Crizards - This Means War Interview

Critically-acclaimed double act Crizards are set to return to the Pleasance during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe this summer with their brand-new show This Means War.  
 
Directed by Edinburgh Comedy Award Winner Jordan Brookes, Crizards weave together a show exploring the human struggle to be brave during uncertain times through sketch, narrative and song. 
 
Set during wartime, the story follows the misadventures of Private Grandad as he attempts to deliver a crucial message for the British army. However, obstacles such as a mischievous Belgian boy, a War Horse-style animal puppet, and a comrade who keeps being resurrected make the mission anything but simple.  
 
Crizards are Eddy Hare and Will Rowland. They met at UCL and have been performing as Crizards since 2016 and have since gone on to make to the final of the Leicester Square Theatre Sketch Off in 2017 and were nominated for the BBC New Comedy Awards in 2022.

Photo by Rebecca Need-Menear

Ahead of the 2023 Edinburgh Fringe I spoke with the duo about This Means War.

What brought the double-act together?
We met at university and performed in plays together. After graduating, which took a long time due to repeated years and changing degrees, we both ended up working at the same terrible temp job. Our task involved inputting data into a database for long hours, and none of the permanent staff would interact with us. We knew we had to leave, but ended up staying for 18 months.

During that period, there was a sketch competition organised by David Hardcastle at Leicester Square Theatre. Although we were eliminated in the semifinals, David encouraged us to participate again the following year. Luckily, we came in third place and won £75. And we’ve been making around £75 annually ever since. 

What inspired This Means War?
In our previous show, we took on the theme of the Wild West and portrayed cowboys. As we brainstormed ideas for our next production, we felt that transitioning to a war setting and dressing up as soldiers would be a fun next step. This choice would allow us to explore another traditionally masculine world and set of media tropes. And we liked the hats. 

How do you approach a subject such as war and make sketch musical comedy out of it?
The most important thing is to recognise our limits. We haven't been to war, and we're not experts in history. So, our show isn't about accurately portraying soldiers or their experiences. It's just two guys in their thirties, with low energy, who dress up as soldiers and sing songs. 

Photo by Rebecca Need-Menear

What research have you had to do whilst creating the piece?
Our process was quite unique. Eddy and Jordan took on the task of conducting extensive research, while Will did nothing. Eddy and Jordan immersed themselves in various war-related movies and literature. Will, on the other hand, focused on recalling his childhood memories and associations with war. We also went on a lads' jolly to the Imperial War Museum and had coffees in the cafe. 

What are the biggest challenges when you’re creating a new show?
Having to always ask ourselves if we feel a strong connection to what we were making. If something didn't feel right, even if it was funny, we had to let it go. We ended up cutting out a lot of material for this show- there’s probably a couple of hours’ worth that didn't make the final version. Another challenge is sometimes we would have too big a lunch and feel sleepy. Writing is tough. 

What do you want an audience to take away from seeing This Means War?
Our main goal is for the audience to have a fun time. Sometimes, when we're on stage, we have a tendency to laugh because we just love performing together and being silly. We hope that the audience can share in that joy and have fun with us too.

Can you describe This Means War in 3 words?
Silly, silly stuff.

This Means War plays at the Pleasance Dome at the Edinburgh Fringe. Tickets are available from https://www.pleasance.co.uk/event/crizards-means-war

Photo by Rebecca Need-Menear