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 Fletcher Bonin about their new show Did You Charge Your Phone for the End of the World?
Can you tell me a little about your show and what audiences can expect?
Did You Charge Your Phone for the End of the World? is a satirical, absurdist comedy set in the year 2034. An asteroid is heading for Brooklyn, and our characters — the employees of a boutique advertising agency — have been tasked with coming up with a positive rebrand for this calamitous space rock in the form of an upbeat jingle. Only once the dystopian client figure approves of this jingle will they alert the public of the impending catastrophe. Audiences can expect sketch-inspired comedy, surreal twists, original songs, and rapid-fire jokes.
What drew you to this specific story, and why does it belong at the Edinburgh Fringe?
I am always interested in any artform that pulls back the curtain on the creative process. Rather than writing yet another slice-of-life portrayal of a writer or actor in some major metropole, I wanted to shift the lens to an advertising agency, in which creative people are often compelled to be artistic under duress — or at the very least with the emotional baggage of directing one’s creative output towards the satisfaction of a client rather than a soul. It’s very much written and developed for a Fringe audience in that it takes place over the course of a tight hour, it doesn’t fit neatly into any one genre, and there is a thrill of zany comedic energy that courses through the production from start to finish.
What has been the biggest challenge in bringing this production to life?
My background is not at all musical, but I knew that there would be comedic opportunity in arranging the plot so that the thing these characters are banging their heads against the wall to figure out is a jingle. Producing these original songs, working with a composer, sorting out the necessary tech. and consulting with choreographers has been both the most challenging and most rewarding aspect of getting this production ready for the stage.
How does the design of your show (set, sound, or lighting) impact the presentation of your story?
The set is very spare, meant to articulate the grim emptiness of the dystopian future in which the play’s action takes place. The characters rove about an empty warehouse, searching in the ether for any idea that might satisfy the client. The emptiness of the stage reflects the emptiness of their pursuit. This brings the script into sharp focus, our characters giving life to the stakes through words. Sound and lighting are instrumental here as well. Given the spareness of the set, a shift in light or a sudden sound cue takes on strange resonance, suggesting a tonal change and a surreal detour away from the established familiar terrain of the play.
If you could sum up the show in one word or phrase, what would it be and why?
There is a throughline in the play that a perceptive audience member might catch — birds who find themselves indoors are referenced a few times, and this is meant to reflect the state of our characters: they are birds in a cage. Just as song birds might be domesticated for the joy of seeing their plummage and hearing their songs, these creative individuals have been compelled by capitalism into a creative cage of their own, singing for their worth rather than their soul.
Did You Charge Your Phone for the End of the World? runs at Pickle Studio at Greenside @ Riddles Court (Venue 16) from August 17th – 29th. Tickets can be purchased here: https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/did-you-charge-your-phone-for-the-end-of-the-world
