• Advertise
  • Request Review
  • Write for Us
  • Privacy
  • Login

Theatre Bubble

The UK Theatre Network

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
  • Reviews
  • News
  • Features
  • Spotlight
  • Opinions
  • Interviews
  • Guides
  • Tickets

Fringe Diary: Powder Keg’s Josh Coates

August 10, 2017 by Tom Bailey Leave a Comment

Another day, another Fringe Diary, this time courtesy of Powder Keg’s Josh Coates. A neat run through of the hectic day-to-day activities of theatremakers at the Fringe – this time at slightly later time than most. 


The Fringe Festival is a wonderful, exhausting, gruelling, joyous, rewarding, beautiful time of year to be in sunny(or as is usually the case, rainy) Scotland. Now we’ve been to the Fringe before, but as our own company this is our first time and for a while on the edge of burning out, though also wishing for an extra 16 hours every day just in case we miss out on any little thing this city has bursting from its seams – all we can do is try our best.

With our show not being on until 22:15 each night, we find ourselves slightly out of sync with normal human beings and a day will usually run as follows:

  • Wake up around 10/11 and commence morning routines, followed by breakfast and coffee
    (breakfast that usually consists of a banana on the way out because you’re already running late for that midday show you wanted to see). As it was yesterday, Palmyra (Bertrand Lesca &  Nasi
    Voutsas) was our midday show at Summerhall – it was gorgeous, playful, nasty, twisted and nail
    biting – I highly recommend it.
  • After this it was time to grab a quick Sainsbury’s meal deal on the way to another show. The Fringe is brilliant as a performer because you meet so many people and find yourself amongst a lot of friends who all have other shows they’re enthusiastic about and its hard not to get swept up in the hype and find yourself booked up pretty much every hour. However on this particular day, we get to the venue and find ourselves in an empty room – it was of course the performer’s days off (sorry MeMeMe!) so it was to a coffee shop instead.
  • We found one nearby the venue and found some seats downstairs that were away from the hustle and bustle of the busy Fringe and gave us a moment of reflection (and frantically checking Twitter for reviews).
  • With coffees drank we parted ways, either to do some flyering or to try and squeeze nap #1 into the day. With these done, it was time to race back into the city and find a remote location for a late afternoon show – Doomsday Meditation by a good friend of ours Nathan Birkinshaw at Bar Bados. Whilst he is done no favours by the venue or sound travelling through, the show itself is great, plays beautifully with that line of light-hearted and aren’t-we- all-fucked. After this is done it’s time to squeeze in a bit more flyering and flyer placement all over our venue before heading back via Tesco to make ourselves a dinner that has some kind of fruit or vegetable to keep us alive up here (this time in the form of a tofu and veg stir fry).
  • Dinner done and eaten, quick check in with Mum to tell her I’m surviving and eating properly (as I have done every week since i moved out 5 years ago) and that final nap in the 20 minutes you got spare.
  • It’s then show time, making yourself look vaguely presentable and energised as you arrive at Summerhall. The wonderful tech crew at NorthernStage had already got well under way with our get in (they’re honestly so great we love them) and classic bits of warm ups and running around loosey goosey to welcome an audience as we play loud angry music to pump both them and us up.

I love performing this show, it’s a lot of fun and doesn’t take itself too seriously which is always a laugh. In it’s relaxed way it also makes it more comfortable for an audience to approach with their own views and opinions. It’s a piece that provokes thought and invites an audience to start a conversation – which I’m glad so far they have been doing and it’s been incredibly rewarding.

We end the show the same way we always have “We’re going for a pint, feel free to come with us” and then it’s off to the Summerhall pub for a few drinks with the wonderful people we have either known for years, or met this year. People we know as other artists, production teams, marketing, producers, techies, or even just some of the staff of the venue. It’s nice finishing our show gone 11pm, because Edinburgh Fringe seems to operate on a level where they too want us to get 40 hours out of our day. Always end up getting home a little later than we plan (what? We only START drinking at like midnight…) and that’s probably part of the reason – along with throwing ourselves into our show every night with everything we’ve got – but I honestly wouldn’t have it any other way.

Powder Keg’s Morale is High plays at Summerhall NorthernStage at 22:15 throughout the Fringe 

Author: Tom BaileyTom is a theatre maker and writer based in London, England. He covers news and interviews for Theatre Bubble.
T: Twitter F: Facebook

Filed Under: Opinion Tagged With: Edinburgh Fringe 2017

Join the discussion Cancel reply

INTERVIEW / Davinia Hamilton on Blanket Ban

Following its hit run at Edinburgh Festival Fringe, theatre makers and activists Davinia Hamilton and Marta Vella bring their rallying [Read More]

INTERVIEW / Richard Vergette on Leaving Vietnam

We spoke to Richard Vergette, writer and performer of Leaving Vietnam. Richard plays a war veteran who feels ignored and [Read More]

Review / The Journey To Venice at the Finborough Theatre

Bjorg Vik’s play The Journey To Venice is a delightful production, entertaining yet full of pathos. A play with a [Read More]

INTERVIEW / Tzarini Meyler talks KITES at VAULT Festival

We spoke to Artistic Director of LipZinc Theatre, writer and performer Tzarini Meyler about her upcoming show at VAULT Festival [Read More]

INTERVIEW / Naomi Westerman talks BATMAN (aka Naomi’s Death Show)

We spoke to writer and performer Naomi Westerman from Little But Fierce about her upcoming show at VAULT Festival Can [Read More]

Top Posts & Pages

  • 5 Stage Elements to Consider for a Rousing Theatrical Production
  • Hang at The Royal Court
  • Angharad Jones on The Swearing Jar 
  • The Further Adventures of the Owl and the Pussycat
  • Tim Edge talks Under the Black Rock
  • The Donmar Warehouse's Julius Caesar at the King's Cross Theatre
  • Breach Theatre
  • 10 Tips to Help You Prepare for Your Reality TV Auditions
  • Ben Lloyd-Hughes in Kiss Me
  • Katy Owen: How to Apply to Drama Schools*
  • Tom Bailey
    Editor

  • August 10th, 2017
  • comment iconNo Comments
  • FacebookTweetLinkedInEmail

    Newsletter

    Enjoyed what you've read? Get even more great content directly to your inbox - Completely Free

    About Theatre Bubble

    Theatre Bubble is the news, review and blogging site created by Blue Pie Media and run by a dedicated team of outstanding editors and writers: we're always looking for new contributors - to find out more click here.

    Contact Us

    News: news@theatrebubble.com
    Reviews: reviews@theatrebubble.com
    Website: webmaster@theatrebubble.com

    Privacy Policy

    Copyright © 2023 · Blue Pie Media

     

    Loading Comments...
     

      Share this ArticleLike this article? Email it to a friend!

      Email sent!