Show: How to Be a Better Human Venue: Summerhall, Red Lecture Theatre Time: 6pm Dates: 3rd – 28th August (not 15th,22nd) Photographer: Tom Woollard Links: Instagram Website Twitter YouTube
Please tell me about your 2022 Edinburgh Festival Fringe show, How to Be a Better Human.
How to Be a Better Human is a spoken word comedy about grief, loss and self-acceptance. I tell the story of my 2019 – a year when my dad died from bowel cancer, and my wife ended our marriage 68 days later. Obviously I did what any normal person would do and wrote a comedy show with poems, animations and original music about it. I wanted to highlight all of the weird shit that happens when someone is being diagnosed and dying, and also tell my story honestly in hopes it would encourage others to be able to talk.
What is the attraction of performing at the Edinburgh Fringe? What do you think of Edinburgh?
For us, as an emerging company, it’s about reputation – about people seeing our work and going “ok…Brave Words are here!” It’s really exciting to be at the Summerhall alongside some really well established names. That and meeting other artists, connecting, making friends and opening avenues for new collaborations.
Who inspires you?
That thin line between something that’s artistic and absurd and weird…and the real events of our lives. For me that’s where poetry lives. On a more practical level, I do a lot of my writing in a cottage in Wales (owned by my partner’s parents, otherwise there’s no way I’d be able to afford it) – so in recent times the sea, adventures, slate and seabirds.
Are there other shows you want to check out during the Fringe? What are they?
So many. SheWOLVES is directed by a friend of mine and also promises to be excellent theatre of feminism. The Paines Plough programme at Summerhall looks ace. Potatohead by Freddie Hayes ‘cos she’s also a Yorkshire lass. Additionally a lot of comedy – Joz Norris, John Kearns to name a couple. I’ve just finished a hefty 3 hour session with the full fringe programme!
Finally, ask and answer a question of your own.
What has the reception for the show so far been?
Really great. I’ve had a lot of people coming up at the end of shows and telling me their own stories of grief – I’ve heard about so many family members and intimate experiences. And lots of people said really nice things about the show too – but we made a trailer with those already!
