Today we meet Charlotte Josephine of Jake Orr Productions who are bringing their show ‘Pops’ to the Edinburgh Fringe this August. Their show follows a father and daughter caught in a vicious cycle of addiction.
Can you introduce yourself and your show?
‘Ello ‘ello. I’m Charlotte Josephine and I’m the writer of Pops. The last time I was at the Fringe was with my show Blush in 2016. Pops explores shame, addiction and how we try to connect to those closest to us. It’s about trying.
What is the top reason people should see the show?
The creative team are bloody brilliant.
What does a ‘successful Fringe run’ mean to you?
A wide audience engaging with and enjoying the show; the creative team feeling proud of the work and grateful for the experience of sharing it; and avoiding The Mile at all costs!
What 3 top tips have you got for Edinburgh Fringe first timers?
1. Eat well and sleep well.
2. Have a list of personal intentions.
3. Be kind.
This show forms part of HighTide and Assembly’s #Disruptionfest. Could you briefly give the background to that and how the shows were chosen for the programme?
We’re thrilled to have been selected as part of HighTide and Assembly’s season of work. This is the first time I’m at the fringe solely as a writer and it’s the first time this particular creative team have worked together, so the support from HighTide and Assembly is vital for us.
The season was curated from an open call out by HighTide and Assembly. This builds on HighTide’s previous work at the Fringe, where they co-produced a number of shows last year. As always there were far too many shows that applied to be part of the season than HighTide could take on board, but we were one of the lucky ones. Hurrah! The other artists selected for #Disruptionfest are bangin’ and you should definitely come see their shows too!
What key message do you hope comes across to your audiences?
That humans are messy. That shame is a killer. That forgiveness is hard work. That we can’t do it alone, we were never meant to.
We understand Pops to be about inter-generational addiction, and its subsequent impact on mental health. Is the play merely a commentary or does it look for answers too?
I love theatre that asks difficult questions, that couldn’t exist without its audience, that doesn’t preach the writer’s opinions at me. I’m furious at the way society treats addicts like they’re greedy lazy criminals.
Did the writing come from personal experience, engagement with communities impacted or a mix of both?
A mix of both. I always start writing from a place of self and then it grows into something more accessible to a wider audience.
How are you promoting your show in the run up to the Fringe?
Like most shows we’re working with a brilliant PR team (big up Chloé Nelkin Consulting!) and are working closely with the HighTide team with everything from flyering to getting posters up around the city. We’ll be creating some videos (am hoping our producer doesn’t ask me to be part of that…! I’m awful on camera) and you’ll see us across social media, of course. Check out some of these accounts – @_hightide_, @charlotte_j_b, @JakeOrrProd or search #PopsPlay.
Lastly do you want to tell us where and when we can see the show?
Assembly Roxy (Downstairs) at 18:25, 31st July to 25th August.
Pops will be performed daily at 18:35 at the Assembly Roxy (Downstairs) from July 31st to August 11th, and August 13th to 25th. Tickets available from the Fringe Box Office.