EDINBURGH 2015 - BWW Interviews Rebecca Crookshank

Ahead of the 2015 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, BWW:UK speaks to actress and writer Rebecca Crookshank about her debut show Whiskey Tango Foxtrot.

Tell us a bit about your show Whiskey Tango Foxtrot.

An autobiographical account of my creative and feminist awakening. It's based on a true story of my experience as a 17-year-old recruit growing up in the Royal Air Force.

Do you think the audience will be quite shocked by your experiences?

The show is a celebration of many things - friendship, aspiration in the military, empowerment and female role models. Part of the story shares my experience and original footage of being posted to the Falkland Islands on a remote radar site with 28 blokes. At the time, I was the only girl. Now sixteen years on, I find it even more shocking that sexual harassment is still rife (not just in the military), and I hope the audience shares my quest for zero tolerance.

Is this your first trip to the Fringe?

This is my debut as a writer/performer and at the Fringe. It's like joining up again! I am prepping my kit list today, spray starch, boot polish and brasso included. I'm half Scottish so it's great to get back to my roots.

What sets Whiskey Tango Foxtrot apart from the thousands of other Fringe shows?

It shares my experience of training to be a killer, working underground to protect the UK Air Defence Region and flying in a tornado F3.The show includes probably the worst but also a very committed attempt at an arms drill you'll ever see and penguins. There's some Klingon chat, music from Top Gun and some serious 90's nostalgia.

I'm very intrigued by the tagline "contains weapons, strong language and penguins". I don't suppose you'll let us in on the context of the penguins?

The Falkland Islands say 'as many as a million penguins nest in the Falklands every summer'. I arrive there with a cuddly toy version, which was given to me by someone very special...

Are there any other shows you're hoping to catch while you're in Edinburgh?

There are so many. Labels The Show from Worklight Theatre, My Beautiful Black Dog by Bridgitte Aphrodite, Bryony Kimmings and Tim Grayburn's Fake it till you make it, Dave by Zoe Coombs Marr, Where Do Little Birds Go? by Camilla Whitehill and Much Further Out Than You Thought by the Molino Group, The Eulogy of Toby Peach by Toby Peach... there are so many more. Exciting, isn't it, it's great to share the festival with such a great line-up.

Per Ardua Ad Astra- Through Adversity to the stars (that's the RAF motto, I love it).

Ticket information and timings for Whiskey Tango Foxtrot are available on the edfringe website.