Something delightfully musical is erupting this summer at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. From the brilliant minds of musical duo Fladam (Flo Poskitt and Adam Sowter), one of Mervyn Stutter’s previous Pick of the Fringe, comes this deliciously Dahl-esque treat for all.
In a twist on the Midas touch, a boy is born with fingers which possess the ability to turn all he touches into a shocking and garish shade of green. Surely, this makes him some form of monster, right? Or, have these green fingers just not found their intended use yet…?
Join Fladam on this first day of school, with plenty of gloopy, gungy mischief under the hygiene-obsessed eye of headmaster Milton Marigold – who vows to clean up anything (and anyone) who stand in his way. But there’s more than expected to this magical piece of musical storytelling, as we take a visit to the mysterious school garden…
Would you mind giving us a brief insight into what your show is?
We are Fladam (Flo Poskitt and Adam Sowter), a musical comedy duo from York. Our work combines witty wordplay, rollicking piano and ‘squelchy faces as ripe for comedy as Thora Hird or Victoria Wood’ (York Press). We made our Fringe debut last year with our ‘Musical Comedy Hootenanny’ – bagging us four stars from Mervyn Stutter’s Pick of the Fringe!
We’re returning this summer with our BLOOMING marvellous (we do love a pun) family musical ‘Green Fingers’ at the Pleasance Courtyard. It’s a deliciously Dahl-esque treat about a boy born with gunky green hands. But is there more to those fingers than mayhem and mess? Maybe the answers lie within the mysterious school garden… it’s a magical, musical storytelling show for children aged 5+ (but with plenty of jokes for the grown-ups) exploring ideas of accepting yourself and engaging with the natural world. Featuring live music and puppetry!
Tell us about the creative team and process involved?
Flo and I share the writing and composing – Flo dreams up fantastic ideas, while I spend hours obsessing over devilishly detailed rhymes. Flo has also added puppet maker to her list of skills this year – and based on the previews, he completely upstages us! While last year’s show was a mix of songs and sketches we’d written (quite eclectic in tone and style) this time we wanted to start with a strong story and build the show around that. We also felt a family show would best suit our style, based on feedback from last year.
Another lovely aspect of producing this show has been the chance to collaborate with an old friend – Ben Tansey. Ben and I started writing and playing music together about 25 years ago. It was actually his music teacher mum (who I still call ‘Mrs’ Tansey) who first inspired me to play the piano! Ben has been a musical mentor to me ever since. Plus Flo and I can squabble like an old married couple when creating, so Ben’s a good mediator. Mostly though his wonderful ideas have really shaped what the show has turned out to be – which has far exceeded all our expectations. We’ve also got our tech from last year – Stuart Miller, back on board. He’s truly the best tech in town and has become a fantastic friend to Fladam.
How does it feel to be returning to the Fringe?
Although we’ve both worked at the Fringe in the past (at Greenside Venues, which we still love very dearly), 2022 was our first year bringing our own work to the festival. We learned so much, both in terms of writing and producing a show, as well as the wider Fringe world. We’ve done lots of things differently this time around, but I’m sure there will still be lots more to learn!
There are over 3,000 shows at the Fringe. So, what sets your show apart?
‘Green Fingers’ is humorous and heartfelt, with an irresistibly catchy score. It tackles ideas that are both topical, yet timeless, such as learning to love yourself and engaging with nature. Like all the best family theatre, it works on so many different levels, and (if that’s not enough) it’s performed by the most lovable, charming duo (or so we’re told haha). The piano playing’s pretty good too! You’ll be hard-pressed to find a warmer or more intelligent hour of family fun!
Is there anything specific you’re hoping for the audience to take away?
It’s a joyful show – so we hope they smile, laugh, and leave singing, but it also has a message. It’s not uncommon (whatever age) to feel like we don’t fit in, or worry about people’s perceptions of us. It also looks at how it’s the protagonist’s environment, not his ‘green fingers’ that disable him…
‘sometimes the garden just won’t grow,
no matter how you toil,
but sometimes son it ain’t the seed,
sometimes it’s the soil’
The show is also partly inspired by my grandad (George) who was a champion gardener. He really loved the joy of getting grubby, and the beauty of the outdoors. So we also hope our audience will be inspired to get out into the garden!
Your ideal audience is in attendance, who’s watching? Or more importantly – who isn’t there…?
Last year we had huge support from our Fladam faithfuls, travelling up from Yorkshire, but we’d love to see as many new faces to Fladam as possible! So many of our heroes are sadly no longer with us (Victoria Wood, Morecambe and Wise, Dr John, Jerry Lee Lewis – an eclectic mix) but it’d be nice to see Elton John, Jools Holland, Julie Walters or Tim Minchin out there, haha.
It’s an intense month, so where you’re able, how do you plan to relax, and are there any other shows you’re intending on seeing or want to recommend?
My favourite place to escape to during the festival is Queensferry, mostly for the Forth Rail Bridge. I didn’t realise quite how much I liked bridges until I cycled there one summer. Now I have a miniature model of it by my bed. So it’s definitely my happy place. Flo, fortunately, enjoys it too!
In terms of shows, our fellow Yorky – Jonny Holbek, is performing with his sketch group The Dead Ducks, at theSpace at Surgeon’s Hall (4th to 19th at 1.15pm). I was also lucky enough to appear on Channel 4’s hit show ‘The Piano’ earlier this year, and two of the contestants – Daniel and Sean, are performing at The Scottish Cafe and Restaurant (14th to 16th, 22nd to 24th at 7pm). But, if you fancy something cheekier, we recommend a double whammy of Linus Karp in ‘How to Live a Jellicle Life’ and ‘Diana: the Untold and Untrue Story’ at Pleasance Dome!
In your ideal world, how can we improve the world of the Fringe, of performance, and the industry?
The accommodation has become crazily expensive, and with the added cost of marketing, posters, venue hire etc, it’s gradually becoming more and more elitist. Luckily we’ve been able to do a shorter run this year (as the kids go back to school midway through the festival) otherwise it’s unlikely we’d have been able to return. Making it all more affordable is key.
