EDINBURGH 2016: BWW Q&A - Milk

We speak to Ross Dunsmore, writer of Milk, which is part of TravFest at the Traverse Theatre during the Edinburgh Festival.

What can you tell us about Milk?

Milk is essentially the story of three couples struggling to meet their basic needs for food, love and survival. One couple in their teens, one in their thirties, one in their nineties. They're all part of the same urban community, a community that in some ways is very interconnected, yet in other ways very dislocated. The play looks at sustenance, nourishment, what we crave, what we need, what we think we need. It's about our desire to be fed, but perhaps more powerfully, our desire to feed others, be it physically or emotionally.

What was the inspiration for the play?

The starting point was actually a conversation I overheard on a bus. A bunch of girls, about 13 or 14 years old, were talking about a party they'd been to. One girl said, "Did you hear that Scott ripped off Tracey's top?" Another girl replied, "Yeah, he really likes her". This little exchange got me thinking, about how affection can be articulated in all the wrong ways, about how our cravings or desires can become damaging or confused. Then other characters seemed to gather around a similar theme - a young couple who can't feed their baby, an elderly couple who are no longer able to eat.

Is it daunting to bring your first full-length play to the Traverse?

Of course, but everyone at the Traverse has been amazingly supportive. I really do feel like part of a team, every member of which just wants to put on the best possible piece of theatre. It's a wonderful place to work, and to have my first play on here is a real honour.

Who would you recommend comes to see Milk?

Anyone, everyone. The central idea of the play is something that resonates within us all. We all have a great need to be nourished, to be held, to be loved, and perhaps an even greater need to nourish others. It's an idea that is universal, but also specific and unique. As a result I think everyone will get something different from the play, that's something that's certainly started to happen in the rehearsal room.

What's next for Milk after the festival?

At this moment, I don't know. I would love it to have a life after the festival, and I do think it's a play that could connect with audiences just about anywhere. Milk is milk, pretty much everywhere you go.

Timings and ticket information for Milk are available on the edfringe website.

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