Fringe Benefits: The best of the Fest coming to BOV in the autumn

Bristol Old Vic's autumn season is chock-full of productions that are already must-see shows at this year's Edinburgh Fringe Festival. With the Festival starting this month, we wanted to grab five minutes with some of the artists we're working with (on stage and off!) to see how they're feeling about the Festival!

Chelsea Hall - Kathy and Stella Solve a Murder!

Tell us about yourself and who you play
I’m Chelsea and I’m Off stage swing, cover Stella in Kathy and Stella Solve a murder and I’m from Hull! I trained at London Studio Centre and graduated in 2019.

What can you tell us about your show?
Our show is 90 minutes of pure belly laughter. From the minute you meet the characters in this show you just instantly fall in love with them. It’s a show people will simply never forget! (In a very good way)

What do you love about Edinburgh?
I’ve actually never been to Edinburgh. I’m so excited for my first experience to be at the fringe with Kathy and Stella and from what I’ve heard it’s going to be one to remember!

Most unexpected thing you’ve ever seen there?
I expect I will see many unexpected things along the way. I’m still in shock at the amount of shows that are on throughout the day/night I just honestly didn’t expect for it to be this huge!

Apart from your show – what would you recommend people go and see?
I think as I have never been it’s going to be a lot of word of mouth and seeing what everyone is seeing at the time but one of the cast members from Kathy and Stella- Jodie Jacobs - has said we absolutely have to go and see ‘Bloody Elle’ and when I say she has said it, I mean she has said it 37 times so yeah, go and see it.

Shannon Hayes - Bitter Lemons

Tell us about yourself and who you play
I'm Shannon, I went to Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and studied Psychology at Oxford University. I play Angelina in Bitter Lemons - she is an ambitious banker who is battling to hang on to the high expectations and dreams she has set for herself no matter what.

What can you tell us about your show?
Bitter Lemons is a show about two women on the verge of a major life choice - trying to juggle all of society's expectations. It interrogates thoughts around abortion and who gets to make the choices in their own lives when it comes to their bodies. It's about two women trying their very best to keep going, despite the whirlwind they find themselves in.

What do you love about Edinburgh?
I love the architecture of Edinburgh and the beautiful townhouses!

Most unexpected thing you’ve ever seen there?
I haven’t seen anything too wacky but our producer, Rebecca, mentioned she saw a show that was performed on a portable ice rink!

Apart from your show – what would you recommend people go and see?
I would recommend people go to see Polko by Angus Harrison (also produced by Rebecca!). It’s another show by a South West artist and is a dark, modern memory play about the places we call home, and the people we leave behind. Polko - Summerhall

Brook Tate - Birthmarked

Tell us about yourself and who you play.
My name is Brook Tate and I play myself in Birthmarked. I am an artist and theatre-maker based in Bristol and I have been writing musicals since 2019. I write original music with my band of mates, and Birthmarked is the result of me basically just giving context behind some of the songs I wrote whilst leaving the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. 

Tell me about your show in 3 sentences.
I grew up a Jehovah's Witness and was preaching the bible abroad when I realised I couldn't continue suppressing my sexuality within the faith which lead me to being excommunicated from the church and cut off from my family. I moved to Bristol and started writing music and children's theatre, and eventually reached a point where the next story I felt I needed to tell was my own. I build a whale puppet, found a zebra leotard, stepped on stage and Birthmarked was BORN. Hahahaha. 

What do you love about Edinburgh?
I have only been to Edinburgh once, and I was blown away not only by the sheer amount of shows and people there, but the architecture is STUNNING. I'm so, so looking forward to being back there and performing this time. I'm sure we'll meet so many other incredibly artists while we are up there. Very very excited.

Most unexpected thing you’ve ever seen there?
A potato singing 'Angels' by Robbie Williams - it genuinely moved me to tears. 

Apart from your show – what would you recommend people go and see?
Hmmmmm some of the best things I saw last year were completely unexpected and out of the blue, so it’s worth keeping your ear to the ground and asking people you sit next to in a pub or overhear talking excitedly about something. But there are two shows I will definitely be seeing - 'A Fearie Tale' by Niall Moorjani and 'Awake, Gay, and Writing a Play' - both queer shows based on real life experiences, one of which is also about leaving Jehovah's Witnesses. So if people are intrigued by the themes in Birthmarked, its deffo one to see too. 

Troy Orchard - I See Three

Tell us about yourself and who you play.
My name’s Troy and my day job is working as deputy box office manager at BOV. I’m also part of a 3-person comedy bill. Our show is called I See Three.

Tell me about your show in 3 sentences.
IC3 is 3 Black & Brown Bristolian comedians talking about life in Bristol, making you laugh & hopefully making you think too! We run a few nights in Bristol and are going up to Edinburgh to take our brand INTERNATIONAL. Come see us at Cocktail Mafia between 14-27 Aug at 11.30pm. Pay what you can!

What do you love about Edinburgh?
So, I’ve never been to Edinburgh but, I’m really excited and proud to be going. I can’t wait to be around thousands of other creatives, putting on our show and seeing as much as I can in between. Will I survive? We’ll see!

Most unexpected thing you’ve ever seen there?
I’ve heard it’s pretty much anything goes once it gets late night -have heard of plenty of shows where it sounds more like a party. Our show is on at a cocktail bar at half 11 at night, which will almost certainly lead to some scenes!

Apart from your show – what would you recommend people go and see?
As much as you can!  Don’t just watch stuff you’d see back home, give something a chance and support artists and creatives.