EDINBURGH 2023: IrrePRESSible Q&A

BWW catches up with writer Gillian Lacey Solymar to chat about bringing IrrePRESSible to the 2023 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Tell us a bit about IrrePRESSible.

IrrePRESSible tells (or, rather, sings) a story you see regularly on the front pages but have probably never actually heard of. We’re recasting the life of Emma Hamilton, England’s first celebrity, through the eyes of a modern journalist transported back to the 18th century. You can expect an upbeat take-down of the media, celebrity culture, and the double standards faced by women then and now.

Though the story may be old, IrrePRESSible is brimming with novelty: we’re making our Fringe debut and world-premiere with an original score and lyrics that will stick with you long after curtain down. We also have a wonderful cast of five new talents, who sing, dance, and multi-role their way across the life events that made Emma the Kim K of her day.

 

What brings these two women together in the story?

Emma and Beth represent the core of IrrePRESSible: a dialogue between the past and present, historical and fictional. Emma, our heroine, and Beth, her tabloid-journalist foil, have similar characters but dramatically different situations and perspectives. Our tag-line: two women, two hundred years apart, on either side of the voracious tabloid press machine. Both know the pressures of the media - Emma as its subject, whose every action is scrutinised, and Beth as one of its creators, ever on the hunt for scandal. Their lives collide in a tense confrontation that sees Beth transported back to Emma’s era, with her 21st century attitudes in tow. A friendship begins to blossom between the unlikely duo, as they develop a better understanding of each other’s world. Beth’s  modern perspective on a tale as old as time reveals how little has changed for women in the spotlight in over 200 years.

 

How did the writing process begin?

It’s probably a cliche to say that Hamilton inspired this musical (I’m sure it’s not the only one), but the path here wasn’t the usual one. When watching it, I started reflecting on the name itself: shared as it was with another famous historical character of the same era. That’s probably where the similarities ended. My Hamilton was a woman, a beauty, and a friend of royalty until her life was ruined by the press. To let you in on a secret, the show was originally going to be called ‘the Other Hamilton’. We ultimately realised, though, that (a) this was potentially too cheeky, and (b) Emma’s story deserved its own name. In public memory she’s already defined by her relationship to a man (her lover, Nelson), and that in part is what we’re trying to challenge here. We landed on IrrePRESSible as a title both to capitalise on the press angle (pun intended), and because it summarises Emma’s personality so well.

The writing process is unlike anything I’ve experienced before and has been a real boon to me, largely because it’s set against the background of my Young Onset Parkinson’s. Before IrrePRESSible, I’d be waking up in the middle of the night with the ‘Macbeth does murder sleep’ line going round my head. Now, I’m waking up with a burst of creativity, scribbling down my ideas and feeling a lot more positive at 3am. And strangely, whilst the musical has made coping with Parkinson’s much easier, it’s having Parkinson’s that’s made IrrePRESSible possible. Creativity is the best, and least expected, side-effect of the drugs that I take to manage my symptoms. Long may it continue!

Who is involved in the creative process?

Well, alongside my Parkinson’s drugs, we have an amazing team behind IrrePRESSible. When I first started writing the musical, it was just me and a fantastic composer called Toby. When he left to focus on his PhD, the absolutely brilliant Carrie got involved. Her perspective (we’ll tactfully call the collaboration cross-generational - I’m 59, Carrie 23) and talent have been absolutely invaluable. She has such a deep knowledge of and passion for music which have produced a hugely catchy, genre-hopping score that manages to blend the kind of music Emma herself would be familiar with and the kind that modern audiences are sure to love. Not an easy task!

Our co-directors, Shauna and Kevin, bring a wealth of experience and a real love for theatre, which perfectly complements the enthusiasm of our up-and-coming actors who are bringing the story to life on the stage.

 

What would you like audiences to take away from it?

I would like IrrePRESSible to touch the audience on so many levels - emotionally, intellectually, visually…

So, first of all, I want them to be humming the tunes in the shower. And then I want the audience to be ruminating on the themes of the show. Emma’s story is everywhere today still - just look at the treatment of Meghan Markle, Caroline Flack - and I hope that people will be pointing out the parallels when they spot them being reported in the newspapers. After all, IrrePRESSible tackles some big issues - but we want to keep a light touch and leave the audience feeling upbeat and ready for change.

 

IrrePRESSible plays at The Space @ Niddry Street, Upper Theatre, 14-20 Aug 2023, 15.15 and The Space @ Venue 45, 21 – 26 Aug 2023, 12.15. For tickets go to https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/irrepressible.

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