EDINBURGH 2017: BWW Q&A- How To Suffer Better
By: Natalie O'Donoghue Jul. 07, 2017
Tell us a bit about How To Suffer Better.
How To Suffer Better is a six character solo comedy about the various ways humans suffer. After catching her fiancé screwing her friend, the host character Celeste reads under a Snapple bottle cap: "We can't stop ourselves from suffering, but we can learn how to suffer better." Mystified, she seeks out fellow sufferers to assist her in decoding the message.
She finds a homeless man with a split personality, an octogenarian who invented a dating app, a maid longing for love, a clown enduring a bureaucratic nightmare and an angry teen who threw a rock at Trump's head. They all come together before an audience that will determine who is suffering the best!
The show is ultimately about the fact that we all suffer in our own ways, so we ought to have more empathy for each other.
What was the inspiration for writing the show?
The quote "We can't stop ourselves from suffering, but we can learn how to suffer better," is something my friend's therapist said to him. I thought the phrase "suffer better" had an odd ring to it and it was immediately something I wanted to explore. I had already created the six characters I play in the show and they were all definitely suffering, so I had the idea to manifest the circumstances for a suffering contest through which the audience would help determine what it means to suffer better depending on which character won the popular vote.
Peter Michael Marino's SOLOCOM Festival in NYC this past November gave me the push I needed to complete the show. To participate in the festival applicants submit with a pitch, get accepted and then have 3 months to get it done.
What sets it apart from other shows at the Fringe?
I would say the element that sets it apart the most is that the audience gets to vote for their favourite character and determine the way the show ends. Also there are invitations for the audience to participate throughout the performance in unique ways that include yelling and then hugging each other.
What are the benefits of performing at the Free Fringe?
The main benefit is that I can focus the majority of my energy on the artistic elements of the show and less on the financial stress. Additionally, I think that Free Fringe audience members may be more of an adventurous, diverse crowd. I also like the idea of open access to people who may not be able to afford expensive theater tickets. And finally, I really enjoy performing in unique intimate spaces, which is something the Free Fringe offers.
Who would you recommend comes to see you?
People who enjoy comedy. People who want to see one person play six different characters. People who want to interact with the performer. People who want to ease their own suffering through laughter.
Timings and ticket information for How To Suffer Better are available on the edfringe website.
WHEN: Aug 4-28, 2017 every day 13:15-14:15 as Part of The Laughing Horse Free Festival WHERE: The Newsroom. (Fringe Venue 93) 5 - 11 Leith Street. (Located right on the junction of Leith Street and Princes Street)
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