She used to have dreams, now she has a baby. A sad, aging sack full of milk and regret. Madonna On The Rocks is a visceral, hilarious call to arms. A neon-lit, techno-soundtracked, mental breakdown at the Stay and Play. It’s about egos, responsibilities and the struggle to be an artist, or to have any career at all really, and still be a relatively decent parent. With songs inspired by Madonna, Peaches and Nina Simone. Written and performed by Marie Hamilton, composed in Berlin by Cameron Mackintosh Award winner Ben Osborn with dramaturgy from Bryony Kimmings.

Written and Performed by Marie Hamilton, Corr Blimey had a chat with Hamilton about their hilarious call to arms

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Would you mind giving us a brief insight into what your show/event/performance is?

Madonna On The Rocks is a dark and very funny new musical about trying to make art when you’ve (probably irresponsibly) made a child. It’s about crushed egos, mounting responsibilities, and it has songs inspired by 90s Madonna, Peaches, and Nina Simone. 

Tell us about the creative team and the process involved?

I wrote it and perform in it, with music composed by the brilliant (Cameron Mackintosh Award-winning) Ben Osborn. It’s directed by Stephanie Kempson, with dramaturgy from Bryony Kimmings and Hildegard Ryan. 

We made it partly in Berlin with Madeline Shann. Ben, Steph, Madii and I last worked together making a Britney Spears techno adaptation of an 18th Century rom com, also in Berlin, so naturally we reunited to make a musical about maternal mental collapse.

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How does it feel coming to the Fringe?

Terrifying, amazing, existential-crisisy, all the normal stuff. It’ll be my first time up with a solo show, and my first time doing it with two small children to wrangle offstage. But I feel very lucky. The Fringe is still a place of huge creative possibility, even if I’ll be swapping late-night pints for early morning Weetabix wiping.

With shows from all over the world at the Fringe, what sets yours apart?

It’s brutally honest, musically wild, and rooted in a very real experience that we still feel a lot of shame talking about. Postnatal depression, maternal rage and resentment are still very taboo, but it’s the taboo and silence that makes people more likely fall into the darkness. So I made this, and I made it funny because we all need a good laugh and it also gave me the opportunity to write a Princess Superstar-esque club banger about booking a baby ballet class.

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Is there anything specific you’re hoping the audience will take away?

I want them to feel seen, less alone, and ready to make some art and change the world. Whether they are mums, are thinking about becoming one, or have been inside one once.

Your Ideal audience is in attendance, who’s watching? Or more importantly – who isn’t…?

Madonna Queen Of Pop, herself, obviously. But also people who don’t normally feel seen in theatre spaces. Mums who left their babies with a mate to get 60 guilt-ridden minutes to themselves. Dads. Daughters. Grandmas. Anyone who’s ever wondered if they’re doing enough, being enough, or losing themselves while trying. I would have said I don’t want an audience full of people who think mothers should stay home and make yoghurt- but actually, I really do want those people there. I love to change some misogynist trad-minds.

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 think the most relaxing activity I’ll be doing will be chasing a toddler through the streets of Edinburgh. But I’m going to try and find somewhere to swim, which will help keep me sane. Shows I’m excited about? Crying by Lily Phillips, Super Mama at C-Arts, BAIRNS, a Minor Theft, FATAL FLOWER, Jumper Bumps, Yer Ma’s A Rocket. Mums in the arts gotta stick together.

In your ideal world, how can we improve the Fringe, performance, and the industry?

Make the Fringe accessible financially again. The fact that you need to spend thousands just to be seen is messed up, regulate the fringe rental market more, so people stop trying to make money off already financially overburdened artists. Support artist-parents. Give transparent pathways to programmers and venues. And fund the stuff that isn’t neatly commercial or algorithm-friendly. We don’t need more content; we need connection. And a bit of goddamn respect and dignity for the people raising the next generation, and the people still trying to make art in this bin fire of a world.

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