Q&A: EDINBURGH 2024: Ellen Toland on PRETTY GOOD, NOT BAD

BWW caught up with Ellen Toland about bringing Pretty Good, Not Bad to the 2024 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

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

The first time I remember being on stage, I was four and I was for some reason dressed like  Priscilla Presley in her big hair era. Elvis was my first crush and I think she was my version of a  Disney Princess. It’s a fever dream of a memory. My mom had put me in a little kid performance class. I remember liking the hue of the golden lights, the feeling of my giant wig, the lipstick my mom had allowed me to wear and saying something to the audience that made them roar with laughter. I was a goner after that. 

What inspired the creation of Pretty Good, Not Bad? 

I did a storyteller night in NYC and I absolutely loved it. Performing my own writing felt like a big scary breath of fresh air. Afterwards, I wanted more. I didn’t know what the more looked like until a friend came up to me and said, “You  should do Edinburgh Fringe!” It’s amazing what one vote of confidence can do for a person. A couple of months later, on a whim, I asked my director, Rachel McBath, if she was interested in helping me develop a piece. She was game and I knew I  had just found the match to my flame. I don’t really believe in manifesting but I do believe in telling everyone you’re going to do something that you don’t know how to do and then being so scared of not sticking to your word that you figure it out.  I encourage anyone with an idea rolling around in the back of your mind to bring it to actuality.  

What was the creative process for Pretty Good, Not Bad like? 

It’s been a whirlwind, to say the least! Rachel and I really went back and forth about every minute detail. She has a background in developing with writers which was so helpful for me. She gave me the confidence to keep working Pretty Good, Not Bad. We have a very trusting, creative friendship. I think that kinship can do wonders for any budding piece of work or artist. You need someone, especially in a solo show, to be bouncing ideas off of and to reign in your crazy ass in. Once we had a script we were happy with, we started workshopping it in LA, then previewed it in NYC and now a run in Edinburgh. It all feels very fast and slow.  

What is it like to be performing in a solo show you’ve written? 

It’s terrifying and incredible, like how I think most of the best things in life are.  Every time I walk on thinking I’m insane then walk off thinking it’s the best thrill in the world.  

How do you prepare yourself for taking on such an emotional show with dark themes? 

I don’t preplan. I let myself find those moments differently each time and see where my subconscious takes me. I think that’s how you keep it fresh and not daunting as a performer. It allows me to explore aspects of my experience in a way that I can control. I find that powerful in an experience I felt very powerless. 

What is it like bringing Pretty Good, Not Bad to the Fringe from Texas? 

My director Rachel and I are both from Texas, but we now have roots in the East and West Coasts. We like to think our Texas flare is still apparent in the play, though. “You can take the girl out of Texas, but you can’t take the Texas out of the girl,” kinda thing.  

What do you hope audiences take away from Pretty Good, Not Bad? 

I don’t want to lecture anyone. I just think it’s worth investigating how we interact with someone after a traumatic experience and what our expectations are.  

How would you describe Pretty Good, Not Bad in one word? 

Fawn.

Pretty Good, Not Bad runs from 12 to 24 August (no performance on 18 August) at theSpace @ Surgeons’ Hall at the 2024 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

 

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