In our ongoing Edinburgh Fringe interview series, we are speaking to artists and creatives who are bringing their shows to the Scottish capital this summer.
In this interview, Stella Marie Sophie discusses their show Baby In The Mirror.
What can you tell me in your words about your show?
Lena’s wearing a pinstripe suit. Joey’s soaking wet.
Baby in the Mirror is about queer baby making.
It’s kind of asking all the big questions that we ask, or most of the time don’t ask and probably should be asking, about what it means to make a baby and have a family.
When having a baby, you think about so many aspects of your life: your past, your family, desire, sexuality, care, freedom, identity. As queer people, you are also up against very particular structural inequalities and expectations in society.
Baby in the Mirror is about queer baby making.
It’s kind of asking all the big questions that we ask, or most of the time don’t ask and probably should be asking, about what it means to make a baby and have a family.
When having a baby, you think about so many aspects of your life: your past, your family, desire, sexuality, care, freedom, identity. As queer people, you are also up against very particular structural inequalities and expectations in society.
Where did the inspiration for this piece come from?
I was thinking about how I would have a baby and what my family would look like. This was a tough imagination exercise, especially as I knew nobody close to me who was part of a queer family. I then had a huge melt down thinking about where to get sperm, who to ask and how you even start to decide.
I was thinking about how I would have a baby and what my family would look like. This was a tough imagination exercise, especially as I knew nobody close to me who was part of a queer family. I then had a huge melt down thinking about where to get sperm, who to ask and how you even start to decide.
After my meltdown, but more importantly these huge existential questions about how you make a family, I thought it would be a great idea for a show.
How have you approached developing the show?
The research has been a big part of it. We spent the best part of 1-2 years chatting to people who had been involved in queer family making: donors, parents, single parents, trans parents, non-binary parents, donor-conceived people etc. I wanted to really understand what questions they had asked, what their experiences were - what queer families actually looked like. There were very few in our own networks, as you can imagine.
The research has been a big part of it. We spent the best part of 1-2 years chatting to people who had been involved in queer family making: donors, parents, single parents, trans parents, non-binary parents, donor-conceived people etc. I wanted to really understand what questions they had asked, what their experiences were - what queer families actually looked like. There were very few in our own networks, as you can imagine.
The creative process has been really collaborative and explorative. Sammy and I have gone through a hundred versions of what it could be. Mostly we followed the content and the form presented itself (eventually). We both love images and loud music so we wanted some of that in there too.
Our incredible cast (Zoë West and Derek Mitchell) have also played a huge part in story & character development.
Sound and Light are also massive parts of the show, living with the characters not just tangentially. We have amazing composition and sound design by Roly Botha and a wicked lighting design by David Doyle.
How would you describe the style of the show?
It’s rooted in real people and experiences, with characters that could walk right out of the theatre and start living a real life.
It’s rooted in real people and experiences, with characters that could walk right out of the theatre and start living a real life.
But we also wanted to honour the soup of what’s going inside of you when you have all these questions.
So we try and put that on stage too.
You’ll go on a bit of a trip.
How do you mentally and physically prepare for a run like the Fringe?
Impossible. Try to keep an open mind and open heart.
Do the things that make your body feel good.
Impossible. Try to keep an open mind and open heart.
Do the things that make your body feel good.
Away from your show, what are you most looking forward to about being in Edinburgh?
Seeing everyone else’s shows!
Seeing everyone else’s shows!
Are there any other shows at the Fringe you’d like to recommend?
YES. Derek Mitchell has created an incredible solo show called Goblin. It’s on at 9.50pm in Summerhall.
What was the first piece of theatre you saw which had a big impact on you?
Hard Question!
Hard Question!
One of the first shows we saw together was Florentina Holzinger’s Opehlia’s Got Talent. I think we both hated it at first, or were horrified by it, and now have grown to love it and refer to it all the time. It reimagines Ophelia’s death as an act of empowerment. It turns the violence associated with womanhood on its head. It’s about ownership of the body. And it has a massive helicopter in the middle of the stage.
I think it was amazing how she attempted to reclaim negative narratives of being a woman, including very personal experiences of the performers themselves.
We don’t have the budget to have a helicopter on stage, let alone swimming pools and water tanks. Our work is also much more rooted in characters, but it has always inspired us in terms of taking control of your own narrative/life, of the power of images and imagery. And the need to do that over and over and over again.
What do you hope an audience member takes away from seeing the show?
Depending on who you are: Catharsis. Hope. Learned a thing or two.
Depending on who you are: Catharsis. Hope. Learned a thing or two.
Where and when can people see your show?
3.15pm at Summerhall (Red Lecture Theatre)!!
3.15pm at Summerhall (Red Lecture Theatre)!!
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