“Wowzers, it’s like a month on a fairground ride.”
WHO: Emma Lister
WHAT: “Insomniac’s Fable is a delicate love story with a Hitchcockian glint in its eye. It invites its audience into a surreal dreamscape with evocative images and choreography by some of the world’s most original artists. Its premise of ‘boy meets dream girl’ marries traditional ballet storytelling with contemporary circus – but asks what would happen if this dream girl grabbed hold of the narrative, subverting what was expected? This unique merging of juggling and dance will confound your expectations of what physical theatre can be.”
WHERE: Summerhall – Cairns Lecture Theatre (Venue 26)
WHEN: 11:00 (50 min)
MORE: Click Here!
Is this your first time to Edinburgh?
No. Everyone involved in the show has been to at least one Fringe before. In terms of mounting my own work here, I’m grateful for that experience because, wowzers, it’s like a month on a fairground ride. With pop-up bars. And not always much sleep. I know to pace everyone, and to prioritise keeping the stress levels low, especially in that first week. I look forward to the second week when we can go see some other shows (and pop-up bars).
What are the big things you’ve learned since 2022 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?
That people are not interested in washing their hands for two rounds of ‘Happy Birthday’ unless they think there’s a deadly virus making the rounds.
Tell us about your show.
Our show is a mix of dance, contemporary circus, big visuals and subtle film references. I made it with my husband Sakari Männistö in 2016/17–we premiered it in Finland and it’s had two outings in the UK so far…we’d love to perform it more! It’s a big reason we’ve pushed to get it to Fringe. It’s frustrating to have a well reviewed show that’s basically up and ready but not enough performance opportunities.
What should your audience see at the festivals after they’ve seen your show?
We’re being presented by From Start To Finnish, which showcases a handful of Finnish and Nordic theatre at Fringe. It’s always well curated and even before they took us in, in past years I’ve always kept an eye on what they bring to Edinburgh.
In the From Start to Finnish showcase I’m especially looking forward to Racehorse Company’s show Chevalier–it’s an homage to circus horses and the silent movie era. It’s actually a family show, but that company always does really original, slightly outrageous stuff, which is what Fringe is all about. I’ll be taking my son for sure!
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