EDINBURGH 2023: THIRST Q&A

BWW catches up with Callum Hughes about bringing Thirst to the 2023 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Tell us a bit about Thirst

Thirst is an autobiographical one-man show that talks about my life as an actor, musician, and an addict – and how those identities intersect. It's a way of me sharing aspects of my life through the perspective of someone in recovery from addiction, and a celebration of the pub-culture that helped lead me into a life of storytelling and performance.

Is it difficult performing such a personal show?

Really good question! A programmer recently said to me: 'one thing I love about your show, is that you don't use the audience for therapy – you've already done the therapy – and as a result it's solid and slick, whilst still rooted in truth'. I feel that as theatre-makers, we have a duty to create work that, however challenging, is safe for our audiences as well as ourselves. How else can you stay healthy enough to sustain a month's run otherwise? In creating Thirst, I worked with the amazing Roann Hassani McCloskey and David Shopland who are experienced in making theatre that involves lived trauma – and so the rehearsals employed a lot of recovery methodology, creating space for my body and brain to react and make friends with vulnerability.

How are you planning to look after yourself during the festival?

A month in Edinburgh requires some stamina and it's important to look after yourself. For me – that involves a gym membership, a network of people I can come to when things get tough and reminding myself to eat the odd vegetable once in a while!

Veteran Edinburgh comedian and playwright Marcus Brigstocke gave me some great advice recently. He said 'Remember, it's a marathon, not a sprint. See lots of other works and let them energise and enthuse you. Make your accommodation looks nice. Fruit bowl. Flowers? Buy good food, live well'.

Who would you like to come to see it?

Anyone who's ever felt alone in their suffering. Anyone who's ever struggled with their mental health. Anyone struggling with addiction. Anyone struggling with recovery. Anyone who loves to laugh and connect through stories. Anyone who loves live music. Anyone who's ever felt weighed down by their own brain and wants to release that pressure valve – this show is for you. It's for all of us.

What would you want audience members to take away from it?

I really enjoy the range of people that take away different things from Thirst. Some folks see it as a story about losing/finding oneself, others really relate to the way in which I address mental health and addiction, and some just love the humour in the stories I share... But ultimately, it's a story about how we cope with being alive. Sometimes the things we think we love most aren't always good for us – and that's a hard lesson to learn. Stories help us talk to each other about how we feel – and that's something we could all do a lot more of in my opinion. If one person comes away knowing that they aren't alone in their struggle and that there's hope for everyone (no matter how hopeless things may feel), then it's worth it for me.

Tickets are available here: Thirst | Theatre | Edinburgh Festival Fringe (edfringe.com)

Photo credit: David Shopland

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