EDINBURGH 2023: Sian Clarke Q&A

BWW catches up with Sian Clarke to chat about bringing iCon to the 2023 Edinburgh Festival Fringe after previews at London's Camden Theatre.

Tell us a bit about iCON.

iCON is a genre-bending, self-aware, existential crisis of a show. It’s wild and silly, and dark and provocative. iCON grapples with the huge existential questions in life and what it is to exist, alongside pressing social, environmental and political realities we face. iCON offers no answers or solutions. At its best it could have been important, highbrow, philosophical art - perhaps more accurately it's nonsense and me trying to live out my fantasy of being an Oscar award-winning actress.

Having performed at the festival last year, do you think you know what to expect from the Fringe?

I think after having performed at the fringe last year I know less now what to expect than ever before. But I am so excited to be heading up as part of the incredible Summerhall programme and I can’t wait to see more of the amazing shows that will be there.

How involved do the audience get and is it mandatory?

The audience are absolutely, 100%, without doubt responsible for the show and how it goes - and how my future as an artist and a human goes from thereon…

Their involvement is completely essential for us all to have a nice time, but I will point out that no one at any point in the show will be singled out, picked on or forced on stage, that part is all voluntary!

Who would you like to come and see it?

Anyone who has ever questioned their existence and is looking for something to do. Those looking for a bit of a laugh surrounding our impending doom and meaningless existence … it sounds dark but I promise it really is just a bit of fun!

What would you like audiences to take away from iCON?

That there is a lot of joy to be found in the absurdity of living and maybe we have a little bit more control of that than we think. Or maybe we don’t and it's all terrible and completely pointless. But at least we can TRY to have a nice time for an hour!

iCON written and performed by Sian Clarke, with direction from Ursula Martinez, will be on at 2.45pm in the Red Lecture Theatre at Summerhall from the 2nd - 27th August.

You can catch London previews the 21st & 22nd June at Camden People’s Theatre.

Photo credit: Rebecca Need-Menear

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