A Fringe Quickie (#248) with ‘Telling the Bees’

Questions answered by Gemma Sharp.

Q1: Aside from this Quickie, what is the most desperate marketing tactic you plan on using to get bums in seats this August? 280 chars

The play centres around Bees, so we considered utilising the skills of our costume designer Julia (who is also a beekeeper) to produce a real “beard of bees” which I would wear up and down the Royal Mile. However, on reflection, this may be terrifying for both me and the bees.

Q2: If your show walked into a cocktail bar, what would it order?

Something with honey, obviously. But since numerous mythical creatures are also making appearances, I think we’d want something dark, smoky, complicated, and deep. Like the bottom of an ancient loch. But tastier.

Q3: The Fringe is horribly expensive. How are you financing this run? Did you remortgage your house, sell your granny, or start an illicit side hustle?

Serious answer time: our run is funded by ticket sales from our previous production The Tale of the Loneliest Whale. We are not funded, and god knows we’ve tried, but regardless, we make the work happen because we love it and we’d be lost without it.

Q4: How will the audience remember you the morning after?

We hope our younger audiences will wonder how they can get a baby Selkie (seal) or what they can do to encourage Brownies to take up residence in their kitchen. Parents might be wondering if their better half is not, in fact, a Kelpie in disguise. Either way, lots of questions!