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 Cassel Miles about their new show JOSIAH.
Can you tell me a little about your show and what audiences can expect?
The show is about the life of Josiah Henson as told through his own words from his 1849 autobiography, The Life of Josiah Henson, Formerly a Slave, Now an Inhabitant of Canada. It is a journey of the imagination where the actor engages the audience through visceral dramatization creating atmospheres, scenes, and characters through storytelling, movement, music and tap dancing, using his voice, his body, a large handkerchief, and a cap. It is back to basics theatre; raw, intimate, and vulnerable.
Audiences can expect to be educated, moved, entertained, and inspired. There are those who will have never heard of Josiah Henson, who become educated. There are those who had no idea of the brutality of the slave system, who are moved. There are those who willingly suspend disbelief and surrender to the story, claiming afterwards that they could have sworn there was more than one person on stage, who are entertained. And there are those who will resonate with the fortitude, discipline, and faith that Josiah embodied, who are inspired. We know this because audiences who have seen the show have told us and we appreciate their feedback.
What drew you to this specific story, and why does it belong at the Edinburgh Fringe?
I first heard about Josiah Henson in 2004 in a television documentary. At the time I was experiencing a deep depression and watching this documentary spoke to me. I was inspired by his story. I also questioned why I had never heard about this man at any point in my education and yet there was a whole museum dedicated to him not far from where I lived. Who else, I wondered, did not know about him? I made it my mission to tell his story. That mission elevates his name, it elevates me with a purpose, and it elevates the souls of those who see it.
The Fringe is a bastion of positivity, creativity, and humanity in a world that is seeking to divide, destroy, and oppress. The power of human creativity; all that positive, loving soul energy gathered together will disseminate throughout the world. Josiah’s story supports the themes of freedom, justice, goodness, and striving for the highest of human achievement. The show is impactful, powerful, and memorable. It will work within the human collective, spreading out from Edinburgh, to affect the lives of countless unknowns. Josiah spoke in Edinburgh in March of 1877. He was then famous as ‘Uncle Tom’ of the Harriet Beecher-Stowe novel, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, of which it had been reported that he was the inspiration for the creation of the character. At the Fringe, he gets to “return” to Edinburgh to tell his story; his truth.
What has been the biggest challenge in bringing this production to life?
Many theatres in Canada feel that it would not fit into their seasons; that their patrons would not be familiar with the content. The consensus is that is only fitting for a Black History Month booking. There are claims that the story has been told; there is no need for “another” story about slavery. School boards that once allowed performances now refuse due to changes in race language policy specifically regarding the use of the N-word. There have been two critically successful self-productions with an offer from one venue to return next year 2027.
I have had this idea to tell this man’s story since 2004. I have been working on this play, iteration by iteration, since 2019. Many here in Kingston, Ontario express surprise that I am “still working on that?” It is a good play with a message for good. I won’t give up on it until it’s been given every chance.
How does the design of your show (set, sound, or lighting) impact the presentation of your story?
The stage is bare; no set. A 12’ X 12’ square of light illuminates the playing area. The square of light is the container in which the collective energies of the audience and the actor are contained. The sound of whiplashes penetrates the space. A lone actor is revealed upstage – alone. The actor speaks to the audience and invites them to join him in this journey. The whiplashes punctuate the scenes; now another character, now another location, now another defeat, now another disappointment. We go from Maryland to Kentucky to Louisiana to Fort Erie. The lighting sets the atmospheres. The soundscapes add details. The actor’s voice provides the characters, the emotions, and the story.
It is storytelling kept interesting to the end through a capital style of narration, set off by telling dramatic action. It is intimate. It is authentic. It is human.
If you could sum up the show in one word or phrase, what would it be and why?
It is raw theatre, no set, no costumes, no props, no hydraulics.; storytelling as old as time. The sensations emanating from the actor merge with the audience. They stimulate the audience imagination generating sensations to energize the entire space. Being immersed in a story, sitting perfectly still, attention focused, hanging on every word, feeling every hardship and setback, cheering every comeback until the ultimate triumph, finally to explode in applause and appreciation, is the effect this play has on audiences. The story and the performance stay with them. Those who saw the play years ago would approach me in other productions expressing praise for JOSIAH from years before. High school students who saw the show before the politically correct policy changes have expressed their praise and inquired about return performances. Sensational? Yes. I would define it as “unexpectedly excellent.”
JOSIAH runs at Theatre 1 at theSpace @ Surgeons’ Hall (Venue 53) and Studio at theSpaceTriplex (Venue 38) from August 7th – 30th. Tickets can be purchased here: https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/josiah and https://www.thespaceuk.com/shows/2026/josiah
