ON THE MENU AT TRASH CUISINE: WE MEET NATALIA KALIADA

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Belarus Free Theatre have been performing since 2004 after the company was founded by Natalia

Kaliada and Nicolai Khalezin. Under adverse conditions in a dictatorship where free expression is forbidden and controversial opinions met with arrest and authoritarian anger, Natalia and Nicolai have successfully produced a number of plays with the rest of the company and received acclaim world wide for their work. This year the company are bringing Trash Cuisine to the Pleasance, a play concerning themes of capital punishment – a penalty still prevalent in Belarus – and we caught up with Natalia during rehearsals prior to the Fringe.

Starting a theatre company in the UK may seem difficult enough due to lack of funding and support but in Belarus, deciding to found a theatre company which will directly challenge the ideologies of a stern dictatorship was a brave feat, Natalia explains, “You open a contemporary art gallery and it is shut down. My husband was running three independent newspapers and was one of the best journalists in the country but his newspapers got closed down. Then you go to protest and you get arrested,”

Natalia continues, “At some point you want to think about how to express yourself and you think that is the thing nobody could prohibit you from doing.” The struggle for expression in Belarus led the group to found the company since, Natalia notes passionately, “You decide you want to say whatever you want, wherever you want, whenever you want and to who you want by means of the theatre. It kind of came to this idea that we just want to say what we want and we decided to prove that even under a dictatorship that is possible.”

Expression of the views held close to the company is clearly a key part of its ethic. Natalia talks of the way in which playwrights such as Chekov, Meyerhold and Grotowski present contemporary life as something the company wishes to emulate, to talk directly about pressing issues in society. Trash Cuisine then is a play which does just this, tackling subjects which many theatre goers

would wish to turn a blind eye to. “We understand what it means when nobody is paying attention so you just scream,” Natalia begins, “We visited places like Ghana or Malasia where we saw jungles and witch camps, and no human rights organisations or journalists ever go to such places. In some places even when people scream nobody hears them, or nobody wants to hear them.” Two events in particular inspired Trash Cuisine’s themes of capital punishment, the first a tale Natalia was told when in Rwanda and the second two executions which happened recently in Belarus.

“We were in Rwanda and our friend told us a story about his sister. When genocide started my sister gave birth to a new born and she and her husband were from two different tribes. He started to kill their children and one by one he would slice them and fry them and make her eat them. When I was told this story it was not possible for me to even digest that. When people hear that story they think we made it up. Because we as people cannot allow ourselves to imagine this is happening,” Natalia tells me, “And secondly last year there was an execution of two, innocent young people who were randomly picked up by the

authorities who said they organised an attack on the Minsk underground. It was not them and it was a shocking moment for the country and many people brought flowers. If people had thought they were guilty, no one would have brought flowers.”

Dealing with themes close to their society in Belarus and the wider world the company have seen on their travels, Natalia tells me that Trash Cuisine uses music, choreography and theatre to convey the important message of the piece. Combining the performance with a protest, Belarus Free Theatre are politicised, connected and ready to make us all aware.

Trash Cuisine runs from the 19-26 August in the Pleasance Courtyard at 15.30

ISSUE 8: 14TH AUGUST 2013

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BROUGHT TO YOU BY BOOK NOW:

“You want to say

whatever you want, wherever

you want...”

“When people scream nobody hears them, or nobody wants to hear them ”

The Pleasance Theatre Trust is a registered charity in England and Wales (1050944) and Scotland (SCO43227)

As the Pleasance prepares to celebrate its 30th year, Pleasance Times runs you through 30 of the

best things to do before the Pleasance turns 30!

1. Try and see a show in every venue

2. Get a picture with the Totem Pole (in the Courtyard AND the Dome)

3. Book a ticket for a random show or go to the first show you’re flyered for You never know what hidden gems you will find by taking a chance on the first thing you see in the brochure or the show for the flyer in your hand. Maybe you’ll see the next big thing for under a tenner, catch some theatre you’d have otherwise discarded or end up reliving your youth in a kids show.

4. Attempt to count the different posters in the venues

5. Soak up the sunshine on the cobbles of the Courtyard Whilst the weather stays fine the best place to enjoy the Scottish sunshine is the Courtyard where you can people watch, grab a pint and celebrity spot between the

shows.

6. Download the Pleasance Comedy Podcast

7. Check out Pleasance TV

8. Find every IndieImages Pleasance founder Christopher Richardson’s faithful hound and Pleasance mascot, Indie, can be found all around the venues. See how many you spot before the end of the festival.

9. See a one off production like The Wrestling

10. Get a photo with a famous person

11. Watch the tattoo fireworks through the roof of the Dome

12. Visit the Edinburgh Picture Show in the Pleasance Dome

13. Try and name all 27 venues in under 5 minutes

14. Play hide and seek in the Courtyard

15. Go and see a kids show even if you’re over 16!Relive your youth! The festival isn’t all about late nights and lots of beer. There’s a great selection of children’s shows on if you’re ever up before midday.

16. Go to a show on your own

17. Tweet an act to tell them you loved their show

18. Have a conversation with a flyererFlyering is one of the most difficult jobs of the Fringe so if you have a spare five minutes, take a flyer and have a chat, see if they can sell their show

19. Ask for an autograph from someone who is giving their first hour

20. Give a standing ovation to a show that deserves it

21. Be brave and sit at the front of a stand up comedy show No one wants to but someone has to. Bite the bullet and grab that front row seat, you could get dragged onto stage, engage in chatter with the comic or if you’re lucky, get off scot free. Either way you’ll have the best seat in the house and probably a story to tell.

22. Make yourself heard (politely) in an improv show

23. See a show that makes you laugh and one that makes you cry in the same day

24. Recommend a show to a friend

25. Try and see 10 shows in a day (that’s a show every 1.4 hours!)

26. Take refuge from the rain in the Dome

27. Strike up a conversation with the person next to you in a show

28. Try and get from the Dome to the Courtyard in under a minuteBut be careful of the traffic on Nicolson Street! And if you’re seeing two shows maybe leave yourself a little bit longer so you don’t miss the start.

29. Accept vitamin C into your diet every now and then

30. SLEEP!

Edited by Jonathan Bucks & Emily Tanner. Photography by Jassy Earl

30 THINGS TO DO BEFORE THE PLEASANCE TURNS 30!

@cmoorinSaw @TapeFaceBoy again last

night, a year later it is still funnier than ever. Even when props go

missing

@YoungPleasance onstage ready to go

#rites @ThePleasance - only 5 more opportu-nities to catch this 5*

show

@rikkitreehornGoing to #edfringe? Highly recommend

@TheatreAdInf at Queen Dome, Pleasance, 5.15. Amazing fast paced

show, moving, funny and tragic

PLEASANCE TWEETS

‘For instant updates and behind the

scenes snippets follow us

@ThePleasance

The most embarrassing moment on stage was...

during the third show of Below The Belt when I accidentally threw a razor into an audience member’s face during a fight scene. He didn’t flinch though, much like a ninja or ‘man who is asleep’ wouldn’t. And the razor was blunted so thankfully he didn’t perish.

I am most proud of...

our cast member Graham Dickson because despite the fact he was born with a terrible affliction, he still manages to get up in the morning and come and put on a show. Graham has the rare debilitating condition ‘Being The Most Handsome Man In The World’. It’s a real burden. Audience members scream and demand he impregnate them with his progeny. Mike Wozniak, our other cast member, once swooned in the middle of a scene and I have to stop myself kissing

his body several times during the show. It’s a sexy must see play!

My biggest fear is...

I think in the context of the Edinburgh Festival it’s the same for everyone - no-one coming to see your show. We’re doing well though and I hope it continues. My other fear is being out acted by Mike Wozniak’s moustache. It has its own agent. It takes its own bow. Sometimes in the middle of a scene, it will deliver a monologue without warning. Perhaps I should have thrown that razor at Mike’s face instead of the other man’s.

This year I’m most excited about...

sharing this play with everyone really. It’s a wonderfully funny and smart play by American playwright Richard Dresser and we’re baffled as to why it’s not been done in the UK before. It’s about three men in an

absurd bureaucratic environment vying for power, playing mind games and going a bit mad. A friend described our characters as ‘desperate’. It goes at quite a lick, which I love watching in other plays. The production team behind it are amazing, it looks great and our director Hamish MacDougall is phenomenal, the best I’ve worked with.

My favourite thing about the Fringe is...

how it sits neatly on the forehead, just above the eyes. I’m being silly, the Edinburgh Fringe is not your hair, it is a festival. And it’s the most magical place in the world. I love how everyone I know is in one place and how sociable it is. And you’ll see some incredible work. It’s a big old smorgasbord of art and you must hungrily feast upon it. It’s important and ridiculous up here like life itself.

Catch Tom in Below the Belt until the 26 August in the Pleasance Courtyard at 15.25

ELLIPSIS WITH TOM GOLDING FROM BELOW THE BELT

FOR 12Cut out and present to

the Box Office for 2 FOR 1 tickets for:

Young Pleasance: RITES13:20

14th & 15th AugustPleasance Courtyard

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PICTURESHOW

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Published every two days during the festival catch up on previous editions online

PLEASANCE TIMES

WORD PLAY: SCROOBIUS PIP SHARES HIS WORDS

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Scroobius Pip does not seem like a star of the UK hip hop and electronic scene. He is understated, grateful and truly humble

as he talks about his show, Words, the reception it has so far received, his work in the music world and love of comedy, and does not for one moment seem anything but a normal guy, albeit an incredibly talented one.

A spoken word performance at a festival best known for comedy and theatre may seem like a slightly odd fit and something many performers wouldn’t initially consider doing. “When I toured it in December,” Pip begins as I ask what made him bring a spoken word show to the Fringe this year, I wanted to play in rock venues to show people you can have a good night out at a spoken word gig (in fact, Pip comments that one of the reasons he chose the Ace Dome was because it has a bar) and Tim Key and Brett Goldstein caught it and suggested I bring it up the Fringe this year. Just to have them think I could do something at the Fringe was great as I’m a massive fan of them both.”

The good time ethic Pip sees as key to his work was there at the birth of Words when he

premiered the show during the Saturday night headline spot at Latitude Festival last year. Initially expecting an audience of two or three hundred people he arrived onstage to find a 4000 strong crowd Pip was overwhelmed with the show’s initial reception . “It was the Saturday night headline slot,” he almost shakes his head in slight disbelief, “You would except people to want to go out and go dancing but they’d had to stand everyone up as there were about 4000 people in the tent. And they stayed there, and listened to the whole thing and it meant the world to me. It was so overwhelming, such a wonderful reaction.” Known also for his work in music, something which may well have drawn the impressive Latitude crowd, often with Dans Le Sac, Pip notes he often forgets people know him foremost for this and ask if he’ll be doing “any of the songs” in his set. “Well,” he smiles, “I think yeah, but the delivery won’t be the same and the inflections too, some of ‘the songs’ will be there but it will be different.”

Scroobius Pip has always engaged with society in his work. Whilst many poets and spoken word artists can be concerned with introspective subjects life Pip’s work constantly strives to connect to the wider society. “I do this partly because I’m a fan of hip hop,” he begins, “Along with spoken word it’s always the quickest to respond to things. A great example is the Treyvon Martin case, where artists reacted to the ‘stand your ground law’ in America during the trial, It’s such an instant response.”

Although Pip mentioned he was a comedy nerd at the beginning of our conversation, I was still surprised by his knowledge and response

when I asked what he’s most excited to see at the Fringe this year. As we talked of ex-rapper Doc Brown, Doctor Brown and his silent comedy, Tom Rosenthal and many others Pip is keen to catch, Pip is constantly enthused and passionate about something he clearly loves. “Being around the comedians and pretending I’m meant to be to be here is great. Chris Ramsey came along to the show last night and it was great to chat and hang out after. It’s not a comedy show but there are some light-hearted moments, and having people like Brett and Tim previously credit my work is amazing. The main focus is me trying to play it cool around these comedians without being all ‘you know who I am!’”

Scroobius Pip has words a plenty to share. You can catch his show Words until 26th August in the Pleasance Dome at 21.40.

ISSUE 6: 10TH AUGUST 2013

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BROUGHT TO YOU BY BOOK NOW:

STOP PRESS:

TARTAN RIBBON COMEDY BENEFITLINE UP!

The Boy With Tape

On His Face

David O’Doherty

Tim Vine

Hal Cruttenden

Slightly Fat

Features

Mat Ricardo

And ManyMore

TUESDAY 13 AUG

PLEASANCECOURTYARD

“Being around comedians and pretending I’m meant to be

here is great”

“It was so overwhelming,

such a wonderful reaction”

Image of the day: Backstage at the tech rehersal as Scroobius Pip prepares for this debut Fringe show, Words

Watch video clips, behind the scenes footage and festival exclusives.

PLEASANCE TV

They were promised blood, they were promised carnage, they were promised comedy, and by God they

got what they wanted. After a year long hiatus, a packed out Grand played host to The Wrestling II, comedy’s most exhilarating spectacle of hilarity and agility, dreamt up by comedy duo, Max and Ivan.

Master of ceremonies and firebrand Nick Helm conducted proceedings as he whipped the baying crowd into a frenzy, while Matthew Crosby provided astute on-the-ground reporting. However Helm found himself on the receiving end of a brutal attack and had to be stretchered off. Joe Lycett and his mellifluous tones replaced the gruffness of Helm while Brendon Burns and Andrew Maxwell provided commentary from the side-lines.

Trading in their microphones and witty repartee for suplexes and bare knuckles, Thom Tuck and Dan Cook took to the ring for the first bout. Cook had clearly not received the memo about correct uniform and eschewing the traditional wrestler garb of spandex, had come dressed in shirt and tie.

Far from the “amazing display of un-coordination” Andrew Maxwell predicted from the side-lines, the comics’ surprising agility and textbook technique saw them flex not only their comedic muscles but, well, their actual muscles. The fierce contest concluded with a victory for Thom Tuck and a triumphant team (Pun)ishment.

Adrenaline pumping, the frenzied crowd roared Tom ‘Explosenthal’ Rosenthal and Dan ‘The Hammer’ Head onto the stage. Clad in a full body spandex suit, Rosenthal resembled some kind of vampiric manifestation of the antichrist, slithering across the ring like a snake. The closely fought contest saw ‘Explosenthal’ vanquished and Team

O’Hanlon level up the contest at one bout apiece.

The finely poised contest was interrupted by the sudden arrival of Rishi Ghosh, the crowned Prince of Mumbai who featured in The Wrestling in 2011, held aloft by The Noise Next Door. Shaking his fists and haranguing the crowd, the Prince was silenced by the unexpected appearance of The Boy With Tape On His Face, who, armed with only a roll of tape, muzzled his opponent and triumphed. Entertaining the audience with his whimsical tricks and silent charm, the Boy proved the perfect respite from the ferocity of the main event.

It was honours even going into the final bout which saw a six man elimination match, including Max and Ivan, the brains behind the evening. Pandemonium ensued as comedians and wrestlers collided with jaw-shattering force. In a dramatic twist, Matthew ‘The Pacifist’ Crosby who had been nursing a groggy Nick Helm backstage, burst into the ring under the new guise of ‘The Masochist’.

However, when Crosby was left a crumpled wreck in the ring, only one man could save the forces of good. Nick Helm, One Man Mega Myth, flew onto stage dressed in only his underwear and seized victory for Team O’Hanlon, rounding off a carnival-esque evening of comedy, athleticism and sheer bloody madness.

If you missed out on The Wrestling II, you can catch up the night with Pleasance TV, the Comedy Podcast and the Picture Show

THE WRESTLING SPECIALTHE WRESTLING SPECIAL: 14TH AUGUST 2013

Comics traded in their microphones and witty repartee for suplexes and

bare knuckles

SCOREBOARDROUND 1

VS

THOM TUCK

DAN COOK

A bruising contest saw both warriors floored on more than one occassion. However, Tuck’s agility and gumption saw him come out on top. Despite a spirited performance from Dan Cook, perhaps he will next time think twice about coming dressed for the office.

VSTOM ‘EXPLOSENTHAL’

ROSENTHALDAN ‘THE

HAMMER’ HEAD

The grudge match of this or any other century, Tom ‘Explosenthal’ Rosenthal took on Dan ‘The Hammer’ Head in a fierce contest which saw the youthful Rosenthal vanquished. Despite a brave performance and a flamboyant costume, he proved no match for the pro wrestler.

VS

MAX IVAN

ROUND 2

ROUND 3

Edited by Jonathan Bucks & Emily Tanner. Photography by Jassy Earl

The double act put friendship aside and locked horns in an adrenaline-fuelled six man elimination bout. Sweat, blood and tears ensued before Nick Helm, man of the hour,claimed victory for Team O’Hanlon

@ladyflemingtonI can’t believe

#TheWrestlingII is happen-ing!! I am going to explode

with joy!!!

@amycookehodgson9hWhat a ridiculous and wonderful evening #thewrestling was! So

many surprising + awesome per-formances! Againagain...!

@cadalice12hI’ve never run for a show in my life. I have a feeling #TheWrestling just might be worth it... @ThePleasance

It was 1992 and the Pleasance was still an upcoming Fringe venue. Waverley Care was also just starting out, a very young

charity raising funds for those affected by HIV and Hepatitis C. When Waverley Care knocked on the Pleasance’s door asking if they could shake their buckets in the Courtyard, it was a match made in heaven that has flourished over the last 22 years.

Waverley Care very quickly became a member of the Pleasance family and Christopher Richardson, the Pleasance’s founder, didn’t just let them shake their buckets in the Courtyard but organised an outdoor benefit gig in their honour. In inimitable Edinburgh style, it rained.

Spirits weren’t dampened however and 22 years later, the Pleasance’s

relationship with Waverley Care has blossomed. The Tartan Ribbon Comedy Benefit has become a regular feature in the Pleasance’s programme with star-studded line-ups featuring the likes of Michael McIntyre, Stephen K Amos, Russell Howard, Jason Byrne and many more. The Pleasance’s unwavering loyalty to the charity has seen the establishment of the Pleasance Kidzone Project and Young Pleasance’s links with Waverley Care’s own children’s projects.

August is an important month for Waverley Care and the relationship with the Pleasance makes a substantial contribution to fundraising. Last year’s green t-shirted bucket-shakers helped raise £34,000 and the charity is hoping to raise even more this year. Waverley Care has taken great strides in eradicating the stigma that stalks those with HIV and Hep C and its efforts have been bolstered by the Pleasance, especially the Tartan Ribbon Comedy Benefit.

Karen Docwra, Waverley Care’s fundraising manager, said she was

14TH AUGUST 2013

“The benefit is a focal point for

the extraordinary relationship between the

Pleasance and Waverley Care

THE TARTAN RIBBON SPECIAL

Waverley Care’s distinctive green t-shirts brighten up the Pleasance Courtyard

grateful to Ryan Taylor, Head of Comedy at the Pleasance, and to all the comedians who have taken part over many years. She added, “The benefit is a great focal point for the extraordinary and unique relationship which exists between the Pleasance and Waverley Care. Now in its 22nd year, this relationship helps to support people living with HIV or Hepatitis C and to challenge the stigma which has such a profound impact on their lives.”

Anthony Alderson, Director of the Pleasance, has been a patron of Waverley Care since 2007. He told Pleasance Times that he was “delighted to support Waverley Care for over 22 years.” He added, “It’s fantastic to deliver something vital for such a worthy cause. Fringe to directly show their support.” Comic Chris Stokes also commented “I was honoured to be asked to do the Tartan Ribbon. As well as being a lovely gig to play, it is also for a really worthy cause. Waverley Care do outstanding work.”

To find out more and dontate to Waveryly Care visit www.waverleycare.org

BUCKET-SHAKERS AND TARTAN RIBBONS: WAVERLEY CARE AT THE PLEASANCE

Last night the Tartan Ribbon Comedy Benefit took place at the Pleasance Courtyard

in aid of Waverley Care. The night was jam packed full of laughs, variety and even a few musical turns and raised an impressive amount for the worthy cause.

Starting off proceedings for the evening was MC Stuart Goldsmith, charming the crowd with his slick jokes and friendly banter. Discussing the moody blue lighting which illuminated the audience Stuart suggested the crowd each stretch out an arm around the person on their right getting everyone up close and personal as the show began. The first act to then grace the stage was The Boy With Tape On His Face, stunning the audience with his silent comedy and snippets from his returning sell out 2012 show, More Tape. Two members of the audience were unwittingly dragged up to the stage to participate in the show, giving The Boy a run for his money with their willingness to engage in his act.

After another short piece from Stuart Goldsmith, warming the crowd up for the second act of the show, the perfectly middle class Hal Cruttenden took to the stage. With jokes about how his daughters thought he was surely gay to

the emotional incapabilities of alpha male football fans, Hal kept the audience with him throughout with his witty observations on family life and modern masculinity. Next up on the star studded bill was Gary Delaney who delivered a series of hilarious one liners about a variety of topics from donkeys in Blackpool to life with his girlfriend before Dan Nightingale picked up the mic to tell us about his time on internet dating sets and perform an incredibly honest skit about the smugness of IPhone users.

The youthful Chris Stokes was up next, chatting about nerding out in his delightfully awkward manner whilst Mat Ricardo followed to provide entertainment with his table tricks. Pulling three (hopefully fake) Brazilian machetes from a suitcase, one of which almost hit a member of the front row, to juggle and taking the tablecloth from beneath a well laid tea tray he displayed skill and dexterity in his act and proved himself as a truly talented performer.

Somewhere between your dad at a party after a couple of pints and a well crafted stand up, king of the puns Tim Vine was up after Mat. Known for his comic timing, witty one liners and cheeky stage

presence Tim had the room in stiches as he performed a few musical numbers and delivered his puns with perfect comic timing and great enthusiasm. David O’Doherty was the night’s penultimate act on his usual brilliant form with his retro Casio and comedy songs, telling tales about why life is like the Olympics and why Amelie would be an atrocious girlfriend when it came to paying the internet bill.

Director of the Pleasance, Anthony Alderson then delivered a short speech to congratulate Waverley Care on the great work they do and hand the charity’s own Director a cheque for £44,264 – a truly incredible sum which Waverley Care have raised this year at the Pleasance and which will go towards helping those affected by HIV and Hepatitis C. One final word from the excellent MC Stuart Goldsmith and the show was closed by cabaret troupe Slightly Fat Features who demonstrated their juggling skills, cling film escapology and witty way with words.

If you missed out on the night or just want to relive all the fun check out coverage from Pleasance TV, the Pleasance Comedy Podcast the Edinburgh Picture Show.

@tony8fThanks to @WaverleyCare for

treating us to their Tartan Ribbon Benefit last night. Still cracking up

at David O’Doherty!

@RuthClelland 11hFirst #EdFringe of the week with@

jamiehkerr Tartan Ribbon Comedy Benefit for #WaverlyCare.V

good from Tim Vine to Boy with Tape #megalaughs

@TonyStenhouseExcellent night out with the @freeagent team at the tartan

ribbon comedy benefit.