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, Noah Robinson discusses their show Edward (in Memoriam).
What can you tell me in your words about your show?
Edward (in Memoriam) is a play about the monarchy, the British military and questions who gets to choose who we love. It’s set in early 2000 and Britain is in the middle of a war with France. The Prince of England is engaged to be married but a forbidden love with another soldier threatens to destroy not only themselves, but the institutions they believed would protect them.
Edward (in Memoriam) is a play about the monarchy, the British military and questions who gets to choose who we love. It’s set in early 2000 and Britain is in the middle of a war with France. The Prince of England is engaged to be married but a forbidden love with another soldier threatens to destroy not only themselves, but the institutions they believed would protect them.
Where did the inspiration for this piece come from?
I’ve been interested in Marlowe’s original material for some time. It’s a sorry story that speaks to our times: a member of the royal family undone by a forbidden love. When this queer reimagining clicked for me was when I read about a sculpture due to be unveiled this August, dedicated to LGBTQ+ military personnel. It marks the ban on LGBTQ+ people serving in the armed forces, a policy lifted begrudgingly 25 years ago.
This history has been relatively obscured and only really came to light with the publication of the Etherton Report, commissioned in 2022 to explore the maltreatment of personnel serving under the ban. Being in force up until early 2000 makes it an interesting anomaly - I think we associate the 80s and 90s as the height of queer liberation but all the while this policy was still in force. The discovery of a soldier’s sexuality could result in a possible jail term or instant dismissal in disgrace. Those repercussions would only be amplified if that soldier was the next King of England…
How have you approached developing the show?
My work usually involves a lot of research and reading before I’m even in a place to begin to write. I am very grateful to have received funding from artswork to support the development of the show. I undertook visits to the National Archives, BFI Special Collections and the British Library and those discoveries have one or another ended up in the show. It was an interesting challenge bringing a 13th century king into the 20th century but I was surprised by the similarities between the difficulties Edward II faced during his reign and those modern monarchies might have to today. I was also lucky to receive dramaturgical support from Dr Emily Garside whilst the script was in its early stages.
But more than anything, creating this show has been a wholly collaborative process. It’s been a joy to work with my co-directors Elizabeth Abbott and Lucy Marshall alongside our cast who have brought such insight and clarity to the script. It’s a very different show to the one that I started thinking of a few years ago.
How would you describe the style of the show?
The Crown meets Challengers. Expect the grandeur and majesty of a royal coronation, the harrows of modern warfare and the scandals of a riotous and forbidden love.
There is also a mid-show dance break to a late 90s classic. I’m not saying which though…
Can you describe the show in 3 words?
Sharp, surprising and fresh.
How do you mentally and physically prepare for a run like the Fringe?
I’ve never done anything like a run at Fringe before so we’ve been getting a lot of advice! It’s set to be a really exciting week with the show. We’ll be up at Fringe with 15 other Bristol-based companies so that sense of community will definitely help.
Away from your show, what are you most looking forward to about being in Edinburgh?
It’s my first time at the Fringe so I’m looking forward to learning from other shows and creatives at the Festival! I think what makes it special is how truly international and broad ranging the talent is. It’s just a case of trying to see as much of it as possible!
Are there any other shows at the Fringe you’d like to recommend?
I’m really keen to see Emergency Chorus’ ‘Ways of Knowing’. It explores the way we predict and prophesy the future, blending live sound design, dance and found text. It promises a fresh and inventive look at a future threatened by fastly-evolving tech, corporate giants and the existential threat of climate crisis.
I’m really keen to see Emergency Chorus’ ‘Ways of Knowing’. It explores the way we predict and prophesy the future, blending live sound design, dance and found text. It promises a fresh and inventive look at a future threatened by fastly-evolving tech, corporate giants and the existential threat of climate crisis.
I’m also excited to see Conor Murray and Hannah Power’s ‘Don’t Tell Dad about Diana’. Set in Dublin in 1997, two friends prepare to compete for the crown of Alternative Miss Ireland with their Princess Diana drag act under the nose of their hardline nationalist families. Following the unravelling of secrets, friendship and plans to leave Ireland, it looks like a show not to be missed.
What was the first piece of theatre you saw which had a big impact on you?
Bar local pantomimes, the first piece of theatre I distinctly remember was Mike Akers’ adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s ‘Treasure Island’ at the National Theatre. More than anything I think it was the spectacle of the design and how you were completely immersed into the world of the play. It’s a bit of a full circle moment as I was lucky to have Mike’s mentorship through a programme run by the University of Bristol’s Drama Society in partnership with the Tobacco Factory Theatre about a year ago. My first conversations about this play were with Mike and now it's going to the Fringe.
What do you hope an audience member takes away from seeing the show?
I’m optimistic that it might get people thinking. The play hopes to shine a light on a hidden and obscured part of history. It’s slightly maddening to think that the maltreatment of LGBTQ+ veterans serving under the ban really only surfaced a few years ago. I think we can be very weirdly protective about British institutions that don’t actually do us a lot of good. The play poses an interesting question: how far would an institution demand your silence to survive? Both the monarchy and military are obsessed with a sense of tradition and history: isn’t it time that changed?
I’m optimistic that it might get people thinking. The play hopes to shine a light on a hidden and obscured part of history. It’s slightly maddening to think that the maltreatment of LGBTQ+ veterans serving under the ban really only surfaced a few years ago. I think we can be very weirdly protective about British institutions that don’t actually do us a lot of good. The play poses an interesting question: how far would an institution demand your silence to survive? Both the monarchy and military are obsessed with a sense of tradition and history: isn’t it time that changed?
Where and when can people see your show?
You can catch Edward (in Memoriam) from August 11th to 16th in the Jade Studio at Greenside @ George Street from 17:20pm, tickets on sale here.
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