The Edinburgh Fringe is almost upon us and to get prepared for another Scottish summer Read About Stuff is running a ‘Five From The Fringe’ interview series, where creative teams answer five questions about their upcoming Festival shows.
In this interview, I chat to Annika Foster, performer and producer, about their new show GRIDLOCK.
Can you tell me a little about your show and what audiences can expect?
GRIDLOCK is a tense and intimate 45-minute two-hander born from real life. It follows a couple at a crossroads, stuck in traffic, both literally and figuratively. Through the span of a car ride, Alexa and Thomas are forced to confront the conversations they’ve been putting off, trapped together in the tension that has built from small compromises and vital differences over seven years together. As they wait for traffic to clear, they are pulled into flashbacks that explore memory, hurt, and the limits of love – ultimately trying to answer the questions: how did we get here and where are we going?
Audiences can expect to leave the theatre with questions. If they came in with a partner, they may find themselves walking out with conversations that might need to be had. Or a lot of gratitude and new perspective for the person standing next to them. If they came in with a broken heart, or a heart that’s been broken, we hope they leave the theatre feeling a little less alone. This play is for anyone who has ever loved someone they can’t quite reach.
What drew you to this specific story, and why does it belong at the Edinburgh Fringe?
In full transparency, this story was based on my lived experience. I had a very personal screenplay that I never intended to see the light of day, but I trusted my brilliant friend and writer Kathryn Mincer with it and she took it from there, adapting and reworking it for the stage. Through adaptation and edits the characters and circumstances changed a bit, giving me some much-appreciated distance, but the heart of the piece remains very close to me. It is deeply personal, and yet the response has felt universal. The amount of people who have said “I’ve been Thomas” or “I’ve been Alexa” is remarkable. What is the saying? Pain shared is pain halved – that’s really why this felt like the right story for us to make our Edinburgh Fringe debut with. A time and place where people from all over the world come to share and experience stories that connect us all.
What has been the biggest challenge in bringing this production to life?
Honestly the biggest challenge has been doing it all ourselves. As a small independent production there’s no safety net and every decision, every logistical hurdle, every budget conversation lands on the team. But we have the most brilliant and small but mighty team: our fearless director and producer Dominique Mabille, writer and producer Kathryn Mincer, producer Dorie Magowan, sound and light technician Oscar Kinross, set and prop designer Maider Uranga, and our wonderful Thomas, Ibrahim Bakhait. The challenges have been real, but honestly the joy of making something you believe in with people you love and admire has made them pale in comparison.
How does the design of your show (set, sound, or lighting) impact the presentation of your story?
The play moves between the close, claustrophobic present in the car and vivid flashbacks that reveal how these two characters have both stayed together so long and at the same time, strayed so far. The set is simple on purpose to create that intimate realness. We want the audience to feel like they are right there in it, trapped in this car and in the memories with Alexa and Thomas. The light design is intended to contrast sharply the stark reality of the car with the colourful and emotion-ridden past. The sound enhances all of this reality and atmosphere. In almost every present moment, you can hear the low hum of the idle car and oppressive traffic. Silence is sparse, making it all the more powerful. It’s a ride we want the audience to go on with us, and all the design elements come together to help make this possible.
If you could sum up the show in one word or phrase, what would it be and why?
“I don’t know who I am without you”
As for why, you’ll have to come and see for yourself!
GRIDLOCK runs at Coorie at Gilded Balloon Patter House (Venue 24) from August 5th – 17th. Tickets can be purchased here: https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/gridlock
