BWW speaks to director Bethany Dawson ahead of their Fringe production of Jacqueline Wilson's The Suitcase Kid.
Is this your first visit to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe?
We've brought three productions to the Festival before, earning sell-out rosettes for 'Antigone' and 'The Shakespeare Revue'. Some of the company have been involved in all three visits, others are new this year, but our directing and design team have worked together for each of the productions we've taken, as well as for all our London shows, so we are quite a well-oiled machine nowadays!
Do you think you know what to expect?
You can never prepare for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. That's why we like to take up a different type of production each time we go, because it adds to the sense of experimentation and newness. In London we run a programme of six productions each year, ranging from musical theatre to verbatim pieces to classics such as 'Peter Pan'. We then choose one show to take to Edinburgh. We've had drastically different but equally positive experiences each time. The atmosphere can't be beaten and the opportunity to be immersed in performance and surrounded by like-minded people is really unique. You can't plan for the weather, the publicity, the audiences or the many and varied performances you will see, so in a way the unexpectedness of it all is what keeps it so exciting! What you can plan for is excessive tiredness, lots of walking, meeting new people, learning lots, eating badly and having a ridiculous amount of fun - that's what makes it so special and the 'spirit of the fringe' means that all of these are genuinely guaranteed.
Of all the Jacqueline Wilson books, what made you choose to adapt The Suitcase Kid?
I've been a fan of her writing since I was a child, but it's only since my own daughter has been old enough to appreciate her books that I've rediscovered them myself! We are a blended family and my daughter is happily co-parented. This book just resonates with me and when we read it as our bedtime book, it struck me that with one in ten families now being blended in the UK, the message is very powerful. Essentially the central character, Andy, discovers that living with step-parents can be hard to adjust to, but that it can and does work with time. I'm a firm believer in co-parenting and so the story felt important to me. I actually cried several times reading it again and when a children's novel has have that impact on a 36-year-old woman, I just felt it would make excellent theatre. I happened to mention it to our designer who told me that she remembered crying when reading it as a twelve year old. So we knew that the story could pack an emotional punch as well as convey an important message. Luckily in 'The Suitcase Kid', this is coupled with Radish's dream sequences, which gave us a lot of scope to explore puppetry, song and design effects to make it even more engaging for a family audience. It is the light and shade of the book that makes it so special.
What sets your show aside from the thousands of others in Edinburgh?
We are a large company! There are 25 of us. For Edinburgh that's pretty big. It means we can create a real ensemble feel to the production and a distinct, bright and choreographed visual. We are also a young company (as the director, I'm the oldest by a long way) so this gives us enormous energy and a wide range of skills, so that the show features detailed puppetry, harmonised vocals and great acting. I think we are also very lucky to be sponsored financially too. This means our focus is on the quality of the production rather than profit margins!
Are there any other shows you are keen to catch during the festival?
In terms of family theatre, I love the idea of 'Babar', which looks fab! We also like to seek out the more experiential productions so I'm intrigued by 'Back of the Bus', which apparently takes place on a moving bus and 'The Tap Pack'. A number of our ex-company members are at the festival so we will go to see 'Cinemusical' by Laurence Owen (fantastically funny satirical songs) and 'Death and the Processor' at The Gothic Rooms. We've really enjoyed Theatre Ad Infinitum's last few productions so have also booked for 'Bucket List'.
Dates and times for The Suitcase Kid can be found on the edfringe website.
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