As Brighton Fringe gears up for 2016, Broadway Baby offers a preview of the shows, the people and the world that is Brighton Fringe. We’ve been speaking to participants from around the Fringe and asked them to give us an insight into their shows.
This is a dark, Tim Butron-esque story-telling for grown ups, it is slick, silly and surprisingly moving
Name The Human Zoo Theatre Company
ShowThe Girl Who Fell in Love with the Moon
Tell us a bit about yourself
The Human Zoo Theatre Company was established in 2013 and has since created 3 critically acclaimed productions that have toured to over 20 venues across the UK and we are currently developing our fourth, GIANT which is supported by Arts Council England.
Can you tell us a little bit about your show, what can we expect?
It's an exploration into humanities' natural impulse to reach for the unreachable and the desire to climb higher than ever before. In this show this ragtag, touring troupe tell stories about people who quite literally want to reach unobtainable elements of the skies above us: the sun, the stars, the moon. This is a dark, Tim Burton-esque story-telling for grown ups, it is slick, silly and surprisingly moving.
Why did you decide to perform your show at the Brighton Fringe?
We have visited the Edinburgh Fringe for the past 2 years (and will be heading there with our new show this summer) and feel there is no better platform to truly immerse ourselves in the fringe theatre scene than by performing side-by-side with other theatre heroes of ours making incredible work. We are based near (ish) Brighton, and it felt totally rubbish to miss out on the opportunities and fun that Brighton Fringe has to offer as England's biggest theatre festival. We feel a little bit silly that we haven't made it sooner.
What makes your show different?
As part of our debut at Brighton Fringe, we are overjoyed to have been selected to perform as part of WINDOW 2016, a platform that showcases ten of the best emerging companies at Brighton Fringe. We hope that this puts us forward as an emerging company that you can trust an hour of your time to. The Girl Who Fell in Love With The Moon offers the audience an opportunity to explore their own absurdities, aspirations and longings through the eyes of this tight-knit ensemble of stargazers.
Who would enjoy seeing your show?
As we have toured the show, we have played to a huge variety of lovely, diverse audiences. The show was made primarily for grown ups who still enjoy playfulness and story-telling, and who perhaps feel like they don't get as much of it in their day-to-day lives as they would like.
Whilst kids can come and see the show and enjoy it for all it's colour, vibrancy and silliness, the show was created with grown ups in mind and taps into that Tim Burton-esque style of dark fairytales that aren't quite as squeaky clean as they may appear.
The show is fantastic for audiences who enjoy seeing live music, poetry, puppetry, dance, movement and clowning onstage. We are a really relaxed company, and hope that our show provides an inclusive environment (official Relaxed Performance is on the Friday night) where absolutely anybody can come along and be entertained. Bring your kids, your nan, your cousin and your gang.
What has been the best advice you have been given?
Never stop asking questions. Don't take yourselves too seriously. Don't post your set from Northampton to Edinburgh (but we learnt that one the hard way).
What show, apart from yours, would you recommend at the Brighton Fringe and why?
We performed alongside Whiskey Tango Foxtrotat the Brighton Fringe launch this year and we're so looking forward to watching her show: a one woman performance about her experience in the army. We're also big fans of Sh*t-Faced Shakespeare after seeing them at Edinburgh Fringe and so will be sure to pay them another visit.
What do you think audiences will enjoy the most about your show?
The swing-dancing goldfish. The exploding head. And 'The Jaffa Cake Moment'...
The Girl Who Fell in Love with the Moon is appearing at the Komedia Studio, 2-14 May 18:45
