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 Ren McAslan about their new show Woman Seeking Cuddles
Can you tell me a little about your show and what audiences can expect?
Woman Seeking Cuddles is a darkly comic, confessional one-woman show that features the retelling of a series of events, which started in the protagonist’s (Harper) home town, the night before leaving for grad school in New York City.
The drama tracks one particular event’s fallout – as shame, grief and reckless desire collide in Harper’s messy, defiant search for love. In a landscape of dating apps, modern polyamory and kink acronyms, boundaries blur and destiny feels algorithm-driven.
Raw, funny and unflinchingly honest, Emmy-nominated writer Renwick McAslan asks, in a culture obsessed with connection, why is it still so hard to feel held? Audiences can expect something impactful from the start, a little sex, a little love and a whole lot of heart.
What drew you to this specific story, and why does it belong at the Edinburgh Fringe?
This is a great question! I was on a date with a young woman in November who showed me a photo of her sperm-donor father. She then proceeded to tell me how attractive she thought he was. From that moment on, I started hearing voices in my head – and as any writer knows, responding to those voices is the key to creating something.
The immediacy of the one-woman format was what I gravitated towards from the start of the writing process. The story allowed me to explore themes I think are relevant to an ever-changing landscape; dating, monogamy, polyamory and the quest for love – all good and loaded subjects! Now’s the time to tell a story like this and there’s only one place on earth it belongs – the Edinburgh Fringe.
What has been the biggest challenge in bringing this production to life?
Being efficient with the storytelling is always a challenge. I wanted to write something I believed would resonate with audiences and land ‘bigger’ themes and topics, without hitting the audience over the head with them. Telling the right story in the right way is a pressure – and I accept that – but I stay up at night asking myself if the piece is as impactful as I want it to be. I believe it is and hope audiences do, too.
How does the design of your show (set, sound, or lighting) impact the presentation of your story?
The set is simple – it takes place in a bar – but use of simple sound (music) and lighting design injects energy in places that I believe are additive and modern.
If you could sum up the show in one word or phrase, what would it be and why?
The one word or phrase: Unflinchingly honest.
Why: I believe the show goes places fearlessly, conveyed by a fearless actor. To me, it creates believability in a way which I hope will connect with the audience.
Woman Seeking Cuddles runs at Stephenson Theatre at theSpace @ Surgeons’ Hall (Venue 53) from August 7th – 22nd. Tickets can be purchased here: https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/woman-seeking-cuddles
