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 Sophie Methuen-Turner about their new show The Quiet Between.
Can you tell me a little about your show and what audiences can expect?
The Quiet Between is a glimpse into the insight of the world of a neurodivergent actor and the trials and tribulations that brings.
It is delivered as a series of sketches, where we follow the lead character on a journey. While the performance starts off as a comedy, it strongly references suicidal ideation and an attempt.
It’s important to note the performance is not aimed at preaching, it shares an insight.
What drew you to this specific story, and why does it belong at the Edinburgh Fringe?
The piece was a collaborative process between the two actors and Michael Molloy. We received support from Cast Iron Theatre company, and when we were devising they suggested we focus on what matters to us.
Both actors are neurodivergent, both have a mental health condition and we wanted to share a window of our world.
What has been the biggest challenge in bringing this production to life?
Getting the balance between comedy and hard hitting. It was also a challenge to prevent the piece from sounding too much like we were “preaching”. We want people to laugh with us, to enjoy it, but to feel the sadness, the darkness and empathise.
We wanted them to experience what we have ( to a degree) and that was very challenging to navigate.
How does the design of your show (set, sound, or lighting) impact the presentation of your story?
We have a very minimal set and lighting. This is so that the primary focus is on the performers and the story- it’s intentional.
If you could sum up the show in one word or phrase, what would it be and why?
Engaging, pacy and sensitive. We have created a fast paced piece, which so far audiences have engaged with. The subject matter is delicate, but we hope we have handled this sensitively. We have a lot of support from Scotland, from charities including SOBOS. We’d love to see you there.
The Quiet Between runs at studio at C ARTS | C venues | C aurora (Venue 6) from August 5th – 9th. Tickets can be purchased here: https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/the-quiet-between
