As part of our Edinburgh Fringe 2024 coverage, we are running a series of interviews with artists and creatives that are taking part in the festival.
In this interview, we speak to Conor Dumbrell who will star in Crying Shame.
Where did your arts career begin?
At 5 years old in my tiny local drama club. I’d cried in ballet and I’d cried in football so my mum signed me up for the am-dram group to see if I’d cry there too. Thankfully, I didn’t. In fact, I took to it like a duck to water and 20 years later I split my time between understudy jobs on the West End and devising experimental, audience-interactive shows with Sweet Beef.
At 5 years old in my tiny local drama club. I’d cried in ballet and I’d cried in football so my mum signed me up for the am-dram group to see if I’d cry there too. Thankfully, I didn’t. In fact, I took to it like a duck to water and 20 years later I split my time between understudy jobs on the West End and devising experimental, audience-interactive shows with Sweet Beef.
What can you tell me about your show?
Crying Shame is a mash-up of cabaret, theatre and performance art all about loneliness. We welcome our audience into the secret Club Cabaret Fragilé for a sparkly, celebratory evening of mind-boggling performances from a crew of camp clowns. But when the loneliness factor reaches maximum the show takes a hand-brake turn into the darker recesses of shame that keep our authentic selves isolated and our communities divided.
Plus there’s a healthy portion of lip-syncing, tap dancing, bubbles, confetti and all-round sexiness thrown in for good measure.
How would you describe the style of the show?
Like a cruise ship drag queen performing a Britney music video in the mind of a lonely ten year-old. It’s very eclectic, fizzing with a wild energy and packed with tonnes of humour. We use a lot of movement and dance in the show too so don’t be surprised if you see us sweating!
Like a cruise ship drag queen performing a Britney music video in the mind of a lonely ten year-old. It’s very eclectic, fizzing with a wild energy and packed with tonnes of humour. We use a lot of movement and dance in the show too so don’t be surprised if you see us sweating!
How have you approached developing the piece?
We’ve done many interviews with lonely people up and down the UK of all ages and woven their verbatim experiences of loneliness into the show. We’ve then used these real life perspectives as inspiration for cabaret acts, from biscuit fanatics to clowns crying in the bath. As the show plays with audience interaction, we’ve also performed at lots of club nights and scratch nights to test out material live and were commissioned by Stanley Arts and Croydon Borough of Culture to create an immersive, promenade version of the show, where audiences could wander through the glittery dreamscape of Cabaret FragilĂ©.
We’ve done many interviews with lonely people up and down the UK of all ages and woven their verbatim experiences of loneliness into the show. We’ve then used these real life perspectives as inspiration for cabaret acts, from biscuit fanatics to clowns crying in the bath. As the show plays with audience interaction, we’ve also performed at lots of club nights and scratch nights to test out material live and were commissioned by Stanley Arts and Croydon Borough of Culture to create an immersive, promenade version of the show, where audiences could wander through the glittery dreamscape of Cabaret FragilĂ©.
How do/will you prepare yourself for a run at the Fringe?
Stockpiling Berocca and bananas! We’re up there for the full month so we’ll need a steady supply of immune support and slow-release energy. We’ll be rehearsing lots too, to get our choreography Edinburgh-ready. Shahaf Beer, our amazing designer, is adding the finishing touches to our costumes. No spoilers, but expect lots of pearls, mesh, lipstick and diamonds. Final thing is to get the word out there and share the messy community spirit of Crying Shame with as many festival-goers as possible.
Stockpiling Berocca and bananas! We’re up there for the full month so we’ll need a steady supply of immune support and slow-release energy. We’ll be rehearsing lots too, to get our choreography Edinburgh-ready. Shahaf Beer, our amazing designer, is adding the finishing touches to our costumes. No spoilers, but expect lots of pearls, mesh, lipstick and diamonds. Final thing is to get the word out there and share the messy community spirit of Crying Shame with as many festival-goers as possible.
Other than the show, what’s something you’re looking forward to doing in Edinburgh this year?
Climbing Arthur’s seat and getting that fresh Caledonian air in my lungs. Heading to Ong Gie - they do the best Korean food in town. And catching as many other shows as possible. I’m super excited to see ‘For the Love of Spam’ and ‘Duck’ (the other Charlie Hartill-winning shows on at Pleasance this year), as well Kathrine Payne’s unhinged clowny show ‘plewds’ and Mark Hannah’s ‘Athens of the North’.
Climbing Arthur’s seat and getting that fresh Caledonian air in my lungs. Heading to Ong Gie - they do the best Korean food in town. And catching as many other shows as possible. I’m super excited to see ‘For the Love of Spam’ and ‘Duck’ (the other Charlie Hartill-winning shows on at Pleasance this year), as well Kathrine Payne’s unhinged clowny show ‘plewds’ and Mark Hannah’s ‘Athens of the North’.
What keeps you inspired?
I am always inspired by the wild imaginations of the young people Sweet Beef facilitate workshops with. We recently finished a national tour of our debut show ‘I Hate It Here’, all about zero-hours contracts and instability, and in one Manchester workshop a legend of a participant created a character who was descended from 17th century gay Italian royalty who was genetically engineered from a crab.
I am always inspired by the wild imaginations of the young people Sweet Beef facilitate workshops with. We recently finished a national tour of our debut show ‘I Hate It Here’, all about zero-hours contracts and instability, and in one Manchester workshop a legend of a participant created a character who was descended from 17th century gay Italian royalty who was genetically engineered from a crab.
It makes ‘Crying Shame’ seem tame in comparison.
What do you hope an audience takes away from seeing the show?
That they may feel lonely but they are not alone. Loneliness is nationwide epidemic and we hope that ‘Crying Shame’ opens up opportunities for people to admit that they sometimes feel lonely and fragile and that’s OK because I do too. The best way to combat it is by talking, sharing and supporting our communities with love and acceptance (and a naughty little night at the cabaret).
That they may feel lonely but they are not alone. Loneliness is nationwide epidemic and we hope that ‘Crying Shame’ opens up opportunities for people to admit that they sometimes feel lonely and fragile and that’s OK because I do too. The best way to combat it is by talking, sharing and supporting our communities with love and acceptance (and a naughty little night at the cabaret).
Where can audiences see the show?
We’re on at Pleasance King Dome at 21:30 from 31st July to 28th August (excluding Mondays). We’d love to see you there darlings! xx
Tickets are available from https://www.pleasance.co.uk/event/crying-shame
TWITTER / X ACCOUNT: @sweetbeef_tc
INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT: @sweetbeeftheatre
TWITTER / X ACCOUNT: @sweetbeef_tc
INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT: @sweetbeeftheatre
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