EDINBURGH 2017: BWW Q&A - Matt Price

Tell us a bit about The Weed Fairy

July 13th 2017 I went to visit my Dad in Cornwall and arrived at the house to find that his front door had been kicked in. Without giving too much away, my Dad had been arrested earlier that day for growing marijuana in his greenhouse. He is now known to the police as "The Weed Fairy." He had twelve organic plants, all of which were individually named after people he knows. This is the first time he has been arrested and he could have lost everything. Our family have rented our house for five generations on a protected tenancy and the contract is very strict regarding criminal activity. This the story of what happened and what I learned from the whole experience. It's definitely not a show about drugs, but it's funny and heart warming and it involves, a life coach and a skateboard. So expect an interesting and funny journey.

What were the plants called?

The policeman told my Dad "When I cut down Trevor, you had a tear in your eye Mr. Price." The other plants were all people who were meant something to my Dad - Simon, Geoff, Elsie, Enid, and Marion. They had there own struggles in life and ways of coping too...

Why bring it to Edinburgh?

I bring a new show to Edinburgh every year. I will continue to do so if I think that I have a story and a show that I really care about. Edinburgh is an amazing place to perform and I love being there. Plus it's great to have the luxury of an hour with an audience, to do something interesting, funny and personal.

What sets it apart from other shows at the Fringe?

It's very personal to me and my family, so I really don't think there is another story like it. I've certainly never had an experience quite like this before. So I'm hoping that it will engage the audience and make them laugh. It's an underdog story but it's not as straightforward as a pensioner getting arrested might seem. As I say, I've learned a lot from this and in the process of putting the show together I've thought about a lot of issues, some of which I thought I would never speak about on stage.

Who would you recommend comes to see you?

Anyone who likes a true story and a good laugh will enjoy this show. Or that's the aim at least. It's definitely not a show about drugs. It's about my relationship with my Dad, pride and learning to let go.

Timings and ticket information for The Weed Fairy are available on the edfringe website.

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