EDINBURGH 2016: BWW Q&A - Stop The Train

BWW speaks to Rick Guard about his brand new musical Stop The Train ahead of its run at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2016.

What can you tell us about Stop The Train?

It's a brand new musical by platinum-selling writers Guard & Rice. It's a feelgood and uplifting dark comedy, wrapped in a twisting love story, that sees a carriage of train commuters from all walks of life held hostage by a once-successful man, now with nothing left to lose. He parts his fellow passengers from their beloved mobile phones and makes his one demand...a conversation. This enforced human connection leads to surprising, shocking and hysterical revelations from all, as they embark on a journey together that they will never forget!

The show has come a long way in an extremely short space of time and we are so grateful to already have a TV documentary being made about our journey, as well as support from industry experience such as Emmy-nominated lighting designer Nick Richings (Joseph and His Technicolour Dreamcoat, Jesus Christ Superstar, Starlight Express etc.).

And the music is original?

Yes the music is entirely original. That was the main motivator for us to do the show. I think it's essential to create new work. There are some incredible shows that have stood the test of time and of course we should celebrate them and reproduce them. However, I think it's essential to draw on the classics and move forward with new material in a an attempt to reach new audiences and to entice new generations of theatregoers.

What inspired Stop The Train?

I witnessed an event on a train a few years back (can't tell you all or I'd spoil the plot) that rocked and shocked me. What stayed with me was that despite an extreme situation, the incredible lack of human interaction that took place between people who shared time together every day on their daily commute. Despite being in a group environment people will do just about anything to ignore each other. I wanted to explore this 'individualism' and how we escape into ourselves and our mobile devices rather than choose to engage in the real world going on around us. We all have a wealth of secrets, quirks and fascinating facets that we could share with each other if we chose to. How far would we need to be pushed to engage and reveal these facets to 'strangers we spend time with'?

Who would you recommend Stop The Train to?

If you like your fantasy 'fantastic' and your reality 'real' then I think you'll love this musical. We are big fans of the Dennis Potter fantasy/reality juxtaposition, so the shows switches from outrageous fantasy musical sequences to the harsh realities of modern life and the everyday commute. If you like a really good laugh, shedding a tear and being reminded that life is extremely precious, to be valued and celebrated, then this is the ticket for you. I challenge you to not feel uplifted by it!

What's next for the show after the Fringe?

Our sole purpose is to get noticed on a larger scale. We need to attract further industry and funding in order to 'up' our production budgets, as well as hone and extensively tour the show to build a strong fanbase. So Edinburgh Fringe is our showcase, and we'll then be going into London before the end of the year, either on our own steam or in conjunction with another Production Company. The show has been written in a way that allows it to be set in any city in the world, the themes, setting and message are universal, so the world is our market!

Ticket information and timings for Stop The Train are available on the edfringe website.

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