Have a read of our review of MANikin from the 2023 Festival Fringe
Would you mind giving us a brief insight into what your show is?
We at Saltire Sky are returning with two shows this year. Our first production is BITS ‘N’ PIECES which is returning for its third stint at the Fringe Festival and won Best Scottish Production at the 2022 Scottish Theatre Awards. A play that explores the dangers of drug stigma and misinformation in modern Scotland. Focusing on the harmful nature of the demonisation of drug users, an interrogation of society’s views and looking to accurately represent Scotland’s relationship with drugs in a hope to reduce harm and push the message of our partner charity (Edinburgh-based harm reduction charity CREW 2000). We work closely with Crew to create a show that champions their message which is to neither condone nor condemn drug use but simply to reduce harm with facts and non-judgemental advice. It’s based on experiences of myself, of my friends and family and it’s an immersive production which is set surrounding a rave at the Usher Hall.
The other show that we are bringing back following a successful debut is MANikin starring Josh Brock. A one-man play that focuses on male obesity and body image in modern Scotland. It follows the main character, Fraser’s life from birth into the present day with all the trials and tribulations of school life, work life and relationships and ultimately finding your place in the world as a bigger person. We’re working alongside the British Obesity Society to highlight the problem of male body image, particularly in Scotland but UK-wide.
Tell us about the creative team and the process involved?
Saltire Sky is our theatre company, we started back in 2016 with a goal of creating theatre for people who don’t normally go to the theatre. I know that may sound like a catch-22 but there are a lot more people that don’t go to the theatre than do and we want to create stories that accurately represent working-class life whilst also creating opportunities for performers and creatives that there is a lack of opportunity for in the industry.
Some of us met in college and formed friendships there, some we met working on other Fringe productions and collectively didn’t want to stand still and wait for things to happen. We wanted to create work as we believe that that is the best way to go in the current climate, to be creating your own work, creating grassroots and supporting grassroots is really important to us too. Since then we have worked with some amazing people who have shared in our vision.
Myself and my Co-Director, Sands Stirling, will be directing the pieces (the pair first worked together on the Off West End Award-winning “1902”) and we have a number of company actors alongside us namely Josh Brock, Sandy Bain, Jonny Tulloch and Calum Manchip who are returning alongside Rachel Macpherson–Graham who is joining the cast of BITS ‘N’ PIECES who we are excited to be working with. We also have Samuel Lee-Johnston returning to BITS N PIECES playing Denis Sulta and will be live-mixing throughout the entire production. Finally, we have a wonderful producer supporting us this year in Kevin Nolan of Sibearita Productions and of course, our partner charities Crew 2000 and the British Obesity Society to bring these productions to the fringe.
How does it feel coming to the Fringe?
I’ve thought about that question a lot actually. This will be our seventh Fringe Festival which has become a staple in all our lives. It’s very exciting. I’m excited to be returning, it’s definitely the highlight of our year and absolutely adore being involved in the world’s biggest arts festival when it’s right on our doorstep. To be one of around 800 Scottish shows at the festival, to be one of the Scottish voices is both really important to us but also quite humbling. We’re very grateful to be a part of it and to have such a platform to get these very important stories out there to give them a voice.
There’s some stress too and slightly anxious before we get started but it’s motivational anxiety I suppose as we’re raring to go. We plan for this moment to come around all year and can’t wait to be full-time creatives for the next couple of months.
There are over 3,000 shows at the Fringe. So, what sets your show apart?
I think there are a number of reasons. Our show being a Scottish voice in an international festival, although a Scottish festival I think is a uniqueness. We create shows in non-traditional theatre spaces so this year we’re back at the Wee Red Bar, our ancestral home where it all began in 2017 and we’ll transform it for the month. We believe in creating a theatrical experience, so our shows are immersive, when you come and see BITS ‘N’ PIECES for example you’re coming to a rave. We work hard to create that environment and make the audience really feel apart of the story. With it being our seventh festival alongside recent work with NHS Lothian and Thrive Edinburgh we have formed a really strong connection within the community which allows us to tailor our stories to our audience so when you’re coming along you know you’re experiencing real-life. We want people to feel heard and represented with wild, energetic, fast-paced productions and I can’t wait for people to see what we’ve created with these shows. They need to be seen to be believed.
Is there anything specific you’re hoping the audience will take away?
With BITS ‘N’ PIECES I hope the audience will leave thinking and hopefully reevaluate their views on drugs. Scotland having the highest drug deaths per capita is such a massive problem and it’s not spoken about enough so what we want is for people to come see the show and start having conversations. If we make it the norm to talk about these things and start addressing the problem rather than dressing it up as a problem for a specific section of society or type of person when in actuality it’s a universal problem that needs to be less taboo then there can be real change.
The same can be said for MANikin as well as although the themes of obesity and body image affect everyone in one way or another the lack of addressing the issue from a male perspective is often overlooked. Through working with the British Obesity Society we are learning more and more that men don’t talk about their bodies or more importantly don’t know how to talk about their bodies so for audiences coming to see MANikin it’s about making people feel like they’re not alone in their issues. I think society does a good job of making us feel alone or the only one going through this problem and that’s just not the case so again it is about opening that door for conversation to allow people to talk about and express how they feel and ultimately start taking the right steps to get help with that and explore the possibilities whether it be a health journey, fitness journey, whatever that may be for them. Just for them to feel heard and represented onstage.
We work with Josh Brock who is a fantastic actor, we built a lot of this show around his lived experience of living with obesity and dealing with the effects of that through his life. It’s a show where he is the main character, the story is about him which you just don’t get to see in the creative industry, having an actor like Josh getting that real platform to tell a story that’s important to him, playing the hero of the story and be a voice for lots of people who have never had the opportunity to speak up about their life and their own experiences.
Your ideal audience is in attendance, who’s watching? Or more importantly – who isn’t there…
Ultimately we want people who have never been to a theatre before to come to our shows, we have been blessed before with a room full of people who have never experienced theatre that created one of the most electric atmospheres we’ve ever experienced. We are interested in highlighting the stories behind the numbers and our recent work with multiple health sectors including NHS Lothian, Thrive Edinburgh, Edinburgh Health & Social Care Partnership and the Mental Health Forum will hopefully bring new people to our audiences as we attempt to bring local issues to a larger scale.
But I think it’s 50/50, we have a knack for creating environments where two worlds can co-exist and prove theatre is for everybody so where better than the Fringe to bring that formula? We want to keep showing the creative industry what working-class theatre is with the hope of taking these stories as far as they can. The power of the arts and theatre is universal and we’re confident people far and wide will resonate with these themes and issues. Everyone is welcome.
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?
Relax is a strong word. We take Wednesdays off during the festival to give everyone a break and unwind from busy show days so we end up having to pack our whole fringe viewing experiences into those days. We’re looking forward to seeing as much grassroots Scottish theatre as we can and welcome everyone to do the same. We’re already looking forward to Pals by Mirren Wilson, Doped by Sam Fraser & Sam Fullwood and Athens of the North by Mark Hannah though more recommendations are welcome.
In your ideal world, how can we improve the Fringe, of performance, and the industry?
I think more opportunities for working-class artists as an incentive for people to keep creating their own work. The DIY attitude of the fringe is what inspires us and I feel there could definitely be more to help bring that out and encourage rather than discourage whether that be financially or even in the overall promotion like having a section highlighting grassroots Scottish theatre. That is what the Fringe was built from and we need to nurture young Scottish artists for the future.
BITS ‘N ‘PIECES and MANikin runs at Venue 50: The Wee Red Bar (Edinburgh College of Art, EH3 9DF)
BITS N PIECES – August 2nd-6th, 8th-13th, 15th-20th, 22nd-25th (19:30)
MANikin – August 2nd-6th, 8th-13th, 15th-20th, 22nd-25th (17:00)
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’