Would you mind giving us an insight into what your show/event/performance is?
Sure thing! We’re a new writing company! We’re bringing up a never-seen-before piece of original writing. It’s the second show from our production company Kick It Anywhere. Our first show, Brixton Calling, went on at the Southwark Playhouse last Summer and was the most awarded show at this year’s OFFIES (Best Production, Best Sound Design, Best Design). As a production company, we’re interested in the ordinary people at the centre of extraordinary stories. That was true of Brixton Calling and is true again of The Jolly Fisherman.
Tell us about the creative team and the process involved?
The writer John first read a BBC article in January 2024. Over two and half years, a story about a pub-turned-mosque grew into a story about two boyhood best friends who live on the same street as the building and witness its transformation. A year into writing the script, we saw Alex Hill in his amazing show Why I Stuck A Flare Up My Arse For England and knew we had found ‘Alan’, one of the boys. We then spent six months looking for the perfect ‘Amir’. We found him in Jonny Khan. They are both incredible talents and we’re very lucky to have them. They’re being directed by the endlessly impressive Layla Madanat. We genuinely think we’ve built the best team possible to tell this story.
How does it feel coming to (back to) the Fringe?
Unbelievable. Genuinely unbelievable. We have been Fringe audience members for years! But because Fringe is so expensive, we only wanted to do it with the right story and the right team. We think we have both of those and so we’re incredibly excited about what the month has in store for us.
With shows from all over the world at the Fringe, what sets yours apart?
On one level, our show is about a pub turning into a mosque which, with the public discourse around national identity at the moment, feels very relevant. But, beyond the building, it’s about the friendship of a white British boy and a British-Pakistani boy. When we tell people about the show, it feels like people are genuinely desperate for stories that try to tackle these issues with more depth than the news or social media feeds allow.
On that, is there anything in the production or production team’s backgrounds which influences the way the show is performed or told?
Absolutely. John originally wrote the script solely from Alan’s perspective. We quickly knew that we needed to make sure that both sides were as complex, conflicted and human as each other. John and Jonny Khan then spent a week together developing the script and the story from Amir’s perspective. That totally changed the story and the project – and that’s when it really came to life. Once we had a script that felt true, honest and balanced story from both boys, we built a creative team that was representative of the story. Maariyah Sharjil, carey chomsoonthorn and Anya Pearson came on in the creative departments, and we saw this beautiful coming together of experiences and backgrounds and perspectives.
Is there anything specific you’re hoping the audience will take away?
We want them to love the story and the boys at the heart of it and, if anything, to realise that we’re all much more similar and much more complex than social media feeds depict. It’s ultimately a story of enduring friendships despite differences in background, faith and community. It’s a play that tries to work out who we are together.
Your Ideal audience is in attendance, who’s watching? Or more importantly – who isn’t…?
We want everyone to see our show. We want it to cause debate. We want it to challenge stereotypes and preconceived opinions. We want people to see and find parts of themselves in these two boys.
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?
Yes! We love Xhloe and Natasha (but everyone loves them!). We’ve made a big spreadsheet! We’re excited to see The Pitch, Goodbye Dandelion and For Dolores.
The Jolly Fisherman runs at Venue 300, Buttercup at Underbelly, George Square
Runs: 5th -31st August at 12:45pm
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’