 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

I bought two solo shows here previously, and this is the second year of bringing up this show. I have also been up as a punter dozens of times.

What’s the biggest thing to have happened to you since Festivals ’18?

After our Free Fringe run in ‘18, we put on several showcases of the play in London, and The Pleasance came along and offered us a spot for this year. Which was mind blowing.

Tell us about your show.

It’s a pitch black comedy play that asks ‘can stand up save your love life?’ and it straddles the thin and meta line between stand up and play. Our main character, self-confessed nice guy Steve, thinks comedy can save his relationship. That’s why he’s asked Alice, an up-and-coming stand-up, how to make people laugh. It’s his last-ditch attempt to distract his girlfriend from the funny guy at work. Unfortunately, Alice believes in comedy much more than she believes in love, and is not the guru he was expecting. It was written by myself, Ellen Waddell, and Oliver Milburn and is self-produced. I came up with the premise for the show after I got dumped, and then decided to do a stand-up gig that evening.

I overshared with the audience due to break up sadness, and bombed. It was a horrible set, and probably not funny. BUT it did give me the idea for a play about two characters dealing with relationships through stand up. I then pitched the idea to my old university chum Oliver, who is a freelance director and writer. Luckily he was keen and we worked on the show together and took it to the Free Fringe in 2018. It went very well, and we are very excited to bring it back this year, and hope that afterwards, it gets a London theatre run, and/or regional tour.

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

Briony Redman is Indecisive (or Isn’t, You Decide!) – she’s an amazing comedian and improviser, and her shows are normally deeply charming and full of funny sketches and bits of character comedy. Very much a feel-good show, which is essential when you are at the fringe.

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!

+3 Interview: The Extraordinary Time-Travelling Adventures of Baron Munchausen

Posted in *Written Interviews, Plus 3 2019 – Features by

“The Baron is a huge fan of Edinburgh and has been to this beautiful city on many occasions.”

WHO: Nigel Lovell, Chief Adventurer

WHAT: “Amazing tales, elegantly told. Top award-winning comedians and improvisers tell extravagant stories, all based on The Adventures of Baron Munchausen. There will be swords, duels, elephants, castles built of cheese and all of it completely and irrefutably true! Discover how the Baron invented morris dancing, how his actions saved the Isle of Skye from sinking beneath the waves, why every fourth child in Bruges is named after him and other fantastically delightful stories. This show will delight adults and children with its wonderful joie de vivre and other pretentious words!”

WHERE: The Stand’s New Town Theatre – Studio (Venue 79) 

WHEN: 16:10 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

Oh no, The Baron is a huge fan of Edinburgh and has been to this beautiful city on many occasions. Last year he got trapped by an ogre inside Arthur’s Seat and only escaped because he’d remembered to take a whisk with him. It was quite the adventure and I’m sure he’ll tell you all about it this August.

The Baron has been telling his stories in this show in Edinburgh for the last two years, but his adventurer friends have done over 50 Edinburgh runs between them.

What’s the biggest thing to have happened to you since Festivals ’18?

Well, we were nominated for “Best Kid’s Show 2018” at the Leicester Comedy Festival which was pretty special. We had a sell-out run at the Attenborough Arts Centre which was amazing. Then we had another sell-out run at the Brighton Fringe. We’ve been featured on the BBC and done several great radio shows. But, I think the best thing we’ve done since last year is to continue having such fun with so many families at our shows. We genuinely love doing this show because it’s always so joyful. We never know what ideas or suggestions that our audiences are going to throw at us so it’s always spontaneous.

Tell us about your show.

The Extraordinary Time-Travelling Adventures of Baron Munchausen is a family friendly, improvised storytelling show. It features a cast including Nigel Lovell, Will Seaward, Gordon Rideout, Alice Moore, Ellie Griffiths, Donna Scott and many other award-winning comedians and improvisers. We came together as we’ve all been on hundreds of adventures with The Baron and we wanted to have the opportunity to share these with families because the stories really encourage creativity and confidence in children. It’s based on an original idea by James Wallace, who in turn was influenced by the great jewel thief, Rudolph Eric Raspe. We are really looking forward to the Edinburgh Fringe and afterwards we will be returning to the Attenborough Arts Centre, Leicester before doing the Esher Festival and then we *hope* to be taking the show on tour all over the UK.

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

I hate this question simply because there is so much great stuff on during the Fringe. I Believe in Unicorns by Michael Morpurgo, First King of England In a Dress, Bumper Blyton, all are great family shows. My advice is to take a chance on something that you’ve never heard of before, sure the Gruffalo might be something that everyone knows but if you go and see Science Magic, the kid’s will probably enjoy it more (because they don’t know what’ll happen) and they’ll learn more from it too.

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!

+3 Interview: Echoes of Villers-Bretonneux

Posted in *Written Interviews, Plus 3 2019 – Features by

“Neighbours! I managed to snag a small role on the long-running soap that aired in February this year, which seemed to bring a lot of old fans of the show out of the woodwork!”

WHO: Shane Palmer, Producer

WHAT: “France. 1918. The Allies are about to lose the war. A deadly night assault led by the Australian troops of the 15th Brigade could swing the balance. Follow the journey of George Stevenson through the nightmarish horrors of the Western Front trenches. A story of mateship, courage and the ultimate cost of war. Based on the real events at the battle of Villers-Bretonneux.”

WHERE: Greenside @ Nicolson Square – Fern Studio (Venue 209) 

WHEN: 15:10 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

Yes. First time bringing a show on tour, so extremely excited to navigate all of the challenges and unexpected joys of a completely new environment.

What’s the biggest thing to have happened to you since Festivals ’18?

Neighbours! I managed to snag a small role on the long-running soap that aired in February this year, which seemed to bring a lot of old fans of the show out of the woodwork! Felix Benson will hopefully return to Erinsborough again, and the desperate public will learn what happened to the tree or shrub he was so intent to buy.

Aside from that, I was lucky enough to be in the feature film Stringybark; a historically accurate yet controversial take on the Ned Kelly gang; from the perspective of the Police in 1878. Stringybark is set to hit screens in late 2019.

I also played Michael in Double Black, a dark-comedy mixing in Mountain Bikes, Mental Health and the depths of masculinity. A hugely challenging role, this film asks a lot of questions, and will definitely ruffle some feathers in our current political climate.

Tell us about your show.

Echoes of Villers-Bretonneux debuted at the Melbourne Fringe Festival in September 2019, after I spent most of the year researching and writing the one-man show. The initial draft was approx 10,000 words, which we sliced down to avoid the show being too bogged down in detail and exposition.

I had relatives involved in WW1, and feel it is such a huge part of modern history that is vastly under-represented.

In Australia, much of the public knowledge is limited to Gallipoli, whereas some truly incredible stories emanated from the Western Front that sadly are rarely heard.

Most of Echoes of Villers-Bretonneux is based on historical fact, largely drawn from the incredible accounts of CE Bean, the official war-correspondent of the Australian Imperial Force during WW1.
I wanted to create an account of the conflict that does justice to those who served, and show what life was really like in the trenches, and what it took to survive and come home with your soul intact.

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

There’s a few shows at other Greenside Venues I’m really excited to see.

“Wrath of Achilles” – by Bedivere Arts Company – is an adaption of Homer’s The Iliad, and looks to retell the drama of the Trojan War.

Wrath of Achilles is playing at the Mint Studio in Infirmary St, for the whole season at 5.20pm.
Another I’m looking forward to seeing is “Enigma”, an original musical about female American codebreakers in the Second World War.

Enigma is playing at Nicholson Square during the 1st week of Fringe, in the Fern studio at 5.30 pm.
“Sales Pitch” is another can’t-miss show, a darkly comic piece of theatre presented as an investment seminar.

Sales Pitch is playing at the Forest Theatre in Infirmary Square, with shows at 3pm, for the last two weeks of the festival.

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!

+3 Interview: Are You Alice: A New Wonderland Tale

Posted in *Written Interviews, Plus 3 2019 – Features by

“Our biggest discovery came with the realization that not one of us is just an Alice. We are all so many things and are capable of so much.”

WHO: Christina Rose Ashby: director and founder of Permafrost Theatre Collective

WHAT: “A well-loved family favourite. Have tea with the Mad Hatter, chase the White Rabbit and hear about the Jabberwocky in this modern adaptation complete with original music, dance and puppetry! Repurposing passages from Lewis Carroll’s classic stories, Permafrost Theatre Collective presents a bold reimagining of Alice, questioning preconceived notions of identity, womanhood and self-acceptance in a Mad Hatter world that constantly redraws the lines and rewrites the rules.”

WHERE: C venues – C viva – cellar (Venue 16) 

WHEN: 14:30 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

A few of us have gone as audience members but this is our first time as participants! For a number of the cast, performing at the Fringe has been a career goal of theirs. For me, I have always wanted to be able to show my work internationally. I am so excited that we all get to cross off huge items from our bucket lists!

What’s the biggest thing to have happened to you since Festivals ’18?

The tremendous growth of this show! We started out in April of 2018 with four performers and one musician. We were able to add more cast members and creative content through a week-long residency on Governor’s Island courtesy of the Rising Sun Performance Company. This past March, we embarked on the third iteration of the show at The Tank NYC. For that production, Are You Alice was advertised in the New York Times, which is a HUGE achievement for an independent theater company in the city!

Tell us about your show.

It all started with a desire to adapt Alice in Wonderland in a new way. In November of 2017, not having any creative projects lined up at the time, I emailed groups of multi-talented artists that I knew to see if they wanted to get together for a few rehearsals and just play. We began by exploring themes of childhood loneliness, adult pressures and expectations, and imaginary friends. The show really began to take shape when we started using the texts of Lewis Carrol, which are thankfully in the public domain. Our biggest discovery came with the realization that not one of us is just an Alice. We are all so many things and are capable of so much. Since our first workshop performance in April 2018, we have had countless discoveries with more multi-talented artists and were fortunate enough to have two more exploratory productions. Ed Fringe will see the fourth iteration of the show with the four original performers, three amazing additional performers, and one immensely talented musician who composed the music for the show.

The main producing company, Permafrost Theatre Collective, grew out of this theatrical journey and aims to produce new work and to retell classic stories in unique and challenging ways. We are also being produced by another movement-based NYC company, The Chameleon Fools Theatre Troupe.

We have no direct plans after Edinburgh but are open to the idea of more adventures!

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

I suggest seeing Hitler’s Tasters at Greenside. I saw the original production here in NYC and was completely blown away. I have to shout out Drowning playing at Pleasance Courtyard. Their social media presence has been helping to boost female-led productions at Fringe.

And since our show is enjoyable for all ages, go see Alice and the Little Prince, also at Pleasance Courtyard!

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!