Q&A: EDINBURGH 2024: Martia Dimmer on ANY DAY NOW

BWW caught up with Martia Dimmer about bringing Any Day Now to the 2024 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

How did you first get involved in the world of comedy?

I suppose I never actively thought about getting into the world of comedy! I've always valued having a sense of humour just as a human being, and therefore I was naturally drawn to it when performing and watching art. Then I went to drama school and found I was often cast in the classic “funny” roles. But there is so much depth to comedy and so much skill involved. I love how much of it is down to timing and rhythm because I think telling a joke has a lot to do with musicality. Of course, when playing a character you have to try and forget that you want the joke to be funny, which is often hard to do. You have to “find the truth” as cliched as it sounds. 

Can you tell us a bit about your show, Any Day Now?

Sure! Any Day Now is a one-woman show about Thanataphobia, also known as death anxiety. The main character, Evie, is in her early twenties and is having an existential crisis after reflecting on the loss of her childhood friend. Coincidentally (or not) her cousin has a Death Cafe where people who are dying, or have lost someone, or are just interested in death come to talk about dying, life and all things in between. This is where her journey begins to confront her biggest fear in life. 

What inspired you to create Any Day Now?

Definitely my own run-in with Thanataphobia. There was a time when I found it quite hard to think about anything else, so I thought I might as well put it to good use and write a play! Then I started researching Death Cafes and found a really interesting documentary about them. As I'd never heard about it before, I found great relief in knowing there were other people out there who wanted to talk about death. I know so many people would rather not which is perfectly understandable, but it was comforting to know there was a community around something inherently lonely. I wanted to give people that same comfort by talking about it and also use dark comedy to make it less of a jaded subject matter. As much as we don't want to think about it, death touches us all and I think there is peace in that. 

What is it like to be writing and performing a solo show about death?

Well, I think one of the reasons I wanted to give the show comedic elements was that I knew I was going to be spending a lot of time talking about death, so I needed to make it light and jovial. This wasn't only for audiences but also for myself. And as it's a solo show, I wasn't going to have anyone else to lift the mood on stage! it's been very eye-opening and I've loved getting the challenge of creating different characters and finding a way to encapsulate reactions without having other actors to react off. On the other hand it's been a challenge learning how to be both free with the characters but also making sure they don't blend into each other too easily. But I think, in the end, I forgot the show was about death, which I hope the audience will too and embrace it as a show about the joys (and silliness) of life. 

What was the creative process like for Any Day Now?

As I'm the writer, it started with me in a dark room (as most creative endeavours do) staring at my laptop. I usually just set myself a target to write a certain amount of pages in x amount of time and then afterwards, I'll go back and try to make sense of everything I've written. But then I found that getting into Evie as a character first was the best way through. From there, I just let her guide me and tell me what she wanted her story to be. Then I did scratch nights and began making revisions after getting feedback. Finally, I did a run at Etcetera Theatre and Barons Court Theatre in London. 

What is it like bringing Any Day Now up to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe?

I think it still hasn't quite hit me that it's happening! At the moment, it's quite admin-heavy. There's a lot of organising involved which I think I underestimated. But at the same time, I love how much of yourself you have to put into it and have enjoyed being part of the production process as well. 

What do you hope audiences take away from Any Day Now?

That dying is a part of life and that if we find a way to embrace it, there's lots of joy and playfulness to be found. Equally, they are not alone in any fears and anxieties they might have. Even if it's not death, we're all afraid of something. 

How would you describe Any Day Now in one word?

Zesty.

Any Day Now runs from 2 to 10 August at Greenside @ George Street - Fern Studio at the 2024 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

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