EDINBURGH 2017: BWW Q&A- Mia: Daughters of Fortune

Tell us a bit about the show.

Mia: Daughters of Fortune is a fast moving, edgy performance featuring 4 learning-disabled artists from Mind the Gap. Mia is about love, sex, parenthood and learning disability. In partnership with Royal Holloway and with the support the Wellcome Trust, the team at Mind the Gap collected real stories from parents with a learning disability. Everything in Mia is grounded in real life stories. The subject matter is impossibly complex; the performance is composed to reflect this complexity. The performance is structured with a series of non-linear episodes strung together with a progressive narrative arc. The episodes vary in form and pace, from high energy pop dance to intimate acting, low-tech object manipulation to live feed camera and loop pedal.

What inspired you to create the show?

As a woman working in the arts at childbearing age, I was struggling about the decision to become a mum. Then one day Alison, now one of the cast members in Mia, told me that her pregnant sister, who is on the autistic spectrum, was going through an "assessment". After digging deeper, I realised that apart from the usual considerations of parenthood, expectant learning-disabled parents are often assessed by social services to see if they are capable of looking after a child. Through research, I found a whole host of hidden stories that were waiting to be told. That's why I made Mia, to tell those stories.

What sets your show apart from other theatre shows at the Fringe?

Mind the Gap is the only learning-disabled theatre company performing at Edinburgh Festival Fringe this year. As one of the worlds leading theatre companies of its kind, you'll get to see the very best of contemporary theatre that sets itself apart from the conventional.

The subject matter that Mia tackles and the way these stories are told is unprecedented. You have probably never heard these stories before, yet they are eerily familiar. In partnership with Royal Holloway and the support the Wellcome Trust, the team at Mind the Gap collected real stories from parents with a learning disability. Everything in Mia is grounded in real life stories. Mia is good entertainment with a critical edge. When you leave the theatre, hopefully you will feel entertained yet a bit more human and energized for action.

Are there any other performances you are hoping to catch in Edinburgh?

Damned United by Red Ladder,

You Forgot the Mince by Imagine If Theatre

Cosmic Scallies by Graeae

Assisted Suicide: the Musical by Liz Carr

Who would you recommend your show to?

The performance is highly demanding for performers, and caters for audiences with a critical mind who demand artistic quality and crave a challenge to conventions.

Timings and ticket information for Mia: Daughters of Fortune are available on the edfringe website.

Photo Credit: Maria Spadafora

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