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Would you mind giving us an insight into what your show/event/performance is?
Parasocial Activity tells the story of Jenny McGuire, a chaotic, actor hailing from Glasgow who meets her celebrity crush, James McAvoy, in Costa (next to the egg mayo sandwiches). Their relationship blossoms and the GREATEST love story ever told begins. The show navigates the twists and turns of online relationships and loneliness in the digital age as we get to know Jenny more intimately and discover that not is all it seems.
Tell us about the creative team and the process involved?
The show is written by Briony Martha, a Greenock born actor and writer.
Directed by Megan Brewer
Produced by Silly Mission Productions and Gallus.
The show is based on a true story, to a point. Briony did meet James McAvoy in Costa and went to see him in Cyrano De Bergerac and that’s where it ended. Briony wrote a monologue about what would happen should this developed further and on a slightly more unhinged level. The show did a scratch night earlier this year and then ‘Parasocial Activity’ was born!
The process also was heavily inspired by the meme of Charlie from ‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’ :
How does it feel to bring your piece to the Dundee Fringe?
Briony performed in ‘Do Astronauts Masturbate in Space?’ which she co-wrote at last year’s Dundee Fringe and is incredibly excited to be back with her debut solo show. She had such a lovely time last year working with Team Dundee and is so honoured to be part of this brilliant showcase of new work.
With shows from all over coming to Dundee Fringe, what sets yours apart?
Our show has had an incredible journey from such humble beginnings! Our set is second hand, the costume is from Vinted and we are an all female identifying, working class team working our way up the various career ladders. This show has been an emotional rollercoaster and we are so excited to share it again, for one night only. The show itself is the love child of ‘You’ and ‘Bridget Jones Diary’ with maybe ‘Fleabag’ as an adoptive aunt! This show is for anyone who has felt lost, lonely or the second favourite child.
On that note, is there anything in the production/production teams backgrounds which influences the show?
When asking Briony this she replied ‘My Scottishness definitely influenced the show and is a huge part of it for me. Obviously, my personal interaction with Jamesy boy does as well!’
Is there anything specific you’re hoping the audience will takeaway?
While this play is a darkly comic work of fiction about a woman who meets her fav celeb in Costa, some elements of it are extremely personal to my own experience of loneliness and the need for connection in the world we’re living in. I wrote this play as a response to this ever increasingly digital world we’ve created, where we have never been more connected to each other but also where it is extremely easy to feel alone. I wanted to explore the dark places isolation can lead us and how this can be preyed upon by devices like AI when we’re just trying to find our place in the world.
At the heart of this play is a young woman who is simply looking for two very human needs: connection and love. These are two needs that I believe are fundamental to the human condition, and I hope we never lose sight of that.
I’ve been extremely overwhelmed by the response to the play and how it has resonated with people. It has been an honour to connect with everyone who has seen, read or supported the play on its journey so far.
Thank you for letting me share this with you. Look after yourselves, look after each other and let us never lose sight of the beautiful strength that can be found in community, connection and supporting each other.
PALS will run at Main Hall, The Little Theatre as part of Dundee Fringe
Runs: 12th September at 19:30pm
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