EDINBURGH 2023: HOW TO BURY A DEAD MULE Q&A

BWW caught up with Richard Clements to chat about bringing How To Bury A Dead Mule to the 2023 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Tell us a bit about How To Bury A Dead Mule.

The play looks at the life of Norman Clements, Royal Irish Fusilier, his time on the frontline during WW2 where he had a number of lucky escapes and his subsequent struggles on returning home to Belfast.

What is your connection to the story?

Norman was my Grandfather so the whole experience of putting the show together has been deeply personal.

Why do you feel it is important to tell it?

There are very few veterans left to keep those stories alive. First and foremost, this is a part of our living history. But the issues raised within the play continue to be relevant today, not least in the ongoing war in Ukraine. What started as a personal project has, with the upcoming run at The Pleasance, become an opportunity to share a story with universal resonance.

What are the challenges with staging something so personal?

There is always a question over how family members may respond to my portrayal of Norman but it was a project I shared at every step with my mum. She had typed up transcripts of conversations with her father just before he died back in 2011 so I was able to lean on those for important detail. He was an interesting man to be around, to say the least, there was never a dull moment, so many surreal, absurd occurrences that the grandchildren took for granted. It was only sitting down to write the play that I began to look at how the dots connected. Ultimately you have to stick to your guns as a writer in spite of the personal nature of the material. I’m very proud that the play is set for an international audience at this year’s Fringe.

What would you like audiences to take away from it?

It is a beautifully staged show. Matthew McElhinney, the director has created an incredibly imaginative world that allows the full complexities of Norman’s mind to shine. It is a heartbreaking and heart warming play that will strike a chord with audience members who have similar stories to tell and for those that don’t, they can enjoy spending 55 mins in Norman’s breathlessly original company!

Tickets are available here: 

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