PLANET OF THE GRAPES to Make World Premiere at Edinburgh Fringe
Peter Michael Marino's tabletop sci-fi show plays The Pleasance Courtyard, directed by Michole Biancosino.
Planet of the Grapes, a family-friendly adventure, will land in Edinburgh for its world premiere this August after sold-out preview performances in the US. Astronaut Taylor crashes on a planet ruled by speaking grapes who enslave mute humans and soon discovers the shocking truth about their warped world. Packed with insane puppets, intergalactic irreverence, and uncorked madness! Performances will run 5 - 30 August.
As a way of alleviating lockdown anxiety, Peter Michael Marino became one of the first Americans to present online, live, interactive theatre events. This dilemma drove him to the Toy Theatre movement, which originated in the Victorian era, where plays were performed in homes on ornate cardboard sets by a cast of colourful cardboard characters.
As a devotee of the 1968 Charlton Heston film Planet of the Apes, it seemed perfectly logical (and necessary) to re-imagine the classic sci-fi film into a Contemporary Stage play. Peter crafted a miniature toy theatre in his Chelsea apartment with a tiny high-def camera aimed at a cutting board stage, complete with proscenium, lights, orchestrations, and a dramatic bunch of characters played by a diverse cast of grapes and corks - battling for supremacy on far-out settings crafted from kitchen supplies. What he didn't expect was that the themes in the original novel and screenplay (co-written by Rod Serling) would so perfectly align with the issues of this very moment - science vs. religion, crooked class systems, mistreatment of animals, and mankind's self-perceived entitlement to everything Earth has to offer. The narrative underscored these themes with a smattering of ditched observations from Serling's original screenplay drafts and the novel by Pierre Boulle. After over 50 live, digital performances, awards, and critical acclaim from around the world, the show has been recreated with the original team for the live stage. It's interactive, immersive, and wholly unique.
Peter Michael Marino is a NYC-based writer, producer, performer, and educator whose work has been seen on five continents. His live, digital version of Planet of the Grapes (produced with Project Y Theatre and Richard Jordan Productions) received the 2021 Infallibles Award for Creativity. Following the show's online popularity, in 2026 Peter began adapting it into a live performance version, with his original collaborators, director Michole Biancosino and producer Richard Jordan, joining him again to bring it to the stage. Peter is also the creator of the long-running, interactive family comedy Show Up, Kids!, Show Up, and Desperately Seeking the Exit. His solo shows have received critical acclaim around the world. Pete was a frequent collaborator with the former Washington National Opera and The Kennedy Center, creating numerous educational videos and live stage shows. He is the resident Director of NYC Kids Project, directing and developing puppet shows that advocate inclusion and acceptance. He is the writer of the West End's Desperately Seeking Susan musical, which also received critical acclaim in Tokyo at Theater Creation. Pete appeared in STOMP for five years Off-Broadway.
Director Michole Biancosino is one of the Co-Founding Artistic Directors of Project Y Theatre, a company that has launched world premieres in NYC, regionally, and internationally for over two decades. Edinburgh Fringe credits include David and Katie Get Re-Married at Underbelly, Show Up, Kids! at Free Fringe, Trump Lear, David Carl's Celebrity One-Man Hamlet at Pleasance, and acting in the hit show Yoga with Jillian at Pleasance for two years before touring it in the US. Michole produces NYC's Women in Theatre Festival, now entering its 12th year, dedicated to going beyond parity by producing new works by women writers and lead creatives with casts that feature women. She's an Associate Professor of Theatre at Middlebury College and a graduate of Rutgers University's Mason Gross School of the Arts Directing program.
Get Broadway News on WhatsApp
Receive the latest updates, breaking news, and exclusive coverage from Broadway directly in WhatsApp.
|
Antigone 1989: A Town Hall Musical Gilded Balloon Patter House (8/05-8/29) |
|
Elvis in Chaos Lime Studio at Greenside @ George Street (8/07-8/15) |
|
Surreally Good Summerhall (Former Women’s Locker Room) (8/07-8/31) |
|
Suitcase Show Assembly Roxy (8/05-8/30) |
|
Disney''s Muppet Christmas Carol in Concert Usher Hall (12/03-12/03) |
|
Mythos: Ragnarök Assembly Rooms (Music Hall) (8/06-8/29) |
|
This Is How I Got Arrested (after smuggling drugs across the border but never actually getting caught with any drugs) ZOO (Playground 3) (8/07-8/30) |
|
Dracula: Lucy's Dream Pleasance at EICC (Lennox) (8/06-8/29) |
|
Kevin Quantum: Invisible Force Ballroom at Assembly Rooms (Venue 20) (8/06-8/30) |
|
An Ode to the Casting Director Assembly George Square Studios (8/05-8/29) |