We're delighted to be taking our new show Tell Me Anything to the Edinburgh Fringe. But we need your help to get there!
We've raised 90% of the money we need to make it to Edinburgh and we've launched a crowd funding campaign to help make up that last 10%.
We're aiming to raise £1500 to invest directly into the show, as well as marketing which will help us reach as large an audience as possible. Have a look at the video above to find out more about the show and where the money will go.
Click here to make a donation. Big or small, it will make a big difference.
We've been working on our new show Tell Me Anything for most of the summer, finishing up with work in progress performances at Shoreditch Town Hall. Thanks to all our audiences, your support and feedback is invaluable!
The show is about David's experiences of caring for his teenage girlfriend, who was anorexic and bulimic, when he was fifteen. We're indebted to Charlotte Rhind for her fantastic insights throughout our rehearsals, as well as the many other eating disorder experts we've spoken to over the past few months.
It's also been a pleasure to collaborate with musician Lilly Neubauer and our old friend Emma Tompkins. Finally, a big thank you to Alex Brenner for these fantastic rehearsal photos.
We plan to open the show next year, so stay tuned for updates!
Development of Tell Me Anything has been kindly supported by Camden People's Theatre, The North Wall, Shoreditch Town Hall and Arts Council, England.
So It Goes heads to the Edinburgh Fringe from 24 to 30 August. (Book ahead here.) It's been excruciating following all the reviews and tweets from the festival, whilst we're stuck in London!
However, our Associate Artist Emma Tompkins has been at the festival all week, having designed Daniel Bye's show Going Viral, which ison at Northern Stage at Summer Hall at 2.10pm.
She's spent the week gorging herself on theatre, naturally, and we asked her to choose her favourite five shows.
THE TOMPKINS TOP FIVE
I've tried to pick the shows that really stuck with me and not just to name the shows I know because I've worked on them or my mates are in them. Which is tough because I'm proud of the hugely talented companies and individuals I've worked with this year and a lot of my friends are in some really fantastic work! (Check out my twitter @emmatompkins if you’re curious about those)
But without further ado, my top five (and a half) picks of the Fringe are as follows.
1. Pole by Bent Theatre
Underbelly, Cowgate; midnight
A really arresting performance piece blending strikingly different verbatim stories of women who pole dance. From sports enthusiasts to a woman who uses her skills undercover to help victims of sex trafficking, all blended with beautifully poignant physical theatre and dance.
2. Here is the news from over there (Over there is the news from here)
by The Bloody Great Border Ballard team
Northern stage at Summer Hall, 11.10pm
A different collection of writers, performers and artists from the UK and Middle East come together each night to weave bespoke stories and yarns (literally). Funny, moving, slightly anarchic political theatre on the hoof and, true to any middle eastern gathering, there's tea.
3. Portraits in Motion by Volker Gerling in association with Aurora Nova
Summer Hall, 12 noon.
Volker Gerling decided to walk the lengths and breadth of Germany looking for people he wouldn't normally meet, and catching a fleeting 12 seconds of them on film. This show is a flick book mega mix of the stories from humanity that you wouldn't normally hear but are so glad you have, the most absolutely charming way to spend an hour.
4. The Solid Life of Sugar Water by Graeae
Pleasance Dome, 4pm
An old fashioned play this time. A very well crafted piece of theatre and intensely engaging collection of writing, performance, direction and design. The company also display a model of the set outside so partially sighted and blind audience members can feel and understand what the actors are moving on. Such a brilliant idea I wonder why we aren't all doing more for access to our shows.
5. The Christians by Gate Theatre
Traverse, various times
I hate jumping on trendy theatre band wagons and The Gate certainly don't need me to get bums on seats but I was really surprised by the critics' responses on this one. Sometimes when I'm watching shows I'll compose the review tweet in my head; when I watched this show, I started deeply interrogating my own feelings on religion and realising just how relevant this show is at a time when our own regional theatres are renting themselves out to churches. I'll still be talking about this show weeks later.
This is not advertising stunt for The Christians, it's just religion doing a very good attempt at theatre.
5.5 Abacus by Early Morning Opera
Summerhall, 6.10pm
I don't understand this show. I don't think I'm supposed to. Or maybe I am, or maybe that's the point. Wildly complex pastiche, or a genuine blend of Kony 2012 graphics meets final year central st martins TedX lecture this is definitely one for the curious. I'm mainly recommending it so you can go, then explain to me what the hell happened.
We had THE BEST time at the Edinburgh Fringe last year, when we emerged starry-eyed into the world and premiered our debut show So It Goes. (Relive the good times here.)
This year, So It Goes returns to Edinburgh for the last week of the festival: 24-30 August, 1.55pm at Underbelly, Cowgate. Book ahead here.
But with the fun kicking off this week, here are a few recommendations... Shows by our Lecoq brethren
Feast by Clout (15.55, Zoo)
64 Squares by Rhum and Clay (19.30, Underbelly)
Jurassic Park by Superbolt (18.50, Roxy)
I'm Not Here Right Now by Dancing Brick & Soho Theatre (18.25, Summer Hall)
Shows we've already seen and loved
Islands by Caroline Horton (14.05, Summer Hall, from 22 August)
Women's Hour by Shit Theatre (14.00, Summer Hall, alternate days)
Shows we think will be brilliant
Going Viral by Daniel Bye, designed by our Associate Artist, Emma Tompkins (14.10, Summer Hall)
Hug by Verity Standen (15.30, Forest Fringe, from 24 August)
Backstage In Biscuit Land by Touretteshero (17.00, Pleasance, from August 24)
You're Not Like The Other Girls Chrissy by Caroline Horton (11.20, Pleasance, from 22 August)
God Are Fallen And All Safety Gone (20.05, Summer Hall, from 17 August)
Blind Man's Song by Theatre Re (15.30, Pleasance)
This Much by Moving Dust (19.45, Zoo)
Other shows by our Producers Show And Tell (they have impeccable taste)
Duchess of Canvey by Diane Chorley (10.30pm, Underbelly)
Fylm School by Simon Munnery (19.40, The Hive)
And Nothing But by Simon Munnery (15.30, The Stand)
Lie Collector by Yve Blake (5.20pm, Pleasance)
A Gambler's Guide To Dying by Gary McNair (Various, Traverse)
The guy me and my sister see every single year because he's a total comic genius
Paul Foot (19.20, Underbelly)
Finally, check out the other shows in this year's fantastic British Council Edinburgh Showcase here.
Over the summer, we'll be spending several weeks working on our new show. We'll be announcing details of public work-in-progress performances soon. In the meantime, enjoy this sneaky peek behind the scenes.
