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!

HYPER

Location:  Summerhall – Former Womens Locker Room (Venue 26)

Dates: Aug 1st-11th, 13th-128th, 20th-26th

Time: 20:15

Price: £17.00 Concessions £14.50

Ticket Link: https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/hyper

Hello! Tell us about yourself?

Hi There! My name is Ois O’Donoghue, I’m the writer-director, performer and arbitrator of vocal absurdity for HYPER! Along with this I am the Co-Founder of Jaxbanded Theatre who is producing the show. My work focuses on the exploration of the bounds of medium and genre. I’m passionate about delving into the things that separate us and bring us together in what is, unfortunately, an increasingly divided world. Thematically, this tends to land on subject matter that is Queer, poignant and nearly always silly. Along with this I am a lover of all things Carbonara and Wikipedia Rabbit Hole related.

Tell us all about your show!

HYPER follows one night in the shoes of Saoirse as she attempts to come back to the musical stage having recently transitioned, all with the support of her lovely, but utterly useless best friend and bandmate Conall. Throughout the play Saoirse grapples with how to alter her musical style to reflect who she is now at this moment of enormous change. Though this piece is a two hander it’s played by 3 actors, with two different performers both playing Saoirse, one on stage and one through a vocal modulator (Think Cher singing I believe). With this, we hope to capture the often tumoltous relationship trans people have with the sounds of our own voices in a time where we need to use them the most.

It is a rip-roaring and unabashedly Queer play about identity, and what exactly it means to be Trans today. At a time when us as trans people have begun to emerge from the shadows, and find community, while simultaneously being one of the popular punching bags of our time, HYPER attempts to build a bridge between all people, cis and trans alike. It exists as an act of rebellious, riotous joy for the trans community that also seeks to break bread in communion with our cis siblings.

How did you come up with the name of your show that you’re taking to the Fringe?

The name of HYPER was initially derived from the music genre of Hyperpop, which from it’s fledgling beginnings to it’s meteoric rise has been continually dominated and defined by the trans community. This is the musical style that Saoirse explores in the piece, hoping to use it as means through which she can define her own multifaceted identity. Over time though the name has come to mean more to me. I wrote the initial drafts of this piece early on in my transition and I think the name reflects how that time felt to me. Manic and scary yes, but also exhilarating, jubilant and, yes, HYPER.

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

I am absolutely BUZZING to see Piss / CARNATION’s new piece ‘Ugly Sisters’ at the Fringe this work. Their work continues to exist at the cutting edge of queer theatre making and it has me in an absolute choke hold. I would also be remiss not to mention the work of our Summerhall and Irish siblings tasterinyourmouth, and their site-specific piece ‘You’re Needy (sounds frustrating)’ which will be coming to Edinburgh for the first time. They are utterly brilliant and utterly bonkers.

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.

I’ve done the Fringe several times at all levels, from flyering to teching to producing. This will however, be my first time bringing my own work to the festival. While this is most definitely it’s own daunting task that I am excited (and terrified) to tackle what advice I can offer from past experience is this. Treat the Fringe like you’re going to a theatrical holistic yoga retreat. Go all in. Maintain expectations. See all the shows. The good. The bad. Perform the hell out of your show. Leave with few regrets. The Fringe is chaotic, and scary and exhausting but it’s also one of the more beautiful things you’ll do. To exist in a community whose primary drive is to just create and share art of all stripes is a truly special thing. Also prepare yourself spiritually for inevitably having to do 3am climb out of Cowgate at some point.

Talk us through your daily routine for a day at the Fringe

Peel yourself from the covers of the perpetually sweaty abode you will almost certainly find yourself in. Early. Email. Email. And Flyer. Walk into at least two shows where you know nothing but the title. Save yourself a little treat show that you can look forward to everyday. Rock home in ample time to cook a homemade meal (this will help the financials of the arrangement). Eat. Stretch. Makeup. Breath. Breath. And Breath. Do your show. Hopefully smash it. Celebrate either way. Do it all again the next day.

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

Go onto the Fringe App and sort by what’s on next. If you can feasibly make it, go to whatever it is. You will see some truly life changing work in all senses of the word.

Ok, where is your favourite place to eat at the Fringe?

Is it basic to say Mosque Kitchen? It definitely is. (It’s Mosque Kitchen)

Best thing about performing at the Fringe?

Getting the chance to grow and learn alongside your work in real time. It really is a theatrical bootcamp in all of the best ways.

Top tips for travelling around the Fringe and getting to shows on time?

Move fast and, unfortunately, always opt for the steep paths if you’re able.

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

Moisturizer (Spot breakouts are real). Oranges (Scurvy is also real). A really good book to give you some space from the festival (you will need it at some point, a month is both longer and shorter than you think).

What’s the secret to successful flyering?

It is beyond stereotypical to say, but a genuine kindness in your approach towards people. The best interactions you have with people will always start with a sincerely warm smile and ideally, a giggle or two.

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

If you want to follow our work you can find us @jaxbandedtheatre on Instagram.

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

Rebellion. Joy. Hyperpop.