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 Tom Stilwell about their new show Blackjack! (and other ways to get lucky) in Your Parents’ Basement.
Can you tell me a little about your show and what audiences can expect?
BLACKJACK! is a one-hour collision at the intersection of a televised shopping special and an existential crisis. As the special goes on, stakes seem to rise, and everything is not as it appears. Audiences will be surprised to see parts of themselves in an unexpected place: the wild world of online gambling.
What drew you to this specific story, and why does it belong at the Edinburgh Fringe?
Well, to be honest, two years ago today I was sitting in my parents’ basement. I was unemployed, drowning in debt, and about to turn 30. I had just been pushed out of a tech company I co-founded by a partner who apparently wanted something harder than software. Then, the sweet siren song of the unemployed called to me: online gambling. So, I did what any responsible adult would do: I took out a $500 credit card cash advance to play live dealer Blackjack.
Two bottles of wine and one crumbled relationship later, I won $300,000 on a $1 bet. Seemed like the right formula for a Fringe show.
What has been the biggest challenge in bringing this production to life?
The show started out as nearly 100% autobiographical, and I quickly realized that trying to fit thirty years of questionable decision making into sixty minutes was its own gamble. The challenge became figuring out what to leave out. I think the best theatre feels like there’s an entire world just outside the frame, and I hope audiences leave feeling there’s still another hundred stories just outside the basement.
How does the design of your show (set, sound, or lighting) impact the presentation of your story?
The show centers around a blurring of reality. Part television set, part dreary basement (and part casino, part cruise ship, and part Cinnabon). Therefore, the theatrical elements needed to be as flexible as possible, and simpler ended up being better. One day on Broadway we’ll dock an actual cruise ship on stage.
If you could sum up the show in one word or phrase, what would it be and why?
Hope is intoxicating.
At its heart, this show is about hope, and how the very thing that pushes us forward can also push us right off the cliff. Our main character never stops believing. His hope is never in doubt. The only question is where it’s going to lead him.
Blackjack! (and other ways to get lucky) in Your Parents’ Basement runs at Pickle Studio at Greenside @ Riddles Court (Venue 16) from August 7th – 15th. Tickets can be purchased here: https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/blackjack-and-other-ways-to-get-lucky-in-your-parents-basement
