Chatterbox, a play about a Pakistani girl at primary school in 1970s Glasgow. Lubna was labelled “stupid” because she couldn’t speak English – by people who couldn’t speak Urdu. This humorous and touching semi-autobiographical one-woman show looks at the impact of the labels we are given as children and how they persist into adulthood. What labels were you given? How did they affect you? Do they still make you anxious? Where did you find safety when neds chased you down the street? The show is a prequel to actor, writer, comedian and playwright Lubna Kerr’s four-star Fringe-hit Tickbox.
Would you mind giving us a brief insight into what your show is?
Chatterbox is about my life in primary school in Glasgow and the labels we are given in childhood and how they stay with you into adulthood.
My father was offered a scholarship to do a PhD at Strathclyde University in Chemistry and so he moved from Pakistan to Glasgow. My family spoke Urdu at home and we didn’t have a TV.
When I started school I couldn’t speak English so the teacher called me stupid. Stupid was one of the many labels I was given by bullies, who weren’t always other pupils. Chatterbox is a one-woman play with eight characters in it, there will be 1970s music and if you queue early there will be ginger cake too.
Tell us about the creative team and the process involved?
I have a great creative team which starts with the so-talented Jen McGregor as dramaturg.
I worked with Jen when I wrote my first play Tickbox. I loved the whole process of working with her and I couldn’t wait to work with her again.
She then introduced me to the equally talented Charity Trimm who worked with me as an editor, taking a two-hour play and helping me bring it down to one hour and 20 minutes. Charity and I worked on ensuring there was comedy in the play as the topic of bullying is serious.
I rounded this great team by working with the fabulous Emily Ingram, as director, who helped me reduce the play to an hour. She made me realise that each character could be as bold as I liked and that I wouldn’t look stupid on stage. It is a lot to trust someone that you have not worked with before. However, I reached that stage with Emily very quickly and I developed faith in Emily and my whole team.
We then brought on Adam Gibson who has worked on West End shows and has brought the show to life with the music.
I delivered workshops with several groups consisting of women from the global majority and we discussed several issues as well as designing the set.
I have self-produced and it’s something I like doing.
How does it feel coming to the Fringe?
I love being back at the Fringe. The focus of my whole year is the Fringe. It’s exciting, nervous and scary.
There are over 3,000 shows at the Fringe. So, what sets your show apart?
I am an older Scottish Pakistani woman trying to make her mark in the arts after she had another career selling drugs (I was a pharmacist). I tell stories that appeal to many people and make you think about your actions. It’s all delivered with huge dose of laughter and cake.
I flyer my own show and can’t wait to speak to the people who come from all over the world to the Fringe. I am different in a nice – I aim to brighten up your day.
Is there anything specific you’re hoping the audience will take away?
I hope they reflect on their behaviour as a child, did they bully someone? Were they bullied? How have they dealt with it? Do they need to get help?
Also, do they think about how their own children might be behaving.
I want them to see and understand, that regardless of skin colour, we are all the same underneath, we all need love, compassion, understanding and cake.
Your ideal audience is in attendance, who’s watching? Or more importantly – who isn’t there…
Racists or people who discriminate against others are not welcome.
I would like families to come as well as schoolchildren. It would be a great way to initiate a conversation in class about bullying and the impact it can have.
I have also organised a BSL interpreter on the 15th of August and am part of the Deaf Festival. A touch tour has been organised on the 14th of August for people who are blind and partially sighted.
They will be able to access an audio version describing the characters and the show on the Fringe website.
Narcissistic bullies who like to punish everyone should come as they might see the impact they had on people.
I want the producers from Netflix and other media companies to come and see my show. Both Tickbox and Chatterbox are perfect for one-off specials.
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 the Fringe and being with other creatives is relaxing to me.
I will relax by walking around and talking to people about my show.
I want to see a few shows with James Nicholas in them, as well as Lottie Walker’s play Chopped Liver and Unions.
I have also been given the opportunity by the Scottish Poetry Library to perform a work in progress for next year called The C Word.
It will be free, open to the public, 40-minute script in hand version with 20 mins for a Q&A. This will take my mind off Chatterbox. I will perform this three times. I might even do a couple of slots for comedy at night.
In your ideal world, how can we improve the Fringe, of performance, and the industry?
Have cheaper accommodation, I know many people who have not come this year because it’s so expensive. The fringe society does a great job however I would like a named person I can speak to all year round who can guide and support people.
The government needs to invest highly in the ARTS both the Scottish and UK ones.
If we don’t have the Arts, we don’t have life.
Interested in being featured on our Have a Gander page? With many previews and Q&As lined up, we’re always happy to chat about including your show in future articles. Please do get in touch through the contact page to feature in an upcoming ‘Have A Gander’