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 Edinburgh 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!

The Man Who Thought He Knew Too Much

Location:   Pleasance Courtyard – Fourth (Venue 33)

Dates: Aug 2nd-8th, 10th-15th, 24th-28th

Time: 12:10

Price: £16.50 Concessions £15

Ticket Link: https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/man-who-thought-he-knew-too-much

Hello! Tell us about yourself? 

Voloz Collective is a multi-award-winning international physical theatre company. Our debut show – ‘The Man Who Thought He Knew Too Much’ – toured the UK before selling-out its entire run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2022 and opening to a series of five star reviews. ‘The Scotsman’ described the show as ‘physical theatre at its most immaculate’, while ‘Whatsonstage’ called it ‘the theatrical equivalent of a well-crafted Netflix thriller’. Voloz also created and produced a theatrical short film titled ‘America’, which premiered at Ars Nova (Off-Broadway, NYC). 

Voloz is passionate about making theatre that is fast-paced, immediate and visceral. Rather than engaging audiences’ rational brains, we ignite audiences’ imaginations with a whirlwind of images and sounds, to tell stories that can be understood emotionally before they are understood intellectually. Voloz’s work doesn’t rely on intricate sets, sound, and lighting to tell a story, but instead utilises the body, voice, and object theatre to spark the imaginations of theatre aficionados and first-time theatre-goers alike. We have a uniquely non-hierarchical structure; all four members work collaboratively to write, direct, act, produce, and design our shows. 

The company has been awarded the LET/Greenwich Prize (2020) and the Carol Tambour Incentive Aware (2022) for its unique cinematic style of theatre-making. ‘The Man Who Thought He Knew Too Much’ also won Theatre Weekly’s ‘Best Fringe Debut Award’ at the 2022 Edinburgh Fringe Festival and was a finalist for The OFFIE Award for best performance in the IDEA production category. 

Tell us all about your show! 

The Man Who Thought He Knew Too Much: 

Wes Anderson meets Hitchcock meets Spaghetti Western in this multi-award-winning, fast-paced, raucous whodunnit. Roger, a Frenchman in 1960’s New York, has followed the same predictable routine for years, until a minor delay saves him from an explosion. Throwing his ordered world into chaos, Roger chases his would-be assassins around the globe. Lecoq-trained Voloz Collective delight and stun with live music and virtuosic acrobatics. ‘Physical Theatre at its most immaculate’ ★★★★ (The Scotsman). ‘The theatrical equivalent of a well-crafted Netflix thriller’ ★★★★ (WhatsOnStage). ‘Razor-sharp’ ★★★★★ (EverythingTheatre). 

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

Bill’s 44th from Dorothy James and Andy Manjuck, Troll from Marie Kallevik Straume, Anna Marie Simonsen and Cecily Nashl, Dark Noon from Tue Biering and Nhlanhla Mahlangu, The Ice Hole from Compagnie le Fils du Grand Réseau, Beautiful Evil Things from Theatre Ad Infinitum, and Shamilton from Baby Wants Candy. 

Have you done the Fringe before? What are the key pieces of advice you have been given or would give to new groups or people performing at the Fringe. 

This will be our second year at the Fringe. 

Know what your goals are and plan accordingly! Why are you at the Fringe? Is it to test a new show, get reviews, book a tour, make money, reach new audiences? We found it really useful to be specific about what we wanted out of the month and work intentionally towards that. 

What have been some of your favourite shows to date and why? 

Last year’s Fringe was chock-full of unbelievable work. Some of our favourites included Famous Puppet Death Scenes from The Old Trout Puppet Workshop, See You from Hung Dance, Hungry by Chris Bush, and Project Dictator from Rhum and Clay. 

Favourite one liner you have done in a show and why? 

“I would never forget the baguette” 

“That’s why I love you” 

Half of Voloz is French and the other half is UK based. This gives us the authority to make fun of French people and we milk that for all it’s worth. You’ll have to come see The Man Who Thought He Knew Too Much to fully appreciate this one-liner (two liner) in context! 

What is the best way to enjoy yourself at the Fringe? 

The best way to enjoy yourself is to resist getting tunnel vision about your own show and your own work. See other things, talk to other artists, celebrate successes and celebrate failures!

Best thing about performing at the Fringe? 

Doing the same show every day for a month is such a gift. Doing a show so many times back to back really lets us understand it on a deeper level and to fine tune timings and test out subtle changes with each new audience. 

The most challenging thing about performing at the Fringe? 

Doing the same show every day for a month is also a challenge! We have to fight to keep everything fresh, not get discouraged by an inevitably off-day, and keep fatigue and over-saturation at bay. 

What would be your top three items every performer must take to the Fringe?

Rehydration tablets, an interest-free credit card, and a rock-solid sense of self-worth. 

What’s the secret to successful flyering? 

Be Bold! Be Genuine! Last year we accidentally ordered A4 flyers instead of the smaller and more typical A5’s. It ended up being to our benefit as they definitely stood out! 

Who would be your ultimate dream audience member? 

We love when people find ourselves in our show because they happened to be in the area or happened to have a free hour and followed someone in. We love when they have no idea what they’re in for and are ready and open to come on a wild adventure with us. 

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

You can find us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and Tiktok @VolozCollective. You can also check out our website http://www.volozcollective.com, where you can join our mailing list to stay informed about our fringe journey and get weekly show recs! 

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

Tarantino meets Pixar (who wouldn’t want to see such a wild mash-up!)