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 Cate Johannessen (producer / actor), Maggie Dickinson (director), Christie Griffin (actor) and Lydia Hopgood (actor) about their new show Stanislavski Can’t Save Me from the Apocalypse.
Cate Johannessen – Producer / Actor
Can you tell me a little about your show and what audiences can expect?
This show is about five young women at a summer camp coming to terms with the fact that the world is ending, which is not only highly stressful and dramatic, but also means accepting that your dream of becoming an actress is suddenly gone. Audiences can expect chaos, drama queens, big personalities and plenty of laughs, but also characters that I think people will recognise in themselves and their friends.
What drew you to this specific story, and why does it belong at the Edinburgh Fringe?
It’s an unapologetic story about women, and that’s something that felt really exciting to be part of. Maggie’s writing is chaotic, funny and full of heart, but underneath it all it’s about people trying to find purpose when everything feels uncertain. I think that will resonate with a lot of artists at the Fringe, but also audience members in general. It’s about how hard it can be to pursue creative ambitions, but also about how much harder things become when we stop supporting each other.
What has been the biggest challenge in bringing this production to life?
Honestly, time. Everyone involved is incredibly committed and talented, but most of us are balancing full-time jobs alongside rehearsals and production. Making theatre in your spare time can be exhausting, but I think the fact we’re all so committed, shows how much we love what we do.
How does the design of your show impact the presentation of your story?
Our design is intentionally minimal. The play really relies on the dialogue and the relationships between the characters, so we’ve focused on creating space for that to shine. The writing is fast-paced, funny and chaotic, and the simplicity of the design allows the audience to focus on the story and the performances.
If you could sum up the show in one word or phrase, what would it be and why?
EARNEST
Maggie Dickinson – Director
Can you tell me a little about your show and what audiences can expect?
The show follows five young women (four actors and one technician) who spend their summer working at a theatre camp dreaming of what lies after. Unfortunately for them, what comes next is the apocalypse; leaving them to care for the tweens that were left behind. It’s wildy silly and earnest – drama queens doing their best to cope with their new reality. There’s a lot of drama, but juxtaposed with a lot of heart.
Rather than asking ‘how does art survive the apocalypse,’ this is an exploration of how we can continue pursuing dreams that no longer exist. Come for big personalities, romance, friendship, a little bit of violence and plenty of laughs!
What has been the biggest challenge in bringing this production to life?
The biggest challenge for me was writing a script that was non-linear. Having the events unfold backwards was a fun new hurdle and what a relief that the biggest challenge happened before we even hit the rehearsal room!
How does the design of your show impact the presentation of your story?
To complement Cate’s response, our design is very minimal, which furthers the reliance on the relationships between the characters. While the costumes are fun and filled with colour, the rest of the design becomes a reflection of the apocalypse our colourful characters play against.
If you could sum up the show in one word or phrase, what would it be and why?
Heartfelt, chaotic, and camp (literally)!
Christie Griffin – Actor
What drew you to this specific story, and why does it belong at the Edinburgh Fringe?
What immediately drew me to this story was the writing, as it genuinely made me laugh and I knew I wanted to bring this outrageous, vibrant and loud character to life! Secondly, I wanted to be a part of a production that centres on women, and the complexities of their relationships in a way that is heartfelt and humorous!
I think it belongs in Edinburgh because not only the theatre kids will love it, but everyone can enjoy it. It’s laugh out loud funny, original, and I just a fun, fast paced watch.
What has been the biggest challenge in bringing this production to life?
I think for me specifically the biggest challenge has been making sure that my character doesn’t become a caricature. I want to make sure I maintain the heart and humanness of this character even though she’s in an outrageous situation.
If you could sum up the show in one word or phrase, what would it be and why?
Wonderful wacky WOMEN!
Lydia Hopgood – Actor
What drew you to this specific story, and why does it belong at the Edinburgh Fringe?
I loved that it was an all-female cast and female lead. The story itself felt like it trapped the classic hysterical woman trope and owned it. The women in the play are unashamedly themselves whether screaming, crying, laughing or even pooping themselves, they own it and still have room to try and survive an apocalypse.
It belongs at the fringe because it portrays the feeling of survival as incredibly human.
What has been the biggest challenge in bringing this production to life?
The only challenge I’ve had as an actor is to do the script justice and bring Claire to life. It’s a great challenge to have.
If you could sum up the show in one word or phrase, what would it be and why?
Feral, you’ll have to watch the show to understand xx
Stanislavski Can’t Save Me from the Apocalypse runs at Ivy Studio at Greenside @ George Street (Venue 236) from August 7th – 22nd. Tickets can be purchased here: https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/stanislavski-can-t-save-me-from-the-apocalypse
