WHICH SIDE OF THE CLOSET DOOR WILL I LIVE? Comes to Edinburgh Fringe

Dennis Elkins was determined to be normal – a socially conforming straight, white, middle American husband and father. Not gay. No, definitely not gay. 

blood (line) is a work of musical theatre that takes a playful romp through the events, social pressures, people and personal decisions that shape (or warp) a life. 

And it's about lessons learned. Lesson one: at any given time around a third of the people around you are assholes. 

Next up, Dennis teaches us that people can be classified nautically. There are life preservers, anchors, moorings and barnacles. 

And when a storm blows up – for example you are 50, your wife has left and you finally have to decide which side of the closet door to live – then it's time to cut loose and sail free. 

A former university professor, Dennis ultimately finds the opportunity and courage to come out, transforming his life and relationships. 

blood (line) explores some of the toughest issues people face as they go through life and it does so with humanity, humour and compassion. 

Dennis has been praised as a “master storyteller” and this production, with its deft use of spoken word and song, brings his skills to the fore. 

Join him on his voyage from being a god-fearing boy in Kansa with an unquestioning obedience to the rules through to late-blossoming freedom and the joy of self-discovery. Humdrum to happy. 

So now the only question is, does “normal life” come with a warranty? 

One man, three productions and a quest for self 

While blood (line) stands alone, it is also part of a trilogy presented by Dennis Elkins at this year's Edinburgh Fringe. The other elements are: 

A Trilogy: box. (comedy): Mr Dennis wants to know why our identity is so bound up in possessions. Do we throw away our loved ones with their things when they die? Childlike wonder, adult cynicism and Shakespearean gravitas combine as he tackles these questions and more.  

A Trilogy: bag-- (political theatre): Refusing to join the Old-White-Guys Club, Mr Dennis takes a jaunty sprint across India in search of a divine life-affirming epiphany. Clutching a guilt filled backpack he travels in trains, tuk-tuks and taxis in the hope of solving the mysteries of middle age and to scatter his son's ashes. 

Dennis made his Edinburgh Fringe debut in 2019 with box. which The Wee Review praised as “a touching reflection on our obsession with things”.  

The 2020 online@theSpaceUK season featured a shortened video version of bag-- entitled anything to declare, mr. dennis. British Theatre Guide praised Dennis' performance as “perceptive but gentle”. In 2021 online@theSpaceUK featured the shortened version of box. called are you boxed in mr. dennis?, described by British Theatre Guide as “compelling” and “an intensely personal monologue” defined by its “raw, honest presentation”. 

A Trilogy: box. 

• Venue: theSpace@Surgeons Hall, Haldane Theatre (Venue 53) 
• Time: 16:20 
• Dates: 7, 10, 15, 18, 23, 26 August 
• Duration: 55 minutes  
• Ticket prices: Full price £12, concessions £10, student and OAP £8   
• Advisory: Age 14+ 
• Warnings: Use of gunfire sound effects 
• Tickets from https://tickets.edfringe.com 

A Trilogy: bag-- 

• Venue: theSpace@Surgeons Hall, Haldane Theatre (Venue 53) 
• Time: 16:20 
• Dates: 4, 8, 11, 16, 19, 21, 24 August 
• Duration: 55 minutes  
• Ticket prices: Full price £12, concessions £10, student and OAP £8  
• Advisory: Age 14+ 
• Tickets from https://tickets.edfringe.com 

• Venue: theSpace@Surgeons Hall, Haldane Theatre (Venue 53) 
• Time: 16:20 
• Dates: 5, 9, 12, 14, 17, 22, 25 August 
• Duration: 55 minutes  
• Ticket prices: Full price £12, concessions £10, student and OAP £8  
• Advisory: Age 14+ 
• Tickets from https://tickets.edfringe.com 

Cast and creatives 

• Company: Flying Solo! Presents 
• Director of all three shows: Karla Knudsen 
• Writer: Dennis Elkins 
• Performer: Dennis Elkins 
• Composer/accompanist for box. Brandon Grayson  
• Videographer for bag-- William Kyle Odon 
• Videographer for bag-- Sam Lowery 
• Sound designer, box. and bag-- Robert Hornbostel  

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