Seven Dials Playhouse has announced the launch of a new package of support for companies taking shows to the Edinburgh Fringe. The programme has been launched in partnership with the Pleasance, with applications open to the entire Pleasance programme. Seven Dials will work with seven productions to support their journeys to the Fringe, providing the time, space and expertise to ease the challenges that taking a show to the world's biggest arts festival can pose.
The seven productions announced as part of the programme include A Jaffa Cake Musical from multi-award winning Gigglemug Theatre. This brand-new family-friendly musical comedy is inspired by the 1991 tribunal which determined the true identity of a Jaffa Cake, and truly takes the biscuit (or cake...?). Brooklyn Rep’s first Fringe show, All The Fraudulent Horse Girls joins the line-up. This colt-hit comedy melodrama, written by Australian playwright Michael Louis Kennedy, follows 11-year-old Audrey, who is telepathically linked to every horse girl in the world. Also included is Lil Wenker’s Bangtail, an epic clown western about a man in search of his manhood, and Queer Planet, from award-winning drag king, Bi-Curious George; London’s most loveable nature boy. This raucous romp through the animal kingdom (the wildest and queerest kingdom of them all) includes dolphin orgies, intersex snails and gay giraffes!
Also selected to participate is Did You Mean To Fall Like That. This new work follows Charlie, who has always played by the rules as his life unravels and he starts again after unexpectedly falling for a man for the first time. Presented by Fake Escape, this brand new comedy explores contemporary masculinity and male bisexuality by award-winning writer Stephanie Martin. Claudia Fielding’s Never Get to Heaven In An Empty Shell is a tragically semi-autobiographical tragicomedy that sees Claud have an unlikely encounter with a ghost on Angel tube platform, making her question her mortality and ponder whether there could be an afterlife, after all. And, inspired by true events, The Emu War,
A New Musical is a new comedy musical from Pearl Whirl Productions that follows the Australian government's futile attempts to fight mischievous emus. Audiences should get their tail feathers ready for catchy tunes and dancing birds!
Participating artists and companies will receive a package of support including free rehearsal space, a preview performance slot on the Seven Dials Playhouse main stage, marketing strategy advice, inclusion in Seven Dials Playhouse’s Edinburgh Fringe marketing materials and a drop-in ‘advice surgery’ with the team during Edinburgh tech/opening week.
The programme also includes dramaturgical and creative support from Programme Director, Katie Pesskin, who has a track record of developing and directing award-winning productions at the Edinburgh Fringe and external expertise including consultancy on PR and a 1-on-1 advice session with experienced Edinburgh Fringe Producer, Reece McMahon (Seven Dials Playhouse Trustee, Executive Director of Chisenhale Dance, formerly Senior Producer at New Diorama Theatre).
Katie Pesskin, Programme Director at Seven Dials Playhouse, comments, We are thrilled to be working in partnership with Pleasance to be able to provide an additional package of support to these seven productions heading to Edinburgh Fringe this year. We recognise how hard it has become to take work to the Fringe so to be able to provide this further support in the run up to and during the festival feels really important. This is the first time that Seven Dials Playhouse has supported productions in Edinburgh, and we cannot wait to begin our collaboration with the seven shows.
The team behind Bangtail comment, Though Cecily and I can turn on our best producer brains, we simply lack the experience of negotiating with venues for extended runs, tours, and approaching press in such a fast-paced festival environment. Access to experts in marketing and publicity, as well as free rehearsal space, will open the door to support we lack but desperately desire. We believe that, with the momentum we’ve been able to generate so far, support from Seven Dials will accelerate our progress and move us much closer to our goals of touring and extensions as well as provide us a community to call home during Ed Fringe.
And Bi-Curious George comments, As an artist who has come through the grassroots cabaret and drag industry, community is at the heart of my work and having access to a network of mentors and other artists will completely transform the experience of my Edinburgh Fringe debut this year. Having support from people who are invested in and excited by your work makes such a huge difference to what could otherwise become a lonely, testing experience. I can’t wait to meet the other artists and see their work!
Find out more at sevendialsplayhouse.co.uk
