The Camden Fringe is almost upon us, providing one of the best times in the capital to get into Fringe theatre, and the stories it can tell. To get prepared for the festival, 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 Harry Petty about their new show Wrap Party.
Can you tell me a little about your show and what audiences can expect?
Wrap Party is a fast-paced comedy-drama set inside a catering van on the final day of a huge film shoot. It follows best friends Harry and Ollie as they try to feed the cast and crew, keep the business afloat and survive a day involving impossible coffee orders, questionable mushrooms, an increasingly unstable film star and a wrap party that may never actually begin. Across 50 minutes, our two actors become an entire film set of characters, so audiences can expect lots of multi-rolling, physical comedy and chaos. Underneath all that, however, is a story about two friends with very big dreams.
What drew you to this specific story, and why does it belong at the Edinburgh Fringe?
The play grew out of real-life experiences. Our actors, Harry Warren and Ollie Hart, really are best friends and really do this as their job. Our writer, Harry Petty, heard them talking about their experiences at a barbecue, turned to them and said, ‘That’s a Fringe show.’ Now, nearly two years after that fateful moment, here we are, ready to perform at Camden Fringe. It has been such a journey, and coming to Camden feels like coming home. We began with a rehearsed reading at the Etcetera Theatre, and we now can’t wait to perform at the Lion & Unicorn. Camden Fringe feels like a natural home for the show because it champions ambitious new work. We want to take this play as far as we can, and Camden gives us a brilliant platform from which to do that. It is also exciting to bring the play back to London after our sold-out run at the Brockley Jack and show audiences how much it has developed.
What has been the biggest challenge in bringing this production to life?
The biggest challenge has been finding the balance between the comedy and the story of friendship that underpins the play. We want the audience to fall in love with the characters. We want them to care about them, not just laugh at them. Harry and Ollie had so many stories, and there was so much brilliant material to choose from. The challenge has been condensing all of that and creating a story that knits together. That is why the development process has been so important. Getting the show in front of audiences and listening to their feedback has been vital. We feel incredibly honoured that people share their thoughts with us and keep coming back to see the show again and again.
How does the design of your show (set, sound, or lighting) impact the presentation of your story?
The set has had to be stripped right back. When we performed at the Brockley Jack, we had the luxury of a full kitchen set, designed by the amazing Alfie Frost and Tash Tudor. For the Fringe, that was obviously not possible. The whole show is now built around a single countertop, and I think it is tighter as a result. You really get a sense of the cacophony inside the kitchen and the chaos surrounding it. To create the wider world, we have worked closely with our sound designer, Lauren Ayton, who has done an amazing job of immersing the audience in the film set, alongside our brilliant composer, Josh Tidd. We are also incredibly lucky to be working with the uber-talented Conor Costelloe, who is designing our lighting. His work has been so useful in creating the show’s different states. We move from the kitchen to the party and into flashbacks, and Conor’s design makes those transitions feel seamless.
If you could sum up the show in one word or phrase, what would it be and why?
I would have to say ‘controlled chaos’. The play is a rollercoaster: it is farcical, fast and constantly moving. There are costume changes, accents, dance sequences and countless characters. The boys meet that challenge effortlessly, and it is a joy to watch them when they are in full flow.
Wrap Party runs at Lion & Unicorn Theatre on 23 – 24 August. Tickets are available here: https://camdenfringe.com/events/wrap-party/
