Broadway Baby talks to Hungry Wolf Visionary Youth Theatre about their upcoming show, A Little Respect.
Hungry Wolf is very unique. Central to our ethos is creating challenging, thought provoking and often political Youth Theatre that is relevant and not patronising to young people. We only produce new writing and work hard to secure the most exciting young actors and writers in the 16-21yrs age bracket across the South east.
Tell us about your show
Irreverent and dark, A Little Respect is a sexy little thriller. Filled with intrigue, waspish one liners and homoeroticism, what first appears to be a traditional piece of situation comedy quickly becomes something sharper and more sophisticated; as the stereotypes we are presented with in the opening scenes are flip reversed. This stark story of stolen kisses, adolescent cruelty and cyber revenge keeps you guessing until the final thrillingly hilarious scene.
Why did you decide to take your show to Space UK this year?
For the past two years, Hungry Wolf have performed 5* productions at The Space and we love the status and feel of the venue, as well as the excellent support The Space team provide. As a venue it provides all we want from the Fringe as when returning this year was our first choice again.
Why Edinburgh? What’s the attraction?
The Edinburgh Festival is a unique arts experience. Theatre professionals and enthusiasts from all walks of life, of all ages and areas of the industry surround you. It provides a positive and supportive environment to develop and showcase new work. The buzz day and night is electric.
Have you brought a show to the festival before?
Yes, we brought Growing Pains to Edinburgh in 2013 and The Electra Project in 2011, both experiences were so memorable for all involved it has now become a regular part of our schedule.
What makes your show unique amongst the thousands of others at the festival?
Hungry Wolf is very unique. Central to our ethos is creating challenging, thought provoking and often political Youth Theatre that is relevant and not patronising to young people. We only produce new writing and work hard to secure the most exciting young actors and writers in the 16-21yrs age bracket across the South east. Hungry Wolf is proud to produce Youth Theatre with teeth!
Hungry Wolf deals with urgent issues, by captivating ‘Generation Y’s’ attention; attracting a younger demographic to theatre audiences, whilst providing the stage alternative to some of young people’s favourite TV shows, hence the strong comedic themes throughout even the most dark and twisted of tales.
What has been the biggest challenge in getting your show ready for Edinburgh?
Putting on a brand new piece of theatre is always a challenge, as the script needs to go through so much development throughout the rehearsal process, including many rewrites and some cast tweaks. Time constraints that affect all involved with a not for profit production can be a challenge, as well as ensuring the show has real marketability for our target audience.
Have you been to other venues at the festival?
Yes, being at the Fringe is an unrivalled opportunity to see as much theatre as possible, so in any spare time, we do try and visit as many venues as possible, as well as soaking up the atmosphere in general.
How did you create your show?
The company receives submissions from up and coming young writers, looking for a platform in which to showcase their work, and matches them with the most talented young actors from across the South East, holding auditions to form a new company of actors once a year. This gives both the writers and actors an unrivalled chance to showcase their innovative work, providing both parties with a unique platform in which to bring new writing to life.
What’s the main thing you want to get out of the festival this year?
To continue spreading the word about Hungry Wolf and what we are about. The company is well known across Sussex, but it would be great to gain further recognition on a national level, given the fantastic national reviews we have received for previous work. We would also like to attract as many young writers and actors to our play as possible with a view to working with them in the future.
If your show does well in Edinburgh, what do you want to do with it next?
There are a number of things in the pipeline. We are planning a schools tour to help raise awareness of Hungry Wolf, as well as a showcase of our previous seasons work at a special London showcase, to give a further platform to all of the excellent young creative we work with. We also have a developing relationship with ‘Tree Press’, who work with new writers and license their work to schools for worldwide performance, this can potentially be a great side line for new writers to top up their earnings and exposure.
Production Company: Hungry Wolf Visionary Youth Theatre
Venue: TheSpace@Surgeons Hall
Dates: August 17th- 21st
Twitter Handle: @HungryWolfVYT
