It is festival season and that means that in the next month there is so many great comedy festivals to look forward to! This month we are looking at some of the great shows that you can see at the Camden Fringe. So take note because we are going to give you all the information you need for just a handful of some of the great shows happening this year!

[Title of Show]

Location: Moors Bar Theatre

Dates: Aug 7,8,9,10

Time: 19:00 / 14:00

Price: £12 concession £10

Ticket Link: https://www.camdenfringe.com/show.php?acts_id=2487

Hello! Tell us about yourselves?

I’m Eleanor, I’m directing and producing [title of show] by Jeff Bowen and Hunter Bell through my company, Plan Z Theatre – a Canadian company dedicated to creating productions that uplift the voices of those fighting to be heard. I started the company in the Vancouver Fringe Festival in 2015. I moved to London, UK in 2017 and this is my first production as Plan Z Theatre Company in the UK!

How did you come up with the name of your show that your taking to the Camden fringe?

This is one of my favourite musicals and I suggested it to Charlotte and William (my co-producers and performers in the show) and they were like, THIS IS US. It’s a musical about four friends writing a musical about themselves writing a musical. It’s a totally ridiculous yet honest portrayal of what it’s like to create something and put it out into the world. The fear, the excitement, the internal critics telling you that everything you’re doing is terrible, the drive to do it anyway. It’s exactly the journey that Plan Z Theatre is taking, and the journey that all the artists in our production are taking in one form or another.

It’s your first ever show in the UK how are you feeling about that?

Nervous as holy hell! But really frickin’ excited. The show has a mix of Canadian and UK artists working on it and it’s such a joy to be in the rehearsal room. And we’ve had so much lovely support from Moors Bar, our performance venue 🙂

How did the show come about?

I was chatting to my friend Charlotte (co-producer, and playing Heidi) and we decided we wanted to do a show. So now we are.

What are you looking forward to most at performing in the UK ?

It feels like a big milestone to achieve, to become “international” in a way. It sort of feel like, if we can make a successful show here, we can do it anywhere. I’m from a small town on Vancouver Island in Canada, so coming to London is a huge shift for me. Most of the time I very much feel like a little school girl following her dreams to the big city.

Tell us a little bit about your style of show?

[title of show] is a light-hearted, self referential musical with a gorgeous, courageous heart beating underneath.

What other acts are you looking forward to seeing at the fringe?

There’s so many. The Cardboard Kitchen Project, Titz Up!, Faeries, Oddball… I could go on, but those are my top four right now.

Have you done the fringe before? What have been some of your favourite shows to date and why?

We’ve done the Vancouver Fringe before! The best is seeing shows that take a risk to try something new – new writing, site-specific – and I love seeing different styles of theatre back to back. You can go from an improv show, to a drama, to a musical, to a clown show in one week (or one day if you’re brave!) I’m really looking forward to seeing a mix of things in Camden this summer.

What have been some of the most unique and different shows you have seen this year and why?

I saw The Sweet Science of Bruising at the Southwark Playhouse this September and I thought it was… it shook me to my core. I think Plan Z’s next show will be inspired by that play. It was about the first ever female boxers in England.

What advice would you give to others who want to perform at Camden Fringe next year?

Just do it! Nervous? Yep, us too! Do it anyway! What a great place to fail. And if you don’t fail, even better.

I’m not sure that’s encouraging, but it is to me…

What is the best thing about performing at the Camden fringe?

The support we get from everyone involved. There’s a growing sense of excitement from the other acts and the venues. I think it’s going to have an amazing festival feel to the whole experience.

What are your three things you are looking forward to about Camden?

The energy of the festival. When it’s up and running throughout Camden for the month of August, the place is going to be buzzing with joy and curiosity and creative boldness and freedom.

Who would be your ultimate dream audience member?

For this show, we’re actually doing a relaxed performance for adults and young adults with autism and complex sensory needs – so the dream audience on the Friday matinee would be anyone who wants to see the show who might not otherwise feel they can access it. My heart would be full if we can create a supportive environment to that experience 🙂

The iconic image of the Camden Fringe is the Pigeon – if you could call this years pigeon a name to represent its style what would it be and why?

She’s giving me strong “Matilda” vibes. I’m not sure what that’s about…

If people want to find out more about you where can they follow you on social media?

We’re on facebook, instagram, and twitter @planztheatre

And Finally in three words – Why should people come and see the show?

Inspiration. Encouragement. Laughter.