Daniel Perks – Freelance Journalist
Tag: Underbelly Cowgate
To find out more about Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2017 and the spotlights, please see the introductory article.
Next up in our Spotlight feature is Trashed, which plays Edinburgh Festival until 27 August 2017. I caught up with director and actor David William Bryan:
To find out more about Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2017 and the spotlights, please see the introductory article.
Next up in our Spotlight feature is Dumbstruck, which plays Edinburgh Festival until 27 August 2017. I caught up with writer and actor Sam Goodburn:
Joan (Lucy Jane Parkinson) is nervous – what if St Catherine doesn’t show up? It’s apparent that she is a VIP for the show, the one Joan wants to impress more than anything. She’s scatty at the prospect of the encounter – there’s obviously a strong emotional attachment here. Lucy J Skilbeck’s script speaks of the saint in reverent tones akin to a lover, but one of the purest virtue and the most honest beauty. It’s a metaphor that gives Joan the courage to stand up for who she is, what she believes in and the love she has for her country when no one else will listen. It ultimately gets her killed in a stunning one-hander that throws the patriarchy into stark light with humour and humility.
Keith (David William Bryan) is grimy and unkempt, the kind of person that hasn’t showered in days and is on the brink of falling apart or exploding. It’s his twitchy eyes and intense, somewhat unhinged, stare that set you on edge. You make a quick judgement as soon as you see him without considering his journey, his side of the story – Trashed is a show that doesn’t let you walk away with your prejudices, but instead gives Keith’s point of view of a life full of heartache and disappointment.
Alicia (Yolanda Mercy) understands the millennials – swipe left/ swipe right, talk in emojis and never pay full price. Her life is one of discounted responsibilities and disengaged apathy. If Mum doesn’t know the answer, then Siri or Google will. She goes to lectures and has a computer to dictate her notes, so she can nap. But she’s sharp, she’s funny and she spouts words of truth like a preacher who we all pay rapt attention to. Mercy gets the disillusioned twenty-somethings; we are promised that life will be easy but in reality, we face a future with no clear direction.
Culture by night 