Back by popular demand for 2017, our Brighton Bites series offer short, witty and slightly tongue-in-cheek insights into shows performing at England’s largest arts festival. Hopefully, they will whet your appetite to try something new at this year’s Brighton Fringe.
Here, Haste Theatre tell us about their show, Oyster Boy, which they’ll be performing at The Warren.
How would you describe your show in one sentence?
A doo-wapping dark comedy set by the sea, that will make you laugh and cry and think differently, with a touch of magic, music, clown and puppetry, the trials of Oyster Boy’s life on stage you will see.
Why Brighton Fringe for this show?
Firstly, the 1950’s seaside setting of Oyster Boy fits perfectly with Brighton’s beautiful seaside location. The typical, fairground, pier, ice cream, sun and fun for which Brighton is famous, is what we create on stage, through some creative prop handling. We had a great time a few years ago with our show The Hideout at Brighton, were, therefore, eager to return to the festival as it has so many great venues, shows, creative and appreciative audiences, lots of great contacts to be made and opportunities to do so. Finally Brighton Fringe is a lot of fun, as is the show!
How have you been preparing for Brighton Fringe?
We have been touring Oyster Boy across the UK for the past 2 months and it has been very well received. Doing the show so many times and to wide-ranging audiences has given us the chance to explore, play, find what really works and solidify this – ready for Brighton! We have also been singing a lot and learning lots of new songs in preparation for some Brighton Fringe busking. New Road here we come!
What do you think sets your show apart from all the other festival offerings?
Oyster Boy himself has a little bit of magic about him and is a little boy like no other. He is a puppet we made four years ago, from dust sheets and modrock. Within the show, his cheeky personality and sense of excitement about the world is brought to life with his unique quality of movement. Audiences seem to fall in love and feel with him.There is something quite special about him. The show is also a brilliantly eclectic mix of storytelling, clown, live song, dance and physical comedy, making it a vibrant and comedic piece of entertainment that at the same time provides pathos. The story is inspired by a Tim Burton short story and as with Burton’s work, the show provides something for young and old audiences alike.
What’s the show that you don’t want to miss at this year’s Brighton Fringe (apart from your own)?
We are very much looking forward to Charlie Dupre’s MacBlair. He is a brilliant spoken word/rap artist who is both witty and cutting, often bringing a fresh look at Shakespeare, playfully celebrating his wordsmith artistry. We are very interested to see w
What’s the best bit of advice you’ve ever been given for performing at a Fringe Festival?
Keep pushing on and enjoy! We have done many fringe festivals nationally and internationally all of which have their individual and similar characteristics and challenges, this piece of advice, however, applies to all! We have performed Oyster Boy with a pregnant cat running across the stage, fireworks going off, the deafening sound of vuvuzelas from a football match and birds pooing on stage as we played – all within one show! But we kept pushing on (granted we were trying not to corpse with the ridiculousness of the situation) and enjoyed the challenge! This advice can also be applied of course to selling the show whether that be flyering or social media, organising meals for the whole company and keeping everyone happy, managing within tight budgets, networking…everything! If you get your head down and enjoy the experience, it will always be more fruitful!
If your show was a flavour of ice cream being sold on Brighton Pier, what would it be?
Rum and raisin – something fun in it for adults (rum) something sweet for kids (raisins). A tasty sweet delight, with a surprising, darker undertone. Ice cream is actually something that is very close to the heart of the show, if you want to know what we mean, come along and find out!
Oyster Boy runs at Brighton Fringe 6, 7, 13, 14 May 2017
For more information visit www.brightonfringe.org or www.hastetheatre.com
The Reviews Hub is proud to sponsor the Literature & Spoken Work section of Brighton Fringe 2017 as well as being an official Reviews Partner, offering in-depth coverage of the festival.
