EDINBURGH 2017: BWW Q&A- Shame

About the show:

A new mixed media theatre piece analysing the concepts of shame and empathy in modern, hyperconnected culture. Shame examines how the vilification of female sexuality has evolved alongside technology and fuses live text with projected media to explore the juxtaposition of real life and online personae

Why bring it to Edinburgh?

We've been developing Shame for over a year and so when Assembly invited us to be part of their programme it seemed like the perfect chance for our world premiere. The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is such an exciting event with people coming from all over the world to see performances. Shame covers globally relevant themes like online shaming so it feels appropriate to be showcasing it to the international audience at Edinburgh.

What sets it apart from other shows at the Fringe?

Shame is both a solo show and an ensemble piece with one performer on stage but a sixteen strong digital cast which appears in the media element of the production. It takes an original viewpoint on the practice and effects of online shaming and the intergenerational differences in technology literacy. We are also running the #Unshamed Project alongside the performance piece. The #Unshamed Project is initiated by one of the characters in the play but is running in real life too as an online campaign to combat the effects of online shaming. Participants share their most embarrassing stories in a bid to demonstrate that everyone has something to be ashamed of, thereby hopefully lessening the sting of humiliation felt by victims of online shaming and proving that it is possible to move on. More information on the #Unshamed Project can be found at www.unshamedproject.com

Who would you recommend comes to see you?

Nearly everyone who comes to see the show will have a smart phone in their pocket. Seeing Shame is taking part in a dialogue around our digital presence, responsibilities and fears. As the story centres around three generations of women in the same family and their relationships with each other and with technology we believe that the show will appeal to contemporary theatre goers of a wide range of ages. With the fusion of live action and digital content the play is an exciting mix of theatre and new media exploring consent, empathy and the vilification of female sexuality so the show could particularly appeal to audience members with interests in technology, digital rights and feminism.

Are there any other shows you're hoping to catch at the festival?

We're looking forward to seeing the other pieces that are part of FuturePlay Festival at the Assembly: Jane Doe, Wondr, Pixeldust and Transmission. We'll be catching our friends shows: At A Stretch (by Jordan and Skinner) and Joe's NYC Bar. Comediennes Sara Pascoe, Shappi Khorsandi, Sarah Kendall and Fiona Sagar's, Sagar Mega Drive are also favourites we are looking forward to catching.

Timings and ticket information for Shame are available on the edfringe website.