TREMOR Comes to Edinburgh Fringe
By: Julie Musbach Jul. 13, 2018
A timely exploration of how society reacts to tragedy, Welsh playwright Brad Birch asks pertinent questions about how major events shape our lives, and the choices we make when trying to move on. Tremor is a play about how the present is shaped by the past, and about how we choose to see things and live our lives in a world riven with tension, anxiety and division. Directed by David Mercatali, Tremor received its world premiere at the Sherman Theatre before heading to New York where it played 59E59 Theaters as part of the Brits Off Broadway festival.
Sherman Theatre was last at the Fringe in 2015 with Iphigenia in Splott, which transferred to The National before enjoying a run at 59E59 Theaters in New York. Tremor will be presented as part of Paines Plough's Roundabout at Summerhall.
Once our lives are touched by tragedy, can we ever truly move on? Sophie and Tom's relationship fell apart in the aftermath of a catastrophe. Four years on and as they come face to face once again, the aftershocks of that fateful day can still be felt. The two-hander will star Louise Collins (Julius Caesar RSC) and Paul Rattray (Jamestown, Game of Thrones).
Director David Mercatali won a Fringe First for Dark Vanilla Jungle. Other work includes Blue Heart (Bristol Tobacco Factory Theatres and Orange Tree Theatre); Cargo, Insignificance (Arcola Theatre); Radiant Vermin (Tobacco Factory Theatres, Soho Theatre, 59E59 New York and Avignon Festival); Tonight with Donny Stixx (Edinburgh Fringe and The Bunker) and Little Light (Orange Tree Theatre)
Brad Birch is currently on attachment at the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre, and has taught playwrighting at the Royal Court. Theatre includes: Black Mountain (Paines Plough Roundabout, Edinburgh); The Brink (The Orange Tree); Tender Bolus (Manchester Royal Exchange and Schauspielhaus, Hamburg); Gardening: For the Unfulfilled and Alienated (Underbelly Theatre, Edinburgh Festival and Latitude Festival - Fringe First Award); Where the Shot Rabbits Lay (Royal Court Theatre); Even Stillness Breathes Softly Against A Brick Wall (Soho Theatre Upstairs). He was awarded the Harold Pinter Commission in 2016 and just completed the Channel 4 Writers' Scheme. His Plays One is published by Methuen Drama in April 2018.
He said, "I'm really excited to see Tremor transfer to the Fringe. I'm really proud of this production, I think it's a great team, and I'm over the moon that this show is representing Sherman Theatre at this year's festival."
Sherman Theatre Artistic Director Rachel O'Riordan said of the production, "'Tremor is a bold and exciting new play by Welsh playwright Brad Birch. The Sherman is a theatre with a commitment to making new work, and we are especially proud when we present a new play by a writer from Wales. We are delighted to be bringing Brad's play to Paines Plough's Roundabout season at both Theatr Clywd and the Edinburgh festival. Welsh work on the world stage is a key part of Sherman Theatre's story, for audiences both at home in Cardiff and internationally."
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