EDINBURGH FESTIVAL FRINGE x HEROES OF FRINGE - AUG 2019
The decision about taking the show to Edinburgh Festival Fringe this year came after my conversation with was audiences, partner venues and the creative team. The feedback I got was that the piece is thematically timely and its form - well suited to the Fringe format.
As I’ve never taken my own work to the Fringe I know it would be great learning opportunity and I was prepared to test it by doing two shows as part of excellent ‘fringe-fest’ comedy promotors - Heroes Of Fringe. By being part of their programme wa very valuable as I was able to engage with new stand-up loving audience. I made connections with the Polish community in Edinburgh too with support from the most popular Polish news portals in Scotland Emito.pl and Radio Szkocja. Wesele was covered & Reviewed by Tydzień Polski (print and online) and Cooltura. The show’s audience was 50% East European / Polish.
Wesele sold out the first night with almost 100 people in Heroes@Boteco while the second show had a smaller and more focused afternoon audience. With an almost 50/50 British / East European audience split (quite common for the show) I was in for a very different run. The dynamic between chin-strokey EdFringe theatre buffs devoid of energy after seeing 100s of shows that one day alone and the East Europeans who were up for a night out was particular. With two opposing energy levels and attitudes towards the Wesele experience (not a theatre play one can watch from a comfort of a far away seat) highlighted the real division: of class, place in society, languages, high/ low art and expectations of what theatre should be and do. Though a difficult gig - I learnt an awful deal from it, including the importance of making work that demands people on either side of the division to interact in one space.
As a result of performing at the Fringe I was able to see many inspiring international shows to help me locate Wesele in a wider context. I also reached out to a large number of industry and media professional and grew my networks e.g.: I was able to get mentoring from David Woods from Ridiculusmus (winners of The Harold Archangel Award 2019) and connect with Red Ladder Theatre Company with whom I’m discussing show a tour of non-theatre venues in Yorkshire.
