EDINBURGH 2026: THE KING OF ALL BIRDS Q&A

BWW catches up with Martha Knight to chat about bringing King of All Birds to the 2026 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Tell us a bit about The King of all Birds.

The King of All Birds is part storytelling, part comedy show, and part live gig. It began with this obsession that I had with a type of aerial photo that you see all over the place in rural Irish homes; this phenomenon where people display a photo of their house inside their house. The phenomenon begs the question: who took these photos? How were they taken? Who sold them? 

The King of All Birds spins a story to answer these questions, drawing in ancient Irish mythology as well as real stories about the freaks and weirdos who first tried to fly in Ireland, and brings us all the way up to the present moment where satellites and drones rule the sky. It’s about technology, and the relentless march forward of technological innovation, and it’s also about our relationship with the land, and our ancestors and descendants. A question I often think about when I think about this work is: why, when we do all this work to get into the sky, is our first impulse always to look back down again?

It’s told by a sly, cheeky narrator who is part ancient Irish storyteller and part strange bird woman. She also sings.

What sets it apart from other shows at the festival?

While there are a lot of solo shows at Edinburgh, this show expands on the style of a traditional solo performance as it moves through different mediums: sometimes, you’re listening to a silly story about early Irish aviation, sometimes, you’re watching a performer create live loops and vocal effects, sometimes, you’re watching an audiovisual spectacle. Its sound design and composition is entirely performed live, and it blends traditional Irish instruments with heavy electronics and live looping to create a dense electronic soundscape.

I’d say it is also the only show in Edinburgh about the history of Irish aviation (or at least I’d hope so…) - and while it is super specific in that way, the story is much broader than that: it’s a story about humans and machines, what we gain when we successfully take to the sky, and what we lose.

It is definitely the only show that includes a story about NASA sending flies to space, and a woman airline pilot’s ashes being scattered by plane onto the head of her enemy. I’d also go so far as to say this show has the most bird facts of any show in Edinburgh. I am prepared to be challenged on this by the other bird shows - let’s be having you.

How is the way the narrative is told important?

The storytelling voice in this show is really important, and something we’ve worked hard on. While the stories are very specific and niche, the audience is invited in by the strange stage presence and stupid humour - my favourite ever review quote is that it ‘rips laughter out of you at unexpected moments in unexpected ways’. This warm and intriguing way of telling the stories is core to the piece. 

We also tell the story through the music interludes: one ancient Irish folk song goes through a series of changes, beginning with the solo voice, and moving through various traditional instruments, through to involving live electronics and effects to make it feel big, technological, and magic. This music journey communicates the story of flight: from a time when the only creatures to see Ireland from above were the birds, through to now, when that aerial view is so commonplace.

Who would you like to come and see it?

This is definitely one for the lovers of a deep dive, the fans of an in-depth podcast, and the lovers of a good story. It’s also one for the bird lovers and amateur enthusiasts: as I said, this show definitely has the most bird lore of any Edinburgh show. In Dublin, we’ve got a loyal following of people who love strange, new voices in theatre, and stories being told in a contemporary, avant-garde way. We hope to build up this base in Edinburgh - of people who are prepared to take a chance on something a little strange, and come out with some new knowledge having had a good laugh along the way.

What would you like audiences to take away from it?

I’d like for people to come out of the show with a new understanding of the world that exists above our heads, and all the characters, real and imagined, who have played a part in shaping that world. I’d like audiences to come out with a new fact or piece of information to bring up in the pub or at a party. I’d also like audiences to leave having considered their own place on this broad timeline of history: what does it mean to be in the tiny fraction of humans who have had the technology to fly? What does that do for our understanding of the world? 

—

The King of All Birds by Martha Knight, Summerhall (Former Gent’s Locker Room), 6-31 Aug (not 17, 24), 13:40 (60 mins)

https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/the-king-of-all-birds 

Photo credit: Simon Lazewski

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