Ben McGuinness and Lauren Barrie are looking forward to their writing and performing debut at the Edinburgh Fringe. How do they feel about it? “Completely terrified. Absolutely buzzing.”
Co-writing has been challenging for sure, but extremely rewarding. The feeling you get when your ideas align is unmatched
Here they talk about their friendship and the process of co-writing Almost Everything.
Ben, you describe yourself as a recent graduate of Italia Conti and a proud Scot. So let’s start by hearing about your Scottish heritage, why you chose Italia Conti and what the course was like.
B: I grew up in the small town of Kilsyth at the foot of the Campsie Hills in a working-class family. Being the middle kid out of five, I was always running about playing dress-up with my brothers and getting into different characters. We holidayed all over the UK, but you really can’t beat Scotland for the scenery, the history, the castles. I remember running about Dunadd Hill, sword-fighting with my brothers and wee sister. Moving down south was hard, but I had to follow my dreams, and after having to audition in a disabled toilet (long story), everything pointed to Italia Conti being the perfect school for me. Known for its vigorous training in acting, singing and dancing, I was pushed to my absolute limit. The three years were not easy, especially being away from home, but the Christmas visits and Hogmanay kept me going, and it was all well worth it in the end.
Lauren, when did your love for acting start? What has your journey been like so far?
L: I grew up in South Woodham Ferrers, Essex, as the middle child – the so-called “naughty one” – always performing around the house. My love for acting began when my mum enrolled me at the Pauline Quirke Academy. I did singing, dance and acting, but I always counted down to the acting classes. That love grew when I joined Italia Conti Juniors full-time. There, I discovered classical text, explored different acting styles, and, for the first time, felt like I truly belonged. When Conti closed during Covid, I focused on education, studying theatre studies, dance and psychology at A-level. I thought about writing a play but trained at ArtsEd on the foundation course in acting, which taught me more than I expected and deepened my love for live theatre. During this time I met Ben, who was like a breath of fresh air – his energy reignited my desire to write a play. Although the process has been stressful, I feel so grateful, and for the first time I feel OK with not knowing what the future looks like. I am enjoying the spontaneity of it all. I wouldn't change a thing.
How did your partnership come about and what has the experience of co-writing been like?
B: While I was training at Italia Conti, I got really close to a really bubbly girl – we were like brother and sister, still are – which meant I was over at her place a lot, and Lauren is her more dark and romantic “crying over an ex” sister – very much like me.
L: We pretty much bonded over having an identity crisis every Tuesday.
B: We clicked from the moment we met, very quickly became close friends, and I think we just really respected each other as fellow creatives, as I knew she was also an actor and we both had little writing projects on the side buried in our Notes apps. One night we had a bit too much wine and the Notes app was opened, and we knew, after hearing each other’s work, that we wanted to create something together, so thought what better time than now.
L: Co-writing has been challenging for sure, but extremely rewarding. The feeling you get when your ideas align is unmatched – every time Ben would have a lightbulb moment he would jump up and say, “Wait, wait, wait (dramatic pause) I’ve got it,” which always made me laugh. The great thing about writing with Ben is that he is a friend first and foremost, and we have no shame in telling each other the truth (even if it does hurt the ego a little). Key word – compromise. I have very much learnt that you have to make sacrifices when co-writing, and even though we drove each other up the wall, it was never anything a bottle of wine, a deep chat and a good laugh couldn’t fix.
What’s the storyline and where did the inspiration come from?
B: Essentially, it’s boy meets girl, girl meets boy, boy meets girl’s sister. It’s about three people whose lives become deeply intertwined, and how their relationships change and evolve through time, for better or for worse.
L: We both love the books Normal People and One Day, and wanted to write something that gives people the same feeling through live theatre – something that’s raw, relatable and honest, with love at its core.
Your publicity says it’s intimate, messy and very real. How do those elements come together?
L: The play is messy for many reasons, perhaps because it’s a play and can be and, for the most part, we wrote in my kitchen at 2am after long shifts and because we aren’t afraid to write characters who make bad decisions – because that’s human.
B: I think it’s messy because we are messy. The play is a reflection of who we are as people, and we’re very tactile and love intimacy and connection with other human beings. We’re all about keeping things real in life and cutting the bullshit, so we wouldn’t want to write characters that aren’t who we know to be true.
What’s it been like putting together your first Fringe production?
B: It’s been an eye-opening experience, and we’ve learned so much throughout the process. From securing the venue – with the lovely help of Derek Douglas at Braw Venues – to casting the talented Imogen Eden-Brown in the role of Emily, every step has been a learning curve.
L: We definitely didn’t expect the overwhelming response to the casting call. It really highlighted how collaborative this whole process is. We were lucky enough to have George Brooks as our casting director – he was absolutely brilliant!
B: As a creative, I’ve grown exponentially. You have to be completely on the ball and organised with communication across the entire production team. With two incredible directors – Graham Newell and Taylor McClaine – coming in to support the process, it was essential to keep them fully up to date with rehearsal times, spaces and any last-minute changes. At the same time, we were coordinating with our amazing set and costume designer, Tiffany Yu, and our superb sound designers – Morwenna Williams and Luke James. And most recently Olli Slatter has been our incredible DP for the play’s trailer.
L: We really had to rally everyone we knew to get all hands on deck. One of my friends, the incredibly talented artist Jacob Skinnard, created all the art pieces and paintings featured in the play. His work brought an extra layer of depth and authenticity to the visual world of the production – it just shows how much of a team effort this whole project has been.
What would you like audience members to take away from having seen your play?
L: I don’t think it’s something to take away; I think it’s something to carry with you.
B: Ooft.
L: Yeah, I mean, hopefully people learn from all three characters.
B: I want it to scream at them to make the right decision when it matters.
L: But there is no right decision – you never know what path each decision you make will lead you down.
B: I suppose, this life thing’s hard.
L: Ultimately, we want audiences to know that that’s OK.
