“I could have been a professional Tetris player in my younger days!”
WHO: Eoin Ryan
WHAT: “A jaw-dropping true story set on the Coral Sea, Australia. An Irish backpacker blags his way onto a prawn trawler. There he discovers a rarely seen world of hard labour and harder fishermen, where drinking, fighting, storms and hungry sharks are part of everyday life. His raw, exuberant story of adventure twists dramatically into survival culminating in an unforgettable moment of redemptive grace. Trawled is a one-man biographical drama. The actor plays himself 25 years younger! This is classic storytelling that plays out like a movie. Ready to come onboard?”
WHERE: theSpace @ Venue45 – theSpace @ Venue 45 (Venue 45)
WHEN: 16:05 (60 min)
MORE: Click Here!
Is this your first time to Edinburgh?
Yes, I am a first time fringer. Never been to an arts festival like this before. I’m excited about the opportunities it might open up for Trawled and equally daunted by the sheer size of it. I’m not a well known (established) artist so I’m preparing myself to graft really hard to earn my audience. Think Rocky IV but without the snow! I suppose I should really go working on a Trawler but that didn’t work out so well. But it could give me content for a sequel ?! Trawled 2 – the revenge of the greenhorn
What are the big things you’ve learned since 2023 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?
Biggest thing I learned is I could have been a professional Tetris player in my younger days! My set is huge (well most trawlers are) and it can just about fit into an old Land Rover Discovery. It defies the laws of packing and has baffled many theatre directors when they see my set put together. In all seriousness I am bringing a big set to the fringe. I believe that isn’t a very ‘fringesque’ (is that a new word…) thing to do,but I didn’t want to compromise on putting on the best show possible.
I also learned that word of mouth is crucial for success in theatre. So be brilliant every night and don’t fall overboard
Tell us about your show.
Trawled is a true story biographical drama. I couldn’t make up a story like this if I tried! I play myself 25 years younger which adds some authenticity to the performance.
While I was on the trawler I kept a diary and used it to help me write the play. I also had help from mentors.
Trawled debuted in the National Opera house in Wexford in September 2023. Opera and trawlers are not two things that often appear in the same sentence!
I’m self producing which adds to the workload but theatre is small in Ireland (plus we have a small population) so it made sense for me to go alone to stay out of the red.
Future plan is to tour Ireland (further) and the UK with the help of a UK producer. I wouldn’t say no to Australia either… after all, the play is set on an Australian prawn trawler.
What should your audience see at the festivals after they’ve seen your show?
Tough question. I’m new to theatre
I haven’t seen it, but I am excited about watching In Two Minds written by Joanne Ryan. Partly because Joanne was a mentor of mine. And the play is produced by Fishamble who generally produce some great theatre in Ireland. Many of their plays have won awards at the Fringe!!
Also if you like storytelling then check out: No one is coming by Sinead O’Brien
I’ve heard great things… (No doubt, loads of people ARE coming).
This is on in the Scottish Storytelling Centre. How cool is that…
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