Gie’s Peace sees Morna Burdon take audiences on a journey of courage, creativity and resilience as she highlights women worldwide who have found daring, inventive, courageous ways to rebel against war and take a stand for peace. Threaded through with songs and punctuated with humour, this moving and timely show also looks at how war affects those the women love.
Would you mind giving us a brief insight into what your show is?
I am Morna Burdon and I am an Edinburgh-based international performer. My show Gie’s Peace (Give us peace) is on at the award-winning Scottish Storytelling Centre and sold out at EdFringe 2018. In a world where you can find war anywhere, the show highlights the courageous and inventive ways that women worldwide have creatively waged peace. “Evocative songs of protest and struggle”. “Moving and inspirational storytelling”.
Tell us about the creative team and process involved?
First, the idea.
Inspired by brave Vietnamese women whose response to imprisonment and torture was to sing songs of defiance and hope from the cages they were in.
Next, research.
Reading, talking to people, finding out their stories or stories they knew of brave women peace activists over the years.
It’s a one-woman show so the creative team was pretty small. My singing teacher had the biggest direct input – she became my musical director really. Then all the folk who have helped me hone my skills over the years.
How does it feel coming to the Fringe?
This is my fifteenth time at Edinburgh Fringe – directing, singing, performing, street theatre – done the lot!! I have also recently performed at Adelaide Fringe and Prague Fringe. The audiences excite me because they are so varied and international. It’s a celebration!
There are over 3,000 shows at the Fringe. So, what sets your show apart?
Well – not many shows are a matter of life and death! This one is. There are wars everywhere and people being senselessly killed. This show is a chance to hear about folk who have not given up hope of having a peaceful world. It’s inspiring and funny, sad and real. And there are some great songs!
Is there anything specific you’re hoping for the audience to take away?
Hope – and courage – and inspiration from the stories of brave women and tunes from some great songs.
Your ideal audience is in attendance, who’s watching? Or more importantly – who isn’t there…
Most audiences for this show ARE my dream audiences. I have had a Ukrainian Theatre Company at Prague Fringe 2022 join me as we sang We Shall Overcome; I have had a woman stand up and sing alone one of the songs in my show because she sang it years ago in defiance as she was being arrested at a peace camp; and then there have been relatives of people killed in wars – Vietnam to Afghanistan – telling me that the stories help. We all have our stories – voiced and unvoiced and all we can do is be there, be inspired, bear witness and carry the stories home in hope.
It’s an intense month, so where you’re able, how do you plan to relax, and are there any other shows you intend to see or want to recommend?
I love meeting other performers from throughout the world so will hang around the various watering holes. I want to see all the shows I can at the venue I am in – the Scottish Storytelling Centre. I also love the Pleasance and I would just recommend trying to see as wide a variety as possible – not always sticking to the familiar.
In your ideal world, how can we improve the world of the Fringe, of performance, and the industry?
Fringe – remember it is a celebration – of creativity and peace – the Festival itself was a response to the destructiveness of WW2 so kindness should prevail. Involve local people. Make shows affordable. Have fun!!
