Lizzie Vieh Brings MONSOON SEASON To The Edinburgh Fringe

It's monsoon season in Phoenix.

Danny hasn't had a decent night's sleep in weeks. Between his recent divorce, his mind-numbing job in technical support, the micro-blackouts he's suffering from and a flashing neon sign from a strip club that is keeping him awake all night, his grasp of reality is definitely slipping.

Julia has been left with a mortgage to pay and a child to rear. Her Adderall addiction has only gotten worse since her dealer moved in. To make matters worse she keeps seeing a giant bird in her backyard.

Is anyone looking after their child?

As the recently separated pair spiral into chaos they find themselves driven back together, under very unfortunate circumstances. Only one tragic option remains for them to have a chance at survival as they hurtle headlong, with the audience in step, towards a precipice they cannot help but jump from.

Upcoming New York playwright Lizzie Vieh twists her dark tale of paranoia and addiction with a cut-throat savagery and black-as-the-night humour that will keep audiences perched on the edge of their seats, eyes glued to the stage. This is a raw descent into the darkest depths of humanity, sculpted through biting humour and blinding insight. Even as you despair, you cannot help but laugh at the horror of it all.

Originally conceived as a 40-minute one-man show, a second act flips the narrative to Julia's side of the absurd mess they find themselves in, whilst retaining the ferocity and unflinching honesty characteristic of the very best solo theatre. Searing performances from Broadway's Richard Thieriot (Clybourne Park) and Therese Plaehn (The Humans) bring the script to life.

A short version of the script won the 41st annual Samuel French Off-Off Broadway Short Play Festival before being developed into the full piece for All For One's Solo Collective development series. As one act, it was a finalist in the 2016 Samuel French OOB Festival. It was later presented in October 2018 at Alchemical Studios.

All For One (AFO) is rooted in the belief that extraordinary solo theatre is unique in its ability to deliver life-changing stories, speaking with passion and intimacy that compels us to lean in, learn, relate and revel, while offering a range of topics and experiences as diverse as humankind itself.

Lizzie Vieh's full-length plays include The Loneliest Number, Backwater Rising, Barrier Islands, and Wisconsin Death Trip. Backwater Rising received Honorable Mention for the 2018 Relentless Award. The Loneliest Number was part of Amios' 2016 First Draughts series and received a full production in 2018 directed by Maria Dizzia.

Richard Thieriot is an actor, musician and writer living in New York. He was most recently onstage at the Goodman in Chicago and the Kirk Douglas Theater in LA in the world premiere of Rebecca Gilman's Luna Gale. This spring, he will be playing Pastor Paul in Alley Theater's production of Lucas Hnath's The Christians. He is a frequent contributor to SHOTZ with AMIOS theatre company. Therese Plaehn's credits include The Humans (National Tour), The Heidi Chronicles (u/s Elizabeth Moss, Heidi), Our Town (dir. David Cromer, Huntington Theater), Anna Christie (The Wild Project), Paradise Lost (dir. Daniel Fish, American Repertory Theater) and Family Play 1979-Present (New Ohio Theater).

Previous AFO productions include The Brobot Johnson Experience which received a New York Times Critic's Pick from Ben Brantley, and also My Name is Gideon: I'm Probably Going to Die, Eventually which won the ThreeWeeks Editors' Award at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2016.

Monsoon Season runs from 1st - 25th August (not 12th or 19th) at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. For tickets and more information: https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/monsoon-season

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