How it began and how it’s going. I had this idea many years ago to do a play about couples in marriages and how they’re affected by money, capitalism, and greed. The ways that materialism has permeated even our most intimate relationships on a broad cultural level intrigued me. I thought it would be a good idea to have the unspeakable truth voiced by a giant in the form of a horrific neon humanoid monstrosity.
Then I lost interest until the pandemic hit, when my business collapsed, and I suddenly had time on my hands. I started bending glass tubes into amorphous, humanoid figures and taking them out onto the streets of New York, lighting them up. At that time, there wasn’t much going on, and this spectacle garnered a lot of positive feedback.
I had been planning a show with Cluster London called Vomitorium, but that got cancelled due to the pandemic. Then a couple of years ago, Cluster London liked the idea of a play based around neon figures. I ended up writing a script and doing a staged reading in conjunction with the exhibition. The audience response was very enthusiastic, so I knew I had to bring this show to a wider audience, and that’s what we’re bringing to Edinburgh.
Trojan Horse. My goal was to bring this particular show to Edinburgh, almost as a Trojan Horse. Many of my plays such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome and the Hellfire Club are edgy and controversial, but Funny Guy is probably the least controversial and most emotionally accessible of my plays. When you go down that road with material you think is non-controversial, you can end up revealing a lot more about yourself than you think. So, the Trojan Horse is a way in.
The show is being put together by a great team with Jesse Tendler as director and Bill playing one of the lead characters. We have Jud Meyers as Dan, Karen Genaro Dosanjh as Emma, Clara Francesca as Margie, and Tommy Vance as the Neon.
What’s unique about the show? Neon’s coming home. This is the first Fringe show to feature a glass-tube neon character, and since the technology is fast disappearing, it might be the last. Neon light, unlike LEDs which are increasingly replacing it, has a unique glow that can’t be replicated, making this a Fringe first. It’s also poignant that we will perform at the Royal Society of Edinburgh on George Street where the Scotsman who discovered neon, Sir William Ramsay, was once a fellow. So, it’s a kind of homecoming for neon.
It’s also great to be working with the Leith-based workshop Solas Neon, the only one of its kind in Scotland, if not the UK, which is keeping the traditional art of neon alive.
Fragile and easily broken. Are you kidding me? This thing is made of glass, it’s fragile, breaks easily, and contains high voltage electricity. What could possibly go wrong? But we have a backup and an LED version of the marionette in case of emergencies.
As a writer, the thing I worry about most is the tone not coming across right. Like most of my plays, this one floats on a cushion of irony, and if audiences interpret that as sarcasm, it creates tension that obscures the message of the show. But it’s about powerlessness, domination, and there’s a certain absurdity that I like to create on stage and invite the audience into.
Like a carnival. Funny Guy offers audiences a unique, immersive experience that sits at the intersection of drama and innovation. It challenges perceptions and ignites introspection. But like many writers, I’ve handed this material over to the cast and director to interpret, so I don’t know what to expect. But I do know I’m excited about the journey.
I’m excited about what will come from the experience of live theatre, especially now that everything is mediated by a glass screen. It’s like a carnival. You pay your ticket, and you take your ride. That’s all you can do, and I would say to the audience, be prepared to take a ride.
About the show
Date(s): Aug 2-10, 12-17, 19-24
Time(s): 17:20 (55 minutes)
Location: Greenside @ George Street – Lime Studio
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