Meet the 2019 Performers – Jonathan Caren (Four Woke Baes)

Christian McRae
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Meet the 2019 Performers – Jonathan Caren (Four Woke Baes)

Today in our ‘Meet the Performers’ series we meet Jonathan Caren, multi award-winning US playwright, and writer of ‘Four Woke Baes‘. The play asks just how liberal “woke” boys really are when they’re alone together, out in nature, beers in hand. With a stellar cast, a Fringe Premiere and the exploration of some very topical themes, ‘Four Woke Baes‘ looks likely to be a Fringe must-see!

Can you introduce yourself and your show?

Hi! I’m Jonathan Caren, and this is a dark comedy about four men with very fixed perspectives on monogamy who are all equally stirred up and challenged by an unexpected visitor that appears in their campsite.  It’s a play that deals with traditional relationship dynamics in a time when men and women have never had more options, from dating apps to polyamory to virtual sex.  For me, it’s a deep dive into the psychology that has led to much toxic male behavior in our culture, especially the men who think they’re on the right side of the #metoo movement. It’s one thing to be “woke” on Facebook… but what about alone in the woods? 

What is the top reason people should see the show? 

We want to create a forum where it’s safe to discuss fantasies and fears around sex, especially within a marriage or partnership.  We also want audiences to laugh and be shocked by the behavior in the play, especially if it feels close to home. 

What does a ‘successful Fringe run’ mean to you?

 I expect to make at least 18 new friends. Anything less than that and I’ve failed. 

Have you been to the Fringe before? What is the worst rumour you have heard about staging a show the Edinburgh Fringe? 

I know absolutely nothing except that I plan on seeing a lot of theater and sleeping very little.  

There is an express train of talent heading to Edinburgh for this production. What is the story behind how such great artistic talent came together to perform here in Edinburgh?

I’ve been workshopping this play for the past year with Teddy and each of these actors either read a part or read the play or expressed interested in it at some point. I was excited about the international conversation that is happening around masculinity.  We’re just lucky to have so many artists interested in making something from the ground up. 

What key message do you hope comes across to your audiences? 

That monogamy, while a sacrifice, can also be quite sexy and novel.  We live in a time when people want everything, and they want it now.  But to appreciate anything, there has to be a cost.  Nothing is worth the price of sacrificing one’s truth in a relationship, so whatever your boundaries are, make sure they’re clear.  The truth always manifests one way or another.   

Your play is entitled ‘Four Woke Baes”, which for those not in the know is US slang for ‘four enlightened boyfriends’.  Your play questions just how enlightened these ‘woke baes’ are. In general though, do you think that the term ‘woke’ now has negative or positive connotations for the wider public?

The title is meant to be a tongue-in-cheek send-up to any man who considers himself a “woke bae.”  Every man is fallible to a varying degree, so to consider oneself enlightened in today’s day and age highlights the precise hypocrisy of our male-driven culture which we are trying to address.  I think a “Woke Bae” does have a negative connotation, but the idea of it in this context is also pretty hilarious. 

The staging sounds ambitious. How are you going to bring a rafting/ camping trip to life on stage?

THEATER MAGIC.  We give away nothing!  

How are you promoting your show in the run up to the Fringe? (Feel free to mention social media accounts and preview shows here)

We will have video interviews with the cast and crew as we ramp to reveal the play at the festival. 

Lastly do you want to tell us where and when we can see the show? 

 We’ll be at The Belly Button (Underbelly Cowgate) at 5:05pm from 1st – 25th August!  Come see us! 

Four Woke Baes will be performed daily at 17:05 at the Underbelly, Cowgate (Belly Button/ venue 61) from August 1st-11th, and from August 13th-25th. Tickets available from the Fringe Box Office.

Meet the 2019 Performers – Guillaume Pigé (Birth)

Christian McRae
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Meet the 2019 Performers – Guillaume Pigé (Birth)

Today we meet Guillaume Pigé , Artistic Director of Theatre Re, who is here to tell us more about ‘Birth’. This powerful production explores the bond between three generations of women, through unspoken tragedies and unconditional love.

Can you introduce yourself and your show?

My name is Guillaume Pigé. I am the Artistic Director of Theatre Re and the Director of BIRTH.

BIRTH is a powerful, poignant and uplifting visual theatre piece with live music exploring the bond between three generations of women, their shared loss and the strength they discover in each other.

What is the top reason people should see the show? 

I think there are many reasons why people should come and see BIRTH but, if I had to choose one, I would say that they should come because it is different. 

It is a piece of theatre and we follow the life journey of Sue, Katherine and Emily, three generations of women from the same family. It is a concert with live music throughout the show. It is also a wordless physical and visual piece of dance and mime with elements of magic and illusion. 

Ultimately, our aim is to communicate the story of Emily’s family and we use everything we can to make it altogether thought provoking, humorous, heart-breaking, uplifting and life affirming.

What does a ‘successful Fringe run’ mean to you? 

To me a ‘successful Fringe run’ means that we finish the Fringe! 

Also that we come out of it with a stronger piece of theatre and a stronger team. I tend to think that a show is never really finished until it has had a run at the Edinburgh Fringe. So many things happen during this very intense month to us as individuals and to us as a team, so it is about enabling all these experiences and shared moments to find their way into the work and help it to grow.

 What 3 top tips have you got for Edinburgh Fringe first timers? 

See as many shows as you can, sleep and stay dry!

The subject-matter of ‘Birth’ is an extremely emotive one; one which you describe as an ‘often considered taboo subject. ‘ Yet it is estimated that 1 in 4 pregnancies end in loss during pregnancy or birth. You are bringing this ‘taboo subject’ into the open with the show. What conversations do you hope that starts?

I think theatre is a very good training ground for what happens or what can happen in life; as if it provided a large scale dress rehearsal for life. From that point of view it will be interesting to see how BIRTH can help develop people’s empathy for those who have experienced such a loss. It will also be important to see how the work can have a cathartic impact on audience members who have, and then how that might help them starting a discussion about it.

 However, it is important to say that BIRTH is not a show about pregnancy loss. It is about life, family and what is it that you inherit from your parents and grandparents. It is our answer to the question: when does memory begin?

 What key message do you hope comes across to your audiences?

I hope people come out of the theatre feeling uplifted and reminded about the beauty and extraordinary fragility of life.

To understand the subject you spent 15 months engaging through interviews and workshops with women and families who have experienced pregnancy loss. Talk us through that journey.

At the very beginning of our research, we did not know that we would be exploring pregnancy loss as part of this project. We wanted to explore the world of secrets within families. We all drew our family trees and shared it with the rest of the team. The aim was to unravel parallels between our own lives and the lives of our ancestors, and how issues or traumas might have been subconsciously passed down from one generation to the next. It allowed us to identify similarities within our families… One of them was pregnancy loss and how it was always kept a secret. 

To explore the subject of pregnancy loss specifically, we first collaborated with Anyone Everymum (organisation supporting women and families in their journey through birth). Along with sharing their expertise, knowledge and experiences, they took us through the various steps they use in their sessions with women. Many discoveries made during these workshops were then developed and worked into the piece. Some of them are invisible, others led to the devising of full scenes. This collaboration also helped us to create the right atmosphere around the work and helped guide our research. 

Later in the process we also engaged with Aching Arms (a nationwide baby loss charity run by a group of bereaved mothers) and were able to get an insight into what it means to lose a life. Their feedback on the work helped us ensure that our piece was a faithful representation of what some women and families go through without being patronising nor sentimental.

Another key theme of ‘Birth’ is ‘memory’ and the secrets kept and memories shared between generations. Do you think we are more open on this subject now as a society or is pregnancy loss still a taboo, private subject still kept a secret from other family members?

When a child is born, a family is created and BIRTH is very much about that; about the important moments that are part and that have been of family life for generations. It is also about the smaller moments; the moments that we sometimes forget, but that meant so much at the time.

How are you promoting your show in the run up to the Fringe?

We will be doing interviews with all the members of the creative team. These will be published on our blog and on our social media channels:

Twitter: @TheatreRe

Instagram: @TheatreRe

Facbook: retheatre 

We will also be performing at the Latitude Festival in mid-July in the Theatre Arena, the exact date is still to be confirmed. More info can be found here.

 Lastly do you want to tell us where and when we can see the show? 

Absolutely! We will be on at 12:00 (13:15) every day from 1st – 25th August (except 12th) in Pleasance Beyond. All the info can be found here

Birth will be performed daily at 12:00 at the Pleasance Courtyard (Pleasance Beyond / Venue 33) from August 1st-11th and from August 13th-25th. Tickets available from the Fringe Box Office.

Birth

Meet the Performers – Nick Everritt (The Deconstruction)

Christian McRae
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Meet the Performers – Nick Everritt (The Deconstruction)

Another great interview today! Nick Everritt will be performing his show The Deconstruction this August at the Fringe. A trained actuary, he has swapped Excel spreadsheets for the stage, to help us deconstruct comedy. ‘Watch in awe as a man in a suit demonstrates his mastery of every genre of comedy’. Can an actuary be funny? We are 97.362% certain they can be!

1. Can you introduce yourself and your show (The Deconstruction)? 
I’m a London-based actuary and comedian. My debut solo show, Nick Everritt: The Deconstruction, is a loving mockery of stand-up comedy. I perform every genre of comedy I can think of – puns, observational, political satire etc. – but I get each of them very, very wrong, hopefully in amusing and unexpected ways.
In short it’s a deadpan, meta, satirical deconstruction of the tropes and conventions of stand-up comedy with a strong yet not overwhelming hint of anti-comedy.

2. What is the top reason people should see the show?
Let’s say ‘Tim’ is at the Fringe and he wants to see a show. Tim’s seen lots of great stand-up shows, performed earnestly and enthusiastically by some very talented comedians. But now Tim fancies something a little bit different. So, Tim, if that is indeed your real name, why not see someone (lovingly) make fun of what all those other comedians are doing in the form of a self-referential parody of stand-up comedy?

3. What does a ‘successful Fringe run’ mean to you?
A successful Fringe for me would mean regularly performing to audiences of a ‘not embarrassing magnitude’, i.e. audiences large enough that I don’t feel the need to lie to my family and friends about it. I’d also like to enjoy myself and to leave the Fringe a better comedian than when I arrived.

4. What 3 top tips have you got for Edinburgh Fringe first timers?
My advice would be thus:
1) If you can, try to write a good show. People will enjoy a good show more than a bad show, and so you will get bigger, happier audiences with a good show and you’ll have a better time in the process. I for one will be doing my level best to deliver a good show at this year’s Fringe.
2) The Fringe can be a real roller coaster. You’ll experience the full gamut of emotions – dejection, shame, boredom, disdain, right the way back to dejection again. My advice would be to desensitise yourself to all emotion as soon as you can.
3) Just relax and have fun!

5. This is your first Fringe performing solo. How are you preparing?
The main thing I’ve been doing is taking a look at the bits of my show that aren’t as funny as the rest of it and seeing if I can make those bits funnier. I’ve also been working on my audience banter which should help build rapport – I can now make fun of most occupations.

6. Ken Dodd’s lawyer in his tax trial once famously quipped ‘Some accountants are comedians but comedians are never accountants.’ Are many of your fellow actuaries comedians?
I’m pleasantly surprised logical paradoxes are admissible in court. If I’m ever on trial I might use the “If this sentence is true, then I didn’t do it” line of defence.
I am indeed an actuary but I’m not aware of any other actuary comedians. I don’t talk about being an actuary much on stage because in my nine years in the profession nothing funny has ever happened.

7. How are you promoting your show in the run up to the Fringe?
I’m on Facebook @NickEverrittComedy. I also have two upcoming previews in London: 7:30pm on 8th July at Aces and Eights in Tufnell Park, and 9pm on 20th July at The Lord Stanley in Camden.

8. To hand out flyers on the Royal Mile or not to hand out flyers? What’s your top tip to create a buzz once in Edinburgh?
I shall certainly be flyering outside my venue – whether I brave the Mile is another matter. My top tip for creating buzz would be to build up a strong fan base before doing your debut hour, accumulate a solid list of media and PR contacts, and write a sharp, insightful and hilarious show that shows emotional depth and whose themes resonate with the key issues of the day. I of course have decided to do precisely the opposite of this.

9. Your stage persona is extremely deadpan! Are you the opposite offstage and what’s the most interesting night out you’ve ever had?
Offstage I’m a far more ebullient character, which I hope comes across in this interview. I’ve certainly had a few interesting nights out in my time. On one particular occasion I drank a full five pints of 5% continental lager, and let’s just say I was feeling dehydrated in the morning!

10. Lastly do you want to tell us where and when we can see the show?
I’ll be performing at 4:55pm on 1st-25th August (not Monday 12th) at Just the Tonic at The Caves, Just the Spare Room.

Nick Everritt (The Deconstruction) will be performed daily at 16:55 from August 1st-11th and August 13th-25th at Just the Tonic at the Caves (Just the Tonic Spare Room/ Venue 88). Tickets available from the Fringe Box Office.

Meet the 2019 Performers – Charlotte Mooney (This Time)

Christian McRae
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Meet the 2019 Performers – Charlotte Mooney (This Time)

It is our pleasure today to hear from Charlotte Mooney, joint artistic director of aerial theatre company Ockham’s Razor. Their innovative show ‘This Time‘ will be sure to catch many Fringe-goers attention with its groundbreaking use of multi-generational performers, but also in its use of storytelling and circus techniques. ‘This Time’ will be performed daily at 15:00 from August 1st-5th, 7th-12th, 14th-19th and 21st-25th at Saint Stephens Theatre (Grand Hall / Venue 166). Tickets available from the Fringe Box Office.

Meet the 2019 Performers – Tony Delicata (Being Frank about Sinatra)

Christian McRae
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Meet the 2019 Performers – Tony Delicata (Being Frank about Sinatra)

Tony Delicata’s theatre career has gone full circle; from being a professional actor in London, to Fringe and pantomime productions, to creator of Atina Arts. He speaks to us today about the production he has written ‘Being Frank about Sinatra‘, and what audiences can expect from the show.

1. Can you introduce yourself and your show?

My name is Tony Delicata. I have been an actor/singer for many years.

‘Being Frank about Sinatra’ is written by myself and I also feature and the narrator and singer in this one man show although in no way would I embarrass myself by saying that I try to impersonate Frank Sinatra The show is about Frank Sinatra, one of the most influential artists of the 20th century and his fascination with organised crime. The man they called, ‘The Chairman of the Board’, commanded deep loyalty from his friends and counted criminals among those he considered close. But with all his fame and adulation, why was Sinatra so attracted to the Mafia?

This show looks to open a few of those doors to Frank Sinatra’s murky dealings with some of the most notorious mobsters in American history, as well as taking a brief look at a health issue that gripped Frank in his later years. A production about Sinatra would not be complete without a spattering of songs from man’s amazing back catalogue

2. What is the top reason people should see the show?

If you are a Sinatra fan and have always been intrigued by the man’s Mafia connections then this is the show for you.

3. What does a ‘successful Fringe run’ mean to you?

A successful Fringe would mean to me that this show has good audience potential to take it to the next level.

4. What 3 top tips have you got for Edinburgh Fringe first timers?

1. Don’t come to the Edinburgh Fringe expecting to become famous 2. Don’t expect to make money 3. Embrace being part of the world’s largest arts festival.

5. What is your favourite Sinatra song and does it feature in the show?

Not an easy question as there are many but if I had to push the boat out, I would have to choose, ‘One for my Baby’…..no wait…..’Come fly with me’…….hmm maybe, ’Witchcraft’…….now do you see my problem!!!! Sadly none of these songs feature in the show.

6. Are the songs for the show recorded or sung live? How do you keep your voice in top condition over the course of a Fringe run?

I sing the songs live using orchestrated backing tracks. I keep my voice in top condition using an age old recipe of Jack Daniels, crushed ice and more Jack Daniels!!

7. What’s the most important thing for you to nail, when playing Sinatra?

I actually don’t play Sinatra. This show is more of a narration from me about Sinatra’s association with the Mafia but if you wanted to nail Sinatra’s singing style then don’t sing on the beat and use the mic as an instrument and not just something to make your voice louder.

8. How are you promoting your show in the run up to the Fringe?

You can find details about the show on:

Facebook: Atina Arts

Twitter: @atinaarts

Show website: www.atinaarts.com

Venue website: www.paradise-green.co.uk

Fringe website: www.edfringe.com

and the usual posters and flyers around town!!

9. Sinatra was a famous party animal in his day. Where is your favourite Edinburgh hang out when not on stage?

My favourite hangout is my home….I know. I’m such a saddo!!!

10. Lastly do you want to tell us where and when we can see the show?

Being Frank about Sinatra runs from Monday 12th – Sunday 25th August (no show on Sunday 18th) at Paradise in the Vaults: venue 29, 11 Merchant Street. EH1 2QD.

Being Frank about Sinatra will be performed daily at 19:50 from August 12th-17th and from August 19th-25th at the Paradise in the Vault (Venue 29/ The Vault). Tickets available from the Fringe Box Office.

Meet the 2021 Performers – Charlie Wheeller (Bromance)

Christian McRae
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Meet the 2021 Performers – Charlie Wheeller (Bromance)

The Barely Methodical Troupe is back at the Edinburgh Fringe. For 2021, they are bringing their international award-winning show ‘Bromance‘ back to Edinburgh for another run. This very popular circus and acrobatics show is sure to wow audiences again. Today we look back at our interview with one of the stars of the show, Charlie Wheeller, from the 2019 Fringe.

 

Can you introduce yourself and your show?

Hello! I’m Charlie Wheeller, 27 and from Southampton, and I am one of the founders of Barely Methodical Troupe. This year we are pumped to be returning to the Fringe with our show ‘Bromance’, a look at male companionship and its limits. Onstage you will see me spin around with a Cyr wheel and perform acrobatics with my two real life bros – Beren D’Amico and Louis Gift.

What is the top reason people should see the show? 

The company has been touring all over the world in the last five years, exploring and learning from so many different cultures.  But it all started with this show right here at the Fringe, way back in 2014. We cannot wait to get back to our roots with this show – it has certainly developed since Edinburgh audiences last saw it. The concept of the show is very close to our hearts and we love spreading this positive message through our acrobatics.

What does a ‘successful Fringe run’ mean to you? 

Firstly we need to have an audience, that’s always good! Then we need to have fun with them. That’s basically it really! We love our audiences and try to promote informality with them straight from the beginning, inviting them into our world of movement. There are not many better audiences than a wild Fringe festival one – we eagerly await the heckles and screams!

What 3 top tips have you got for Edinburgh Fringe first timers? 

-Enjoy immersing yourself in it. This is very important. It is the biggest festival in the world and pretty much everyone in the whole city is here to enjoy art. Chat to people on the streets, ask them for recommendations and go off the beaten track.

-Pace yourself. It’s so tempting to rush everything but find your own pace; if you try to match all the leafleters on the Royal Mile, each night you will feel like you’ve run a marathon! Everyone crashes, and that’s ok. Just recharge and get back out there.

-Book and see what you want asap, rather than waiting for the last week. Tickets will be gone and your word of mouth at the end of the festival is much less useful for the artists than at the beginning.

Contemporary Circus and circus-crossover is enjoying huge success now in the UK. Yet when British audiences think of this type of circus act, they immediately think of French or Canadian shows. Is that perception now changing?

We can only hope. It goes in waves, and we have to accept that. More circus education is cropping up around the UK and we can definitely see that in the growing audiences when we tour to smaller cities. This education will inevitably bring new work and exciting collaborations with other art forms. One question we have been asked a lot when travelling is, ‘what does British Contemporary Circus look like?’ I wonder how soon audiences will be able to answer that question.

What key message do you hope comes across to your audiences? 

In our sector we instinctively have to be very close, physically, which instantly breaks down nervous barriers and brings a trust between one another. We don’t use many words in the show, but hopefully this physical closeness can stimulate a verbal intimacy too, where one can open up with those around them and help people to help them. If we can invite this type of relationship to blossom between, not only men, but women too, then we will have succeeded.

Bromance has been an incredible success for the Barely Methodical Troupe!  What has been your favourite moment of that success?

Bromance has really spring boarded our career together (and we love a springboard) and there are so many moments which we remember fondly. Our first time in Brazil, watching as hundreds queued up hours before the show to get their free tickets to come and watch the “British circus boy band”, the excitement as we played 3 weeks in a huge theatre Off Broadway around the corner from Times Square. But I think the most special memory has to be closing the Palestinian Circus Festival in their capital, Jerusalem. The director of the Circus School there gave a speech before explaining how important this festival was for the Palestinians and the roar from the audience was unforgettable. They took care of us and taught us so much about their situation under the occupation. We are incredibly lucky to have been welcomed and met by such magical people there. We will not forget that I am sure.

Your show requires a great deal of trust, friendship and confidence between performers. Touring too requires a lot of good humour and patience. A ‘bromance’ perhaps between the performers. Yet touring can sometimes mean good mates quickly become ‘brenemies’! How do you keep the bromance alive between you guys?

I feel so grateful to have been on this journey with my two best friends. We have truly developed a kinship amongst us that is unparalleled. When we get in a training space together the energy is thrilling, everything is possible. Travelling together, through unknown places has given us strength and understanding as a trio and such an enchanted comfort runs between us – we really can get through anything. Since touring ‘Bromance’ we have created more shows together and it feels special to have found the people who complete your puzzle so we can create new jigsaws together.

How are you promoting your show in the run up to the Fringe?

Bromance

We love to create visual content mixing our acrobatics with a bit of charm so keep your eyes peeled for some fun stuff online : @barelymethodicaltroupe.

We haven’t performed this show in the UK for quite some time which means audiences have perhaps seen our 2nd or 3rd ‘album’ but not necessarily from where we came. This is quite exciting for us and we’re pumped to deliver them some fresh circus that’s barely methodical down to the core!

 

 

Bromance will be performed daily at 15:00 from August 10th-15th, August 17th-22nd, and August 24th-29th 2021 at the Assembly George Square Gardens, Palais due Variete (Venue 3). Tickets available now from the Fringe Box Office.

All photos courtesy of Chris Nash

Meet the 2019 Performers – NewsRevue

Christian McRae
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Meet the 2019 Performers – NewsRevue

NewsRevue is a show with a very special place in the heart of Fringe fans. Edinburgh is the birthplace of the world’s longest running live comedy show, and this year the Guinness World Record breaking show will celebrate its 40th anniversary! Here we talk to the show’s producer Emma Taylor on what we can expect from NewsRevue this year, and on the magic formula that keeps audiences flocking back to see the show year after year.

Can you introduce yourself and your show?

Hello, I’m Emma Taylor, producer of NewsRevue since 2001.

What is the top reason people should see the show? 

It’s our 40th anniversary and, without bias, it will be hands down one of the best shows you see at the Fringe this year.

What does a ‘successful Fringe run’ mean to you? 

Sell out shows with the audience laughing out loud, listening intently and spreading word of mouth and a happy, inspired cast and company. Shameless plug alert: my new book: The Pocket Producer explains how!

What 3 top tips have you got for Edinburgh Fringe first timers? 

Flyer till you drop, don’t perform drunk (unless it’s part of your act), watch as many shows as you can.

In 2004 NewsRevue gained the Guinness World Record for being the World’s Longest Running Live Comedy Show. Will the winning formula ever grow old?

So far so good. As long as there’s News there will be NewsRevue. That doesn’t mean we can ever rest on our laurels, we never take anything for granted. We may make it look easy but there’s a huge amount of joyful effort that goes into making it work so well on a weekly basis in London and every August in Edinburgh.

Former NewsRevuers include Rory Bremner, Alistair McGowan, Bill Bailey, Michelle Collins, and Sara Pascoe. How do you audition future NewsRevuers and any future stars we should look out for in the current cast?

The NewsRevue audition is legendary. To be cast in London is already a great achievement to be cast for Edinburgh is a benchmark of extraordinary talent. If they’ve made it this far, they’re all ones to watch: Althea Burey, Maya-Nika Bewley, Brett Sinclair and Christian James.

With news becoming more absurd, and the politics of the UK changing so fast, how often do you have to update the show?

We update as much content as possible on a weekly basis in London. In recent years we’ve noticed that old news becomes old sooner so when we compile a ‘best of the year show’ for Edinburgh, material that used to work from several months prior no longer makes the grade so we have to be much more current. The exception to this are generic songs such as our social media song to Ed Sheeran’s Shape of You. We could reprise that in this year’s show and it would still be a massive crowd pleaser but we always put 100% new material in each year which is another reason for our longevity.

If you could pair any 2 politicians from anywhere in the world and have them sing any song, which song would it be and which duo?

Haha! We do this quite often actually in the show. Currently we have Putin and Kim Jong Un in a duet to the Rolling Stones Paint it Black but now it’s Paint it Red with lyrics by Gary Jerry such as:

KIM

See South Korea and I want to take it back

We’re making brand new deals, we’re ready to attack

VLAD (DANIEL):

I see my former states are talking to the West

It makes me so angry I want to bear my chest! …..

BOTH:

We want to see it painted, painted, painted, painted red! Communist red! From Kamachtka to the Med. Da!

How are you promoting your show in the run up to the Fringe?

We’re doing 8 London previews at the Canal Cafe Theatre from 11th July every Thursday to Sunday. Find us on Twitter @newsrevue.

Lastly do you want to tell us where and when we can see the show? 

We’re back at the Underbelly – in the Purple Cow at 6.10pm from 1st to 26th August. Book a ticket for the 18th if you can which is our actual anniversary as we hope to have a little surprise in store!

NewsRevue will be shown daily at 18:10 at the Underbelly George Square (Venue 30/ Underbelly) from August 1st – 12th, and from August 14th – 26th. Tickets available from the Fringe Box Office.

Meet the 2019 Performers – Shark Legs (Fulfilment)

Christian McRae
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Meet the 2019 Performers – Shark Legs (Fulfilment)

Today we speak to Shark Legs and their show Fulfilment. This interactive puppetry production explores the topical issues around online shopping delivery centres and asks what price really pay for next-day delivery. The show is created live every day based upon the wishes and desires of the audiences. Fulfilment is an innovative production which promises to explore a topic which impacts us all.

Can you introduce yourselves and your show?

We are SharkLegs and we make visual theatre, which means we get to steal bits from all the great performance traditions and put them together to tell new stories. Our show, Fulfilment, looks at the experiences of Amazon Warehouse workers, the people who pick, pack and deliver everyone’s orders every day. We mix Bunraku puppetry with verbatim accounts from Warehouse workers, looking at what really happens when we press next-day delivery.

What is the top reason people should see the show?

To meet our gorgeous puppet Robox! Robox is your personal fulfilment device, he has been delivered to the theatre to fulfil the audience’s hopes and dreams – as well as their desire for Hobnobs… If you come to the show you may get a Hobnob! While the show deals with some serious issues about our responsibility as consumers, it is also disarmingly funny and playful. And involves Hobnobs.

What does a ‘successful Fringe run’ mean to you?

It means connecting with the amazing audiences that only the Fringe can offer! There’s nothing like the openness of the audiences at the Fringe, if your show captivates them, they will go with you and commit to the show like no one else. The mark of success for us is when audiences come up to you after and want to talk about their experience of the show. A place on the sold-out board is also pretty good…

What 3 top tips have you got for Edinburgh Fringe first timers?

Talk to people and make connections – you don’t necessarily know who is coming to your show, it could be the next artist you work with, or a programmer who gives you a residency, or someone who will go and talk about you and your show to 5 of their friends. Whoever it is, start some new conversations.

Get out of the bubble for some time. It always feels like the rest of the world disappears and all that is left is flyering, reviews and shows, but the rest of the world is still there, just outside the city – go to the seaside, go up the hills, go somewhere for a few hours which can blow the bubble away, and breathe!

Find a balance between throwing everything into the Fringe and your sanity! I love going to the cinema during the run – just a normal big cinema to see a silly blockbuster, it really takes you out of the bustle and crazy for a bit.

Your show is interactive based on the desires of each audience. How does that work?

Robox is there to give you the best experience possible, but in order to give you a great experience he needs to get to know you. As the audience take him through his start-up sequence, he starts gathering information about you – what colour do you want him to be? What is your favourite biscuit? Are you a weightlifting person or a yoga person? What’s your vision of romance? Each of these small personal preferences allow Robox to discover who you are and what you want. Let Robox build your personal pathway to fulfilment…

What key message do you hope comes across to your audiences?

Amazon is really easy for us, we click on a product and it magically turns up, but it’s not happy little elves working away and singing who make this happen. It is real people who must pick your product, pack your product and deliver your product – it’s about asking people if they would still click next day delivery if they had to see exactly what goes on to make that happen.

In your research for your show, you must have read some interesting stories coming out of the Amazon Fulfilment centres and warehouses. What was the most shocking story you heard about?

Almost all the conditions we heard about are shocking, with the same issues coming up again and again in our research and during our interviews with Fulfilment Centre Employees. The monitoring and targets mean that the pickers (the people picking the items off the shelves) have 15 seconds to find, pick and scan an item. You are given a countdown on your scanner which then feeds the data back to your manager and tells them if you have kept up this rate throughout your shift. Which is 10.5 hours long. If you don’t achieve these targets you will be fired – often they just get rid of the bottom 10% of workers with managers telling employees, ‘you want to pick up the pace, you don’t want to be in the bottom this week’. Often people are fired by text. These unrelenting pressures, impossible targets, as well as working in constant fear of losing your job are just the normal stories we heard again and again.

During the show we highlight several shocking stories but one that really hits home is from a guy who slept in a tent outside the warehouse during the Christmas rush. He couldn’t risk receiving a disciplinary ‘point’ for being late whilst working 60 hour weeks of mandatory overtime.

Where does the name SharkLegs come from for your company?

We make theatre about the moment when the world turns, the moment when you cannot unsee what you have seen, and everything will change. It is the moment when humans see, for the first time, that the sharks have grown legs and are walking up the beach.

How are you promoting your show in the run up to the Fringe?

We are previewing the show in London at Greenwich Theatre on 22nd July and at the Waterside Arts Centre Trafford on 26th July which is really exciting! Please follow us on Twitter and Instagram @sharklegsco to get some idea of the insanity of prepping a show for Edinburgh!

Lastly do you want to tell us where and when we can see the show?

YES! We will be playing from the 1st – 25th August (not Monday 12th), at The Underbelly, Cowgate in Belly Laughs at 3.40pm.

Fulfilment is being performed daily at 15:40 from August 1st to 11th and August 1th-25th at the Underbelly, Cowgate (Venue 61/ Belly Laugh) . Tickets available from the Fringe Box Office.

Meet the 2019 Performers – Rosa Hesmondhalgh (Madame Ovary)

Christian McRae
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Meet the 2019 Performers – Rosa Hesmondhalgh (Madame Ovary)

A very special interview today with Rosa Hesmondhalgh, who is bringing her show Madame Ovary to the Fringe. “It’s January and Rosa is writing her resolutions. This is her year. She is going to stop going out with plonkers, start doing yoga and write some really good art. But before she’s had time to delete her dating apps and get into downward dog, she’s diagnosed. With ovarian cancer. And it’s spread.” Madame Ovary deals with the everyday struggles of being a twenty-something, and the less typical struggle of dealing with ovarian cancer. A really insightful interview which not only gives us an insight into the show, but also has some very useful advice for those diagnosed with (ovarian) cancer, especially at a younger age. Madame Ovary will be performed daily from July 31 – August 12th and from August 14th – 26th. Tickets available from the Fringe Box Office.

Meet the 2019 Performers – Pierre Guillois (Fishbowl)

Christian McRae
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Meet the 2019 Performers – Pierre Guillois (Fishbowl)

What do you get if you cross the set design for Friends with the antics of Mr Bean and Charlie Chaplin? The answer is award-winning show Fishbowl. Described by Télérama as ‘a comic explosion’ and rated 5 stars by both Le Monde and Le Parisien,  the show revolves around ‘the hilarious misadventures of three eccentric and lovable anti-heroes crammed in their wacky rooftop bedsits’.  Here we speak to Pierre Guillois, who tells us more about the show.

Can you introduce yourself and your show?

My name is Pierre Guillois, I am a French director, author and actor. I love to create shows; each show is very different. I mostly try to make shows that are accessible for a wider audience, what we call in France: “populaire theatre.”

I used to be the Director of Le Théâtre du Peuple à Bussang, which is a very old and wonderful theatre in a small village in the mountains where for more than 120 years thousands of people come each summer to this magical woody venue. It is here that I learnt to write shows for “everybody.”

Fishbowl is symbolic of this utopia.

Not only is it funny – very funny I suppose – it has no spoken word. This way everybody can understand, you don’t have to know about theatre. We all know happiness and sadness; from small children to older people, we can all share the journey, laughing and crying together. 

What is the top reason people should see the show?

Being funny was not enough, we invested a lot of time on the importance and quality of the gags.

We wanted the show to be hilarious, but also tender and heart-breaking. We want the audience to empathise with the three characters. To laugh along with them as they experience their trials and tribulations, so everybody shares the joke and leaves the show uplifted. 

What does a ‘successful Fringe run’ mean to you?

A successful Fringe run means the show reaching the widest possible audience and people loving the show and Fishbowl becoming the talk of the Fringe! We would love to sell-out!

We would also like Fishbowl to have a life beyond the Fringe, maybe find a home for it in London or a UK tour.

Have you performed at the Fringe before? What is the worst rumour you have heard about performing at the Edinburgh Fringe?

No, this will be our first time performing at the Fringe!

It is not so much a rumour as what I’ve seen as an audience member: a show in a big venue (700 or 800 seats), with about 15 performers on stage, and nearly the same number of people watching the show! 

Your show ‘Fishbowl’ has had considerable success over the years and in the run up to the Fringe, winning a Molière Award for Best Comedy Play. Tell us about that journey.

It has been an exciting journey that started in Brest (Brittany, France). Right from the very beginning we felt something amazing was happening, it was well received by the audience, industry and journalists and everyone was so enthusiastic.

In France, we are so fortunate that each small town has its own subsidised venue, if a show is popular it can have a successful touring life. We have performed in 120 towns in France, Switzerland and Belgium.

We played in Paris for five weeks; Théâtre du Rond Point was the first venue, then due to the success of the show we had an 8-month run at Théâtre Tristan Bernard. After that we had the opportunity to play in Portugal (Almada Festival) where we won the Public Award, so we went back the following summer. In April 2019 we were in Toronto for three weeks as part of Canadian Stage. 

What key message do you hope comes across to your audiences?

The show is about modern loneliness in big urban cities, but I don’t want to dwell on a specific message. Fishbowl is also a physical experience about empathy; the show is about us, ordinary people like you and me. We can laugh because we all understand the weird destiny of what it means to be human.

Nevertheless the characters convey a message of optimism because even though life is challenging for them, even if they are spectacularly failing at everything they do, even if their love stories are hopeless, they remain optimistic and they build friendships with their neighbours.

The three neighbours in the show strike up unlikely friendships. Who are the main characters in Fishbowl?

An accident-prone hoarder, a karaoke-loving gadget geek and an inept career junkie.

The set for Fishbowl is incredibly detailed! How long did it take to design and build?

Laura Léonard, the set designer, designed a first set for the rehearsals. The rehearsals took a lot of time because we had to develop all the ideas on stage during hours and hours of improvisation.

We also had to experiment with the props and all the mechanisms. Once all this work had been done, the set designer was able to build the final set. After the opening night and for many months afterwards, we kept making improvements to the show, the props and the special effects. 

How are you promoting your show in the run up to the Fringe?

The show has always been very lucky with amazing word-of-mouth, we will be building on that by posting about the show on social media, sharing interviews, a great hand-to-hand team, and look out for Fishbowl posters around the Fringe.  Have a look what we are up to on Twitter by following @fishbowltheplay and @storiesintheatr.

Lastly do you want to tell us where and when we can see the show?

Fishbowl, Pleasance Courtyard (Grand), 60 Pleasance, Edinburgh, EH8 9TJ. Wednesday 31st July – Monday 26th August 2019 (not 14th), 1pm

Fishbowl will be performed daily at 13:00 at the Pleasance Courtyard (Venue 33 / The Grand) from July 31st to August 13th and from August 15th-26th. Tickets are availble from the Fringe Box Office.

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