Tag Archives: EdFringe

EdFringe Talk: I Really Do Think This Will Change Your Life

Posted in *Written Interviews, EdFestivals 2024 by

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“Between us, I think we’ve been some way or another every year since 2015.”

WHO: Emma-Louise Howell

WHAT: “Belles was the it girl, hip girl, oh-so-very-fit girl. When she was 17. Now, she’s 24 and spends her days bossed about by her Mum and girls she 100% used to bully. So, when a life-changing opportunity slides into her DMs, she carpes the diem, makes her millions and proves the worth of women worldwide one post at a time. Except she doesn’t. Because…come on. A finalist for The Stage Innovation Award, this is a hair-pulling, fake-nail scratching, cat-fight against get-rich-quick schemes and what it means to be a Girl Boss™.”

WHERE: Pleasance Dome – 10 Dome (Venue 23) 

WHEN: 12:15 (60 min)

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Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

Between us, I think we’ve been some way or another every year since 2015? Hetty used to work at the Pleasance every summer whilst she was at uni – so I think she’s particularly excited for us to be heading there. And this will be our first time taking a show up together which feels quite special. I think we’ve always made the show with Edinburgh in mind: it feels punchy, colourful, chaotic, funny – all things that are at the beating heart of the festival. And I can’t wait to see how the buzz that surrounds Edinburgh makes this show really, really sing.

What are the big things you’ve learned since 2023 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?

Woof, this is Big Talk I wasn’t prepared for.

I learned to dig deep, not wide, if that counts? Instead of spreading myself thin, I’m pouring everything I have into one or two projects. I Really Do Think This Will Change Your Life is one of those: I’ve poured every ounce of myself into making this show.

I guess we’ll find out whether it was a good or bad lesson in August.

Or whether I should maybe have given that energy to the embroidery hobby I decided to pick up in 2022.

Tell us about your show.

This is a one-woman cat-fight against Get-Rich-Quick-Schemes and what it means to be a Girl Boss. It’s written and performed by me and directed by the astonishingly incredible Hetty Hodgson and I think even though it is just me on the stage, the team of creatives we’ve assembled truly are the beating heart of the show. Because it sits so much in the digital realm of Multi-Level Marketing and Girl Bosses, we’ve really tried to replicate the social media world with video design that features GIFs and emojis, immersive sound design and whirlwind of vibrant lights and movement – so our design team are at the helm of bringing this world to life. We did a run at the Mercury last year as their inaugural Page to Stage Original and we were nominated for The Stage Innovation Award for the production so it feels like we’re really pushing the boat out on how we make theatre and engage audiences. It’s such a dream to be able to develop this even more for Fringe this year, especially with the backing of incredible producers like ThickSkin and the Pleasance National Partnerships team.

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

My Mother’s Funeral at Roundabout is another amazing show by our OG producers at the Mercury and we’ll never stop shouting about how amazing they are.

And, of course, any of our fellow National Partnerships shows: The Daughters of Roisin, The Lady Garden, Scaffolding, Oran, This Town, Polly & Esther. It’s totally mindblowing that we’re on this line up and we can’t wait to see their shows develop.

Hetty is currently working alongside the insanely talented National Youth Theatre REP company, as the Bryan Forbes Trainee Director. A couple of them have shows up too which both sound incredible – A Show About Tomorrow at Paradise in Augustines and Is This Thing On at the Underbelly.

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EdFringe Talk: Light

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“I’m old, I’m Irish, I’m a pensioner, I worked in the Civil Service. I’m going to use wahtever I can to find things in common to drag the audiences in.”

WHO: Gerry Carroll

WHAT: “A solo show exploring life and light. Delightful, true and entertaining personal stories about being a 71-year-old human. And clown. Gerry’s made a show of himself – again. It’s about being young and being old. He uses storytelling, clowning, song and dance to create a unique hour. You’ll have to see it to believe it. This is Gerry’s most personal show yet as he uses his ‘charmingly defiant’ style (Chortle.co.uk, 2021) to bring you an uplifting hour. A Dublin childhood, life in the UK – and the science of light and lightness.”

WHERE: Paradise in Augustines – The Snug (Venue 152) 

WHEN: 11:00 (55 min)

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Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

I first went to Edfringe as part of a troupe doing horror-themed improv for a week in 2015. I was awe-struck. The first time I did a full run with a solo show was in 2018. I was so excited I phoned my bank to tell them I was going to Scotland for a month but apparently I diddn’y have to tell them as it’s not abroad.

I open my show “Light” this year with a bit about how I’m only really alive for the monthe of August, at the Fringe. The rest of the year I’m hibernating, repreparing, recovering.

What are the big things you’ve learned since 2023 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?

Getting the word out early! I did a full run last year, and the only full house I had was on the last day because Elf Lyons tweeted out about the show. Tell everyone, tell them early and tell them often. Plan to saturate your socials and never shut up about it.

Find all the angles- I’m old, I’m Irish, I’m a pensioner, I worked in the Civil Service. I’m going to use wahtever I can to find things in common to drag the audiences in.

Tell us about your show.

I created this show. It turns out I need to do a show about the wonder of being alive, about family, ageing and the importance of an apple in my life. I’ve practised clown and stand-up and I use them in the show but it’s mostly story-telling. And me. I’ve had some wonderful interactions with audiences during a few previews I idi in Brighton Fringe. I’m looking forward to more in Edinburgh. I’m on at a great time, 11 a.m., to give people a fresh start to their day. I have fun doing th eshow and theaudience enjoy it too.

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

Horses by Elf Lyons, her shows are always hilarious and true.

Alexa, Play by Alexa Elmy, a brilliant idea for a show, I can’t wait to see it.

Chopped Liver and Unions, Blue Fire Theatre, singing radicals! Must see.

I am Your Tribute, Sarah Louise Young A great solo artist with a new show

Tom Greaves, Fudgey I saw a version of this last year, hilarious and sad.

One Eyed Scouts, improv troupe, always hilarious. I’m in this too!

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EdFringe Talk: Non-Player Character: Live Virtual Reality Musical

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“As first time producers, we are grateful for the community and resources both through the Fringe Society and online groups and threads from past participants that support newcomers.”

WHO: Brendan Bradley

WHAT: “‘A flawless blend of Broadway, games, pop and comedy bliss!’ (Fame Magazine). When the hero character of a video game dies, an NPC turns to the audience for help navigating their grief. Part live concert, part escape room, part immersive theatre, each performance is entirely responsive to the player style, improvisation and decisions of the audience. Four audience players join writer-performer Brendan Bradley on stage, wearing virtual reality headsets while the virtual world and characters are projected on the big screen, inviting both theatre and game lovers to a new kind of play.”

WHERE: Imaginex at YOTEL Edinburgh in association with ZOO – Imaginex (Venue 572) 

WHEN: 21:00 (55 min)

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Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

It is a lifelong dream to participate in this international gathering and celebration of live arts. None of our creative team have been to Edinburgh or the festival and are excited to experience this cultural, artistic and historical milestone alongside thousands of fellow theatre makers and lovers. As first time producers, we are grateful for the community and resources both through the Fringe Society and online groups and threads from past participants that support newcomers.

What are the big things you’ve learned since 2023 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?

We are learning every day as part of the process to attend Fringe, and more broadly we’ve learned that in an age of unlimited content on-demand, we are entering a new golden era of live, in-person entertainment to invite audiences to feel more engaged and connected with storytelling and each other.

Tell us about your show.

Audiences don’t just watch Non-Player Character, they play it, like a video game come to life where a solo actor improvises, sings and puppets multiple characters with audience interaction. I first wrote the concept as a 3-song-cycle to perform in a “loop” as a prototype for live performance at The Museum of Science’s OMNI dome theater, collaborating with Michal Morran and Maurice Soque Jr to support the virtual reality and music development. The team was invited to present their work at technical and academic conferences like USITT, SIGGRAPH, AWE, TCG, Producers Guild, The VR Awards, XR Must and used each of those events to workshop a new musical number and audience interaction. This means we’ve never officially “premiered” or stood up a “run” of the full show and we are delighted to bring it Ed Fringe in partnership with YOTEL Edinburgh and Zoo Venues. We are fortunate to have Caron Lyon serve as our UK Company Manager to help us identify opportunity to transfer and/or tour the production with presenters we meet at the festival.

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

After our show, you should support our on-stage “player” collaborators like the hilarious ensemble of SOLVE IT SQUAD, brilliant solo artists like I SELL WINDOWS, GETTING IN BED WITH THE PIZZA MAN; fellow musicals like FRINGE! THE MUSICAL and POTTY THE PLANT; puppeteers like AHA DOGGY POO, and our virtual friends PURPLE DOOR PRODUCTIONS, AIDAN SADLER, IAN TUCKER BELL and SCOTT JAMES KYLE.

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EdFringe Talk: Ruby Carr: eBae

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“I also shared an hour show with my dad! We did a comedy show about AI and growing up.”

WHO: Ruby Carr

WHAT: “Deep dive into the weird wonderful world of eBay. I’m obsessed with the thrill of an auction, it’s like shopping – but with a winner. I have bought it all. Is this because I’m a sucker for a good deal? A good story? Or is it my obsessive-compulsive disorder combined with my ADHD? You decide! I’ll take you down the rabbit hole, seeking validation for each progressively more unhinged purchase. ‘Infectious energy and steady stream of animated stories… with a deluge of sharp-witted reflections’ (The Student Newspaper). Winner of Funny Women Comedy Writing Award 2022.”

WHERE: Underbelly, George Square – The Wee Coo (Venue 300) 

WHEN: 19:20 (60 min)

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Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

While this is my first year doing a solo show with all the bells and whistles, this is not my first Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

I’ve had great fun coming up with works in progress, and I also shared an hour show with my dad! We did a comedy show about AI and growing up.

But even before performing, I was a Fringe regular. When I was a teenager my Dad organised a conference in Edinburgh to be on at the same time as preview week. So my parents would bring me up, and they would give me some pocket money for shows and tell me where to meet them by the end of the day. Other teenagers were trying to pass as 18 to buy alcohol, I was trying to pass as 18 to get into a free fringe venue to watch a piece of experimental theatre. I always love taking a chance on a show you know nothing about. I have seen some amazing shows this way. I’ve also seen some awful ones, but that is the risk and the fun.

What are the big things you’ve learned since 2023 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?

Since 2023 I have learnt how to do my taxes. lol. I’ve learnt what counts as tax deductible. Unfortunately, my silly little eBay hauls do not count as “proper research”.

I’ve also learnt through my previews before the Fringe, that most people are amazed and flabbergasted about the things I show in eBae. But at every show, I get people in my audience who are as eBay freaky as me. As deep down the rabbit hole, sometimes even further. We all have the eBay bug and we have found each other. We do the secret handshake, exchange tips and our greatest finds. We convert the eBay newbies into eBay fans. I love finding my people!

Tell us about your show.

I was honoured to be selected to perform the show as part of Soho Rising Festival earlier this year. Prior to that, I had performed Works in Progress at VAULT Festival, Leicester Comedy Festival, Brighton Fringe, Cambridge Fringe and two weeks at Edinburgh Fringe 2023. I have a couple more previews lined up, but the completely finalised show will premiere at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival this year!

I wrote the show, but a special shout out must go to some eBay sellers who are very near and dear to my heart.

I am very fortunate to be working with Stuart Laws as my director, who has somehow made the show even weirder.

I am also delighted to be working with Angela Pearson for PR, because even though I am a lady who loves eBay, I am terrible at selling myself. Angela has been amazing to work with, plus she loves puns as much as me. Dream team.

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

Derek Mitchell – he has an extremely funny instagram page and is one of the kindest people I’ve met this year. Yep, sign me up for this show.

Martin Angolo – I saw an advert for his show and was sold. He was recommended to me as hilarious by a friend, so I am looking forward to seeing this show! Edinburgh for me is about watching people you haven’t seen yet and becoming their new biggest fan.

Dee Allum – I am a huge Dee fan. Exceptional at writing and delivering well crafted jokes. I’ve been waiting for this show for years.

2 Muslim 2 Furious -Aisha Amanduri @aishaamanduri and Hasan Al-habib (No Twitter, but does have insta!). This is an amazing opportunity to see two brilliant acts share an hour. Both are incredibly funny and quick witted, what a treat you get to see both in one show!

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EdFringe Talk: Stephanie Laing: Rudder

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“I’ve had really tough fringes where I didn’t rest enough and mostly ate waffles and nutella, and it just wasn’t sustainable for a full month.”

WHO: Stephanie Laing

WHAT: “A comedy dance show about balance. Stephanie has a history of falling over a lot, accidentally kneeing herself in the face, and falling in love with total kn*bheads. In this show she uses a mixture of stand-up and dance to talk about bodies, sex, dancing, liking yourself, consent and healing. Also, there are cartoon bears and burlesque.”

WHERE: Underbelly, George Square – The Wee Coo (Venue 300) 

WHEN: 14:50 (60 min)

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Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

This is my 12th time doing the Fringe (oh sweet lord). I basically love it, but I also have a moment every year when I first enter the city and think “what is WRONG with me, why have I COME here again, when will I LEARN?” It’s an amazing opportunity to do the thing I love most several times a day for a month. It’s also incredibly stressful and I will, at some point, cry in an alleyway.
I’m also sleeping in a minibus this year to save money. This is either the best or worst idea I’ve ever had, we’ll see.

What are the big things you’ve learned since 2023 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?

This will sound mega wanky, but I’ve learnt that the most important thing for healing stuff is to focus on your relationship with your own body. I’ve had really tough fringes where I didn’t rest enough and mostly ate waffles and nutella, and it just wasn’t sustainable for a full month.

Also I learnt how to crochet and grow potatoes. I made a jumper. It looks pretty good, but you can definitely tell I made it. The potatoes were small. The biggest one is the size of my thumb nail. I don’t understand what’s happened.

Tell us about your show.

It’s a show about my relationship with my body. I’ve been doing stand-up for 17 years now, and I recently got back into dancing, so the show is a mixture of those 2 things. There’s some very silly contemporary dance, some WELL SEXY bits and I try to connect to my emotions using cartoon bears recommended by my therapist. There’s a really fun bit where me and the audience choreograph a dance together, and it ends with a big celebratory burlesque dance with feather fans.

I’ve previewed it a few times and it’s so much fun. I want people to leave the show feeling happy and like they should start dancing more.

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

Robyn Perkins is the coolest – see her in 10,000 Ideas and Comedy for the Curious, which is a science / comedy panel show.

Lewys Holt is also doing a comedy / dance mash-up which will be fun – “My Extremely Skilled Staff Have Been Working Day and Night On This, I Owe Them Everything”.

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EdFringe Talk: It’s Not My Body Chapter 3.5 / This Is

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” This kind of input made me enjoy dance all over again, and I enjoyed creating and moving again. And that’s where It’s Not My Body: Chapter 3.5 comes from.”

WHO: Andy Lo

WHAT: “A double-bill performance by two Hong Kong artists. Using different approaches to interpret body and dance, stage and performance. It’s Not My Body Chapter 3.5 by Wong Tan-ki – Wrestling with his own shadow, the dancer’s every move, pause and limbo on stage construct a strong proposition about his dance life. This Is by Dick Wong – From Duchamp to Kosuth to Lewitt, This Is looks to visual art to reinvestigate time, space and the body on stage. Programmed by Dance Base in collaboration with Assembly.”

WHERE: Assembly @ Dance Base – Dance Base 1 (Venue 22) 

WHEN: 16:05 (60 min)

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Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

It is a double-bill show by 2 Hong Kong artists and it is also the first time for both of them to put on a show at the Ed Fringe. Edinburgh Fringe is well known as the world largest performing art platform, as new comers, we cannot be wait to share our performance to the international audience, art-industries people and of course the local people in Edinburgh. Hopefully, the show is not loved by the audience but also open up some insights and even discussion on contemporary performance.

What are the big things you’ve learned since 2023 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?

It is the first time for the choreographers to put on the show at Ed Fringe, however, as a producer, I have been taking part in Edinburgh Fringe since 2018. Last year, I have established the 1st edition of Hong Kong Soul, known as the Hong Kong showcase/season, with TS Crew and other partners during the Ed Fringe 2023. This year is the 2nd edition of Hong Kong Soul. Last year, one of our programmes was a triple-bill performance for 3 female choreographers, with a title “The (Hong) Kong Girls”. It was a fruitful experience and important information for us that a double-bill and/or triple-bill show in Ed Fringe might be a way to attract the curiosity of the audience. It is because the audience can view the show from different angles through the performances of 2 or 3 artists. And it helps the audience to consolidate their feelings and experience.

Tell us about your show.

It’s Not My Body Chapter 3.5 by Wong Tan-ki, he said:
“I am 43 years old now, and after more than 20 years of dancing, I started to feel bored. During the time of Covid and political issues in Hong Kong, it lost some of its meaning. Then, I started learning boxing, the process of the training was like opening another door, I was using my body in totally different way. I felt excited and motivated to move and use my body again. Later on, I went back to my dance work, and I felt my body and my mind had changed. This kind of input made me enjoy dance all over again, and I enjoyed creating and moving again. And that’s where It’s Not My Body: Chapter 3.5 comes from”.

This is by Dick Wong, he said:
“The starting point of this new work was an artwork by conceptual visual artist Joseph Kosove titled One and Three Chairs. When I look at the picture, I thought to myself, what would I do if I wanted to translate the idea behind into a live performance? The thought kept on evolving and one day I decided to give it a go. There were a few keywords when I started, namely perception, association, representation, imagination and context. Context is the most prominent one, I think all images have more than one context. I want to take the audience on a trip with a mind map of meanings, associations, imaginations and reflections. Sometimes I broaden them out, sometimes I narrow them down, sometimes I present them as it is, and sometimes with twists and turns. The piece is kind of like an unfinished sentence and word unfinished, somehow implied possibilities or uncertainty.”

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

A double-bill performance by two Hong Kong artists. Using different approaches to interpret body and dance, stage and performance. It’s Not My Body Chapter 3.5 by Wong Tan-ki – Wrestling with his own shadow, the dancer’s every move, pause and limbo on stage construct a strong proposition about his dance life. This Is by Dick Wong – From Duchamp to Kosuth to Lewitt, This Is looks to visual art to reinvestigate time, space and the body on stage.

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EdFringe Talk: Three Bed (No Living Room)

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“I’ve experienced the Edinburgh Fringe as a performer, punter and worked Front of House, and I can’t wait to finally bring my own work to this vibrant, one of a kind festival.”

WHO: Ruby Leslie

WHAT: “How do you learn everything about being queer as quickly as possible? Beth has some catching up to do. Luckily, her two best friends have her back. A new, funny and truthful play set in a student flat in Edinburgh about navigating the queer dating scene in the 2020s, in your twenties.”

WHERE: theSpace on the Mile – Space 1 (Venue 39) 

WHEN: 14:15 (50 min)

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Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

This is Laldie Theatre’s first time to the Edinburgh Fringe, but it’s certainly not mine! I was born and raised in Edinburgh, and found my love of theatre at the Edinburgh Fringe. I spent my teenage years performing in as many plays and musicals as I physically could, and dabbled in writing for stage for the first time. Since I moved away from Edinburgh to go to drama school, it has always been my aim to bring my work back home. I’ve experienced the Edinburgh Fringe as a performer, punter and worked Front of House, and I can’t wait to finally bring my own work to this vibrant, one of a kind festival.

What are the big things you’ve learned since 2023 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?

Last year’s Edinburgh Fringe taught me so much about queer theatre. I felt privileged to see so much fantastic new work, and while I saw hilariously funny and uplifting moments, there was also a lot of necessary, but hard to watch content around coming out and homophobia. These pieces absolutely need to exist, but I wanted to create something that celebrated how joyous being queer really can be.

Tell us about your show.

‘Three Bed (No Living Room)’ is a funny and truthful new play set in a student flat in Edinburgh, celebrating queer love and community. A talented and exciting collection of freshly graduated talent takes us through a whirlwind weekend in the lives of Beth, Cynthia, and Ezra, from a Pride night out gone wrong, to finding romance closer to home than expected… With a light hearted tone and realistic conversations, this show is a must see for queer and young people alike, promising a heart warming representation of queer love and community.

Laldie Theatre is brand new company committed to giein’ it laldie, or giving it their all! Made up of and founded by 2024 graduates from East 15 Acting School, ‘Three Bed (No Living Room)’ made its debut at a new work festival within East 15 to an overwhelmingly positive reception. After Edinburgh Fringe, we would love to take this show to queer venues and festivals all over the UK!

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

I’ve got to plug Tellus Theatre, another company from my graduating year at East 15. They’re bringing a show called ‘Night Train’, a philosophical comedy with physical theatre and a brilliant ensemble. I’ve been lucky enough to see some snippets of how ‘Night Train’ is developing, and it’s not to be missed!

PIAP Theatre’s show ‘Off The Bench’, a play about women in football, also features some East 15 grads and looks like a fantastic piece of feminist theatre.

As for other shows, I cannot recommend Reuben Kaye and Yuck Circus enough, they were my highlights last year!

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EdFringe Talk: Aquapella

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“It is really about creating a family bond between all of our members and working together to perform and showcase this thing we all love to do.”

WHO: Holly Perrin

WHAT: “‘Forget Pitch Perfect, Aquapella are the real deal!’ (TheWeeReview.com). Bath’s premier award-winning a cappella group are back for their eighth year at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe! Subsequent to their success performing on Broadway last year, the group seeks to showcase the power of the human voice through an array of unique arrangements. From indie and pop bangers to contemporary ballads, their latest set delivers a diverse and eclectic selection of music genres that ensures there’s something for everyone. With a passion for performing, Aquapella invite you to experience vocal music like never before.”

WHERE: Gilded Balloon Patter House – Doonstairs (Venue 24) 

WHEN: 13:00 (60 min)

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Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

No, this is not our first time to Edinburgh. This is actually Aquapella’s 8th time performing at the Fringe Festival. It is such a special festival, full of so much talent, so much variety, and so much appreciation for all kinds of art forms. It’s such a creative space, and we absolutely love performing here each year.

What are the big things you’ve learned since 2023 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?

Since 2023, our group has a new committee and 8 new members. We have really learned how important it is for everyone in the group to have the same aims and things we would like to achieve. It is really about creating a family bond between all of our members and working together to perform and showcase this thing we all love to do.

Tell us about your show.

Our show is an a cappella show. We are a multi-award winning a cappella group from Bath, who recently performed in New York as one of the top ten collegiate a cappella groups worldwide in the ICCAs (International champtionship of collegiate a cappella) for the 3rd time. The group has been around for 12 years, founded originally in 2012 by two students of the University of Bath. We perform all around the country at gigs and competitions, this year even travelling to Italy to perform at Solevocci Voice Festival. We perform an eclectic mix of songs, from pop bangers to emotional, heart-warming songs. With choreo, vibes, and good music, we hope to put on a show that everyone can enjoy.

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

After they have seen our show, a lot of our friends perform in other a cappella groups that are also amazing! The bristol suspensions and the northern lights are also incredible a cappella groups we are proud to support!

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EdFringe Talk: ShakeItUp: The Improvised Shakespeare Show

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“Edinburgh really is the best melting pot of creativity in the world! As a punter, Edinburgh is the live performance equivalent of Netflix: so much choice that it can feel impossible to know where to start!”

WHO: James Alston

WHAT: “Shakespeare hasn’t written anything new for an age, so we thought we would give him a hand… Using your audience suggestions and our overactive imaginations, we create a brand-new Shakespeare play live on stage, complete with live music, songs and plenty of laughs. Join ShakeItUp for bard-based bedlam! ‘Quick witted, inexhaustible and absolutely hysterical’ ***** (LondonTheatreReviews.co.uk). ‘Brilliantly bonkers… one of the best improvised shows at the Fringe’ ***** (WestEndBestFriend.co.uk).”

WHERE: Gilded Balloon Patter House – Dram (Venue 24) 

WHEN: 13:00 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

No! As ShakeItUp, we made our Fringe debut last year in 2023! As it was our first time last year we really didn’t know how it was going to go (we’d all heard tales of performances to nearly empty audiences and long rainy days flyering on the Mile) so went for just two weeks to test it out. While we did have quite a lot of rain (it is Scotland, after all), our show surpassed even my expectations! We gained five star reviews and sold out audiences, so this year we’re coming back for the full month! I’m looking forward to having the opportunity to reach more audiences and also as the show is improvised I am looking forward to seeing the huge variety of new Shakespeare stories we’ll tell on stage. Expect the unexpected!

Edinburgh really is the best melting pot of creativity in the world! As a punter, Edinburgh is the live performance equivalent of Netflix: so much choice that it can feel impossible to know where to start! Really, you just have to throw yourself into it and go from there – you never know where you’ll end up (most likely sat on the floor of the tiny back room of a pub at 1AM while a comedian leads you in a group chant, as happened to me last year!) but that’s all part of the fun.

As a performer, Edinburgh is totemic as a sort of rite of passage for a show – everyone has their Edinburgh experience: some become regulars, while for others one trip to Auld Reekie is enough. But it has an undeniable pull as a place to reach a huge audience and be part of a vast outpouring of creativity, which is hard to come by these days. But let’s be honest: it is daunting, can be exhausting, and comes with a huge financial cost that even performers with big budgets can struggle to bear. However, despite all that, it can be so much fun and there is nowhere else like Edinburgh in August! I have also found a really supportive network of fellow artists at the Fringe – we’re all in this together!

I can’t wait to go back.

What are the big things you’ve learned since 2023 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?

When you’re part of a theatre company that’s growing and taking on more and more exciting opportunities, that can feel really thrilling – but it can also put a lot more pressure on us all – myself included! I think what I’ve learned is to try and relax into it a bit more, focus on what I really enjoy: going on stage and playing with my friends, in front of a wonderful and witty audience, and making up some brand new Shakespearean epics! I think everyone who is a performer gets into it because they enjoy it more than anything, and sometimes with all the stresses of the industry we can lose sight of that but it’s so important – if you’re not enjoying it then what’s the point? Focus on having fun, giving the audience a damn good show, and the rest will follow.

Tell us about your show.

Writer: William Shakespeare.

No, really! All of our shows are authentic plays dreamt up by the Bard himself…he just never bothered to write them down at the time, so it’s up to us (with a little help from you, the audience) to help him out!

We improvise our plays live on the spot, using the language and themes of Shakespeare. They can be Comedies, Histories, or Tragedies (chosen by you), but no characters or plot are decided beforehand, this is Shakespeare completely off the cuff (or should I say, “ruff”?) The audience can also write their very own Shakespearean “lines” which are given to us just as the show begins, and which we can pull out whenever we like. However, we’ll have no idea what the lines say before we read them and they can often send the plot in all manner of crazy directions! It’s fast, hilarious, and completely unpredictable – true Bard-based Bedlam, just as Bill would have intended!

ShakeItUp was founded by a group of us who all went to drama school in Guildford, where we learned all about performing Shakespeare. We loved doing Shakespeare, but we hated learning lines so decided to make up our own – and thus, ShakeItUp was born. We started out in a tiny room above a pub in Putney; we had to build our own stage every night using pallets, and then break it apart and store it in the beer cellar after we were done! We’ve come a long way since then, and we’ve performed the show across the UK and even abroad to Italy, Poland, and Germany! We’ve performed at some iconic venues, including The Other Palace in London and Cornwall’s world-famous Minack Theatre, as well as the Edinburgh Fringe.

We don’t get much time to rest after Edinburgh as we’re heading straight over to Wales to perform for two nights at Theatr Clwyd; we’ll also be making a return to The Brighton Open Air Theatre in September, and the Georgian Theatre Royal in Richmond (Yorks) in October. We have plenty more in store for 2024 and beyond so watch this space…

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

Improv comes in many flavours, and there is a huge amount of choice at Edinburgh! I would really recommend our good friends PinchPunch and their show “Locomotive For Murder” which is an Agatha Christie-style improvised whodunnit! It’s a great show, and they happen to be performing in the same venue as us (Gilded Balloon Patter House) at 3PM! So you can come and see us at 1, maybe grab a bite to eat in between, and then go and see them at 3PM upstairs! There you go, I’ve just sorted out a few hours of your schedule for you! You can thank me later.

After some more improv? I would HIGHLY recommend seeing Showstopper! The Improvised Musical at the Pleasance. If you’re a musical theatre fan especially, then you will love this show! They’re so quick and funny, and their musical improv abilities are quite spectacular. A must-see in my opinion.

And if you’re a fan of alternative comedy, or just want to see something that’s a bit different, then you must see Absolute Monopoly by Benjamin Alborough at Assembly George Square. It’s ridiculous, hysterically funny, and much more fun than the actual board game of Monopoly!

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EdFringe Talk: No Dragon No Lion

Posted in *Written Interviews, EdFestivals 2024 by

image of event

“Sometimes, it is quite stressful when you don’t have got enough reviews and audience. However, it is very rewarding when you find there are some good reviews as well as there is a long-line of walk-in audience.”

WHO: Andy Lo

WHAT: “Re-creating the classical Lion Dance and Chinese Opera as contemporary performance, this dynamic Kung-Fu dance-circus mixes beat-boxing, martial arts, tricks and parkour. Live beat-boxing replaces traditional Asian percussive music. Experience the historical and present-day cultures of Asia through a vibrant journey of discovery and transformation, highlighting the common bonds of humanity. Made in Hong Kong. Opening act, New York Times Square New Year’s Eve 2023. Winner, Best Show, Asian Arts Awards 2022. ‘No Dragon No Lion isn’t just a spectacle, but an exploration of Hong Kong’s soul, a dance between the past and the present’ (FringeBiscuit.com).”

WHERE: C ARTS | C venues | C aurora – main house (Venue 6) 

WHEN: 13:50 (50 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

No. This is already our 4th time to Edinburgh. Edinburgh Fringe is an adventure to us, you will never know what is gonna be happened there. It always has very unexpected outcomes that are very useful for the team and the artists. Sometimes, it is quite stressful when you don’t have got enough reviews and audience. However, it is very rewarding when you find there are some good reviews as well as there is a long-line of walk-in audience.

What are the big things you’ve learned since 2023 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?

We have learnt that Edinburgh Fringe is the very important place to so-call “test the market” and make you easier to position yourself as an artist and art group. It is because there are a lot of audience from all over the world with different background. The audience sometimes are helping you to further define the position of yourself as well as the show.

Also, we have learnt that there might be a possibility to make a “long-running” show in Edinburgh Festival Fringe, which we are trying to do it.

Tell us about your show.

Choreographer of No Dragon No Lion is Hugh Cho, and he is also the artistic director of TS Crew. TS Crew is a professional performing arts group with members from different backgrounds, including film, drama, xiqu, dance, martial arts and stunting, and motivator of Hong Kong-international dance platform “Hong Kong Soul”, is a three-year grantee of the Hong Kong Arts Development Council. TS Crew is active in the international art scene and various platforms, such as New Year’s Eve Countdown 2023 at Times Square in New York, Busan International Dance Festival, Sziget Festival in Budapest and Edinburgh Festival Fringe. No Dragon No Lion received the Asian Arts Award for Best Show from Asian Art Fund Scotland at Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2022.

This show is first premiere in 2018 and be brought to Edinburgh in 2019, it was known as “Along”. Hugh keep develop the show in 2020 and 2021, it came back to Edinburgh again in 2022, and the show got the Best Show Award at the Asian Arts Award 2022. And then we come back with the same show at 2023, and then this year.

Before staging at Edinburgh, No Dragon No Lion will be presented at the Warrington Arts Festival in July and Tokyo in June.

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

This is Kung-Fu, Contemporary Dance and Circus. The TS Crew unique performance style is achieved by extracting the essence of the traditional form of Chinese performing arts and blending it with martial arts, physical tricks, parkour, capoeira and dance. The live beatboxing is added to replace the traditional percussive music. A journey of discovery and transformation, TS Crew explores the idea of an unique brotherhood, common to all humanity, but rooted in Asian culture.

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