EDINBURGH 2025: Old God Q&A

BWW catches up with Alec Jones-Trujillo to chat about bringing Old God to the 2025 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Tell us a bit about Old God.

Old God is the character from the show Old God, an immortal being so old they have forgotten their own name. A bit cracked, perhaps, he greets the audience and then launches into a series of games, mime pieces, fables and commentary about the world that was and the world that is emerging. 

What was the inspiration behind writing this show?

Initially it was an attempt to address Trump but in a roundabout way. So many comics were doing Trump impersonations and Trump jokes, but you could tell it was just making him stronger. It seemed that maybe an ancient, non-human clown in white face paint could at least be a bigger source of distraction than Trump. That was the initial spark, but it's not, like, a "Trump show." 

How involved do the audience get in this world of chaos?

The audience doesn't get too involved. No audience members on stage or anything. There is some direct address and certainly the fourth wall is up, and down, and up, and down again. A few choice lines, questions here and there, some inspired ribbing, perhaps, and conversations are had. There is an energetic involvement, certainly, as wave after wave of language, imagery and energy rolls out upon the audience. The show's word count alone is exhausting. I think many an audience member is put into a state. So, there is involvement but more in an energetic sense and less the way you might find in a clown show with "audience participation". 

Why was it important to create a joyful show?

Part of the thrill with performing Old God is maintaining a joyful glee even when the show touches on to heavy topics and existential dread. It's the benefit of perspective gained from the immortal being of the character. Some of my gravest concerns are in the show but they are batted about with an exuberance and play that ideally shrinks down the fears or simply acknowledges that yes, the fears are real. It feels like there is so much cognitive dissonance and societal gaslighting around multiple issues. To just mention the fears feels stabilizing. To mention them and touch on the darkness but do so with a quip and a joy can feel cathartic. Possibly empowering.

What would you like audiences to take away from it?

I would like audiences to leave with a renewed commitment to ancient arts like theatre and poetry and eye contact and conversations. Ideally people would leave empowered knowing that they are people and it's okay to just be people. We're up against massive algorithms and aggregate data and social trends. Pop stats with massive budgets. Brad Pitt has played a 30-year-old my entire life, until recently. But we're still just people and that's beautiful. Maybe we can connect again with people even if they aren't in our tailor-made news feed bubble. And cultivate a heavy skepticism for the dictates of high tech. These are strange times. So much has changed. So much feels lost to us. By getting together for an hour-long show, hopefully people can leave thinking "I'm not crazy. The social fabric is changing. Others feel it too." Maybe it ends there—a lovely balm. Maybe someone is inspired to invite friends over to play those dusty boardgames. Maybe someone smiles at a stranger on a bus. Who knows.