“I’m constantly in awe of the perseverance and creativity of the artists I meet here.”
WHO: Eli Zuzovsky
WHAT: “Two young queers meet. They fall in love, have sex, fight, make up, and break up – and all through texts. These texts, like poetry, chart their unforgettable relationship. Long Distance dives into the empty space between us and our desperate attempts to fill it up. A funny, heart-breaking new play about intimacy, technology and the daily work of love.”
WHERE: ZOO Playground – Playground 1 (Venue 186)
WHEN: 14:00 (60 min)
MORE: Click Here!
Is this your first time to Edinburgh?
I’ve been to Edinburgh twice as a punter, but this is my first time coming to the Fringe with a show of my own. The levels of talent and passion that I see here every single day absolutely blow my mind. I thought that having a show at the festival would undo some of the magic of this place, but so far it’s only intensified it, if anything. Even just walking around the city is deeply energising and inspiring (especially if the sun happens to be out). Putting on a show here is no small feat, to say the least, and I’m constantly in awe of the perseverance and creativity of the artists I meet here.
What are the big things you’ve learned since 2023 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?
Working on Long Distance has completely changed the way I think about writing and directing. Above all, it’s taught me a huge lesson on the importance of simplicity. The play has significantly changed since I wrote the first draft; I’ve had to kill too many darlings. Every day in the rehearsal room, Jonathan, Lewis and I asked ourselves: ‘Does this feel real? Does this feel true to the characters we’ve created and their unique relationship?’
We’ve stripped away bits of flowery language, jokes that only half-worked and moments that didn’t serve the play’s emotional arc, including ones we loved. The original idea was to do the whole play on treadmills, which we were all very excited about. However, after a few rehearsals, we gave up on the treadmills. We realised that they distracted us from the goal we set for ourselves when we embarked on this journey: to create a portrait of an unforgettable relationship that is propelled by honesty and empathy.
Tell us about your show.
Our show, which I wrote, directed and produced, is called Long Distance. It stars two amazing recent graduates of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), Jonathan Rubin and Lewis Merrylees (a Glaswegian!). The three of us had mutual friends, but we didn’t really know each other before we started working on the play. We did a quick reading of one scene together, which felt like love at first sight.
Long Distance follows two young queers who fall in love, have sex, fight, make up, and break up – and all through texting. Their texts, dramatised like poetry, paint a portrait of a tumultuous relationship. The play dives into the empty space between us and our desperate attempts to fill it up. It’s about the daily work of love, technological despair, and the long distance that exists in every relationship these days.
We had two sold-out previews at the Camden People’s Theatre in London in July, and we’re hoping to tour the show as much as possible after the Fringe.
What should your audience see at the festivals after they’ve seen your show?
We were fortunate enough to have developed the play through Soho Theatre Labs, which I highly recommend to anyone taking a show to the Fringe. We’ve already seen many of our friends’ shows and they’re all astonishing. To name a few: Gaby Foley’s Flicker, Temi Wilkey’s Main Character Energy, Sarah Cameron-West’s KAREN, Alexis Sakellaris’s A STAN IS BORN! Lil Wenker’s BANGTAIL, John and Christian’s Battle Counters!, Mirren Wilson’s PALS, Claire Parry’s Boorish Trumpson, and Tiggy Bayley’s Squidge. We’re so proud of them all—they’re amazing.
LIKE WHAT YOU JUST READ? FOLLOW US ON TWITTER! OR SIGN UP TO OUR MAILING LIST!
INTERESTED IN BEING INTERVIEWED TOO? CLICK HERE!
Get Your Coats On 