EDINBURGH 2017: BWW Q&A- Blind Elephant

Tell us a bit about the two plays that you're taking to Edinburgh this year.

GAMES and AFTER LIVERPOOL are two short plays written by James Saunders. Both plays touch on themes of communication and responsibility.

GAMES is about a bunch of actors trying to put on a play about the Vietnam War. It's smart, silly, thoughtful and funny. (It's like the Inception of plays!)

AFTER LIVERPOOL is a series of humorous, but often painful scenes showing the breakdown of communication in a relationship. We relive moments that every couple knows only all too well.

Why should we know playwright James Saunders?

Good question!

James Saunders is responsible for launching the careers of Ian McKellen, Michael Caine and Tom Stoppard.

Saunders Award winning play, A Scent Of Flowers, received fifteen curtain calls when it premiered in London!

And yet despite all his commercial and critical success, Saunders has remained out of the spotlight. This is partly due to the almost undefinable genre of his work and also due to the fact that he loved Fringe theatre and avoided the critics, (despite their approval).

He believed one should be able to go to the theatre the same way one goes to the cinema. He took delight in subverting theatrical conventions and breaking the rules.

Having been to the Fringe before, do you think you know what to expect?

The great thing about the Fringe is that no one really knows what to expect. Certainly we're more experienced in handing out flyers and trekking around Edinburgh, but part of the reason we're coming back is because we don't know what to expect! This is very exciting, and also, quite nerve racking.

Who would you recommend comes to see your shows?

Anyone who has ever been in a relationship needs to come and see AFTER LIVERPOOL. It plays out all the scenes from relationships that everyone has been through. By the end you will have laughed, cried, (and you'll probably either propose or break up with your girlfriend or boyfriend.)

GAMES is perfect for anyone who's at all interested in Theatre or Art. (So most people at The Fringe). It particularly challenges the choices and responsibilities of actors and directors, which we hope will encourage some interesting debates in the pubs! (Come talk to us after the show)

What sets them apart from other plays at the Fringe?

Unlike most shows, we're presenting a double bill of two half an hour plays as opposed to just one play. We're also reviving a writer as opposed to bringing new writing.

The genre defying nature of Saunders writing itself sets these plays apart from most other plays. He's very out the box. Saunders loved to break the traditional rules of theatre. He loved to play games with audience and blur the lines between reality and play acting.

(To add to this, before every performance we have a live coin to decide roles.)

Timings and ticket information for Games and After Liverpool are available on the edfringe website.

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