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!

Plenty of Fish in the Sea

Location:  Assembly George Square Studios – Studio Two (Venue 17)

Dates: Aug 1st-10th, 12th-18th, 20th-24th

Time: 11:25

Price: £14.00 Concessions £13.00

Ticket Link: https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/plenty-of-fish-in-the-sea

Hello! Tell us about yourself? 

Emily- Hi! I’m Emily Ayoub, Co-Artistic Director of Clockfire Theatre Company. I’m an Australian Artist with Lebanese heritage and I founded Clockfire in 2012 off the back of my training at Jacques Lecoq in Paris. We’ve been making new work for 12 years now and this will be our first time at the Edinburgh Fringe! Besides making theatre, I teach the Lecoq approach to university, tertiary and professional artists and I’m also a mum to two kids. It will be their first time overseas when we perform the show so we’re ALL very excited.

Madeline – I am Madeline Baghurst, Co-Artistic Director of Clockfire Theatre Company and Clockfire Creative Lab. I am a theatre-maker, performer, director, teacher and a Clown Doctor for The Humour Foundation. I studied the art of creation and collaboration at L’école International de Theatre Jacques Lecoq (2018) in Paris. Here I completed the two-year professional course as well as the Laboratory of Movement (LEM).

In 2015 I joined Clockfire as an ensemble member where I discovered my passion for creating theatre that moves. I’ve co-devised and performed in we, the lost company (Old 505 Theatre), The Natural Conservatorium For Wise Women (Sydney Fringe 2019), Night Parade of One Hundred Goblins (Sydney Festival 2020) and most recently Plenty of Fish in the Sea (Sydney Fringe 2023) which received Sydney Fringe Festival Awards, ‘Best in Theatre’, ‘Best in Physical Theatre’ and ‘The Festival Director’s Award’ and The House of Oz Purse Prize. 

Victor – I’m Victor Kalka, a Sydney based director/designer/producer, and the lighting designer for “Plenty of Fish in the Sea” at this year’s Fringe. 

Christopher – I’m Christopher Carroll, an Irishman, living in Australia, trained at Lecoq theatre school in Paris. I’m an actor, writer, and all-round theatre-maker, and am here at the Fringe all the way from Sydney with Clockfire Theatre Company, who specialise in imaginative, physical theatre with a twist of mischief.

Tell us all about your show!

Emily – “Plenty of Fish in the Sea” is a physical absurdist-style comedy. It’s a multilingual work in English, French and a kind of hybrid-imagined “Middle English”. At its heart we denounce the idea of “finding the perfect catch”. A castaway is saved by a Nun and her apprentice Bernadette. They give him a “temporary” place to stay in their monastery lodged in a seaside cliff. Communication is tough as one of them has taken a vow of silence and the other speaks only French. He is a total stranger to his new surroundings, and he ends up in the throes of a very absurd kind of hook-up culture all centred around the duo’s obsession with fishing which they treat as their religion. It’s fantastical, darkly absurd and very physical. We have won so many awards for this show it’s been a ride!  So we are super excited after Sydney and Adelaide to play Edinburgh!

Christopher – Plenty of Fish in the Sea is a surreal physical comedy that follows the unpredictable journey of a man hauled out of the sea by a demented Nun, who’s feverishly devoted to fishing… It’s a playful 45 minutes of theatre like nothing you’ve ever seen, brought to life by a trio of skilled physical performers. Our show was a hit of both Sydney and Adelaide Fringe seasons so we feel super keen to get it in front of audiences in Edinburgh.

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

Madeline – I spend my time dating and fishing- I noticed the already clear link between these two worlds through the idiom ‘Plenty of fish in the sea’ and set out to make a show about the dangerous aspects of modern day dating that are reflected in this title. 

Christopher – The subtext for this quirky fable of ours is the voracious world of hook-up culture. For the pescatarian characters of the show, as well as anyone who’s ever sought love on a dating app, there are always plenty of fish in the sea…

Emily – We were inspired by the modern societal pressures of “hook-up” culture and because the show draws on fishing metaphors linked to finding companionship “Plenty of Fish in the Sea” seemed like an obvious choice!

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

Victor – It’s my first Fringe, so I’m looking forward to seeing as much as possible, taking a chance on an act and discovering something fantastic.

Madeline – Manbo and Old Man.

Emily – I am looking forward to connecting with other Physical Theatre companies from around the world.

Christopher – Trygve Wakenshaw, Reuben Kaye, and Flabbergast Theatre.

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.

Emily – This is our first time at Edinburgh Fringe! Key pieces of advice are get out there and flyer! Bring a raincoat and soak up as many shows as you possibly can!

Christopher – I took two shows to the Fringe in 2015: a wider-than-wild western about the early days of San Francisco called “The Emperor of America”; and a solo show featuring a charming moustachioed adventurer, called Early Grave, Fashionably Late.

Key piece of advice is to get out there and see shows, talk to all the performers whose work you love, and invite them to come and see your show. Networking sucks – but artists loving and supporting one another’s work is mind-blowingly beautiful and can lead to the most wonderful collaborations.

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

Emily – Our show is pretty physical, so we usually like to start the day with a workout to energise ourselves.  We perform mid-morning so post- show it’s about flyering and seeing as much as possible. I’ll be taking my kids to a lot of kids shows and doing as much sight-seeing as we can!

Christopher – We have an early slot (11:25am!), so I will be waking, groaning, strapping my dodgy knee, stretching, doing a physical warm-up that’s longer than the actual show, DOING THE SHOW, making some attempt to wash my sweat-soaked costume and body, flyering like a motherf*cker to drum up audiences for the following day, doing a couple of hours’ writing in a quiet spot, then an evening of seeing as many shows as I can, and hopefully hanging out with some other very cool artists for solidarity, inspiration, and mutual cross-promotional opportunities.

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

Christopher – Embrace the madness and the crowds and the fatigue.

It’s overwhelming but take the time to trawl through the program and see stuff that actually interests you, instead of settling on the shows that have the biggest advertising budget.

Don’t feel obliged to drink every night.

For artists: don’t stress over daily ticket sales and take in the experience. It is a festival. Enjoy being at a festival. Enjoy sharing your art alongside other great art. Get to know the other artists in your venue. See great work, see not-so-great work, and come away with a notebook full of ideas for the shows you want to make next.

Madeline – See as many shows as you can- follow word of mouth.

Emily – Soak it all up!

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

Emily – I have no idea yet as this will be my first time in Edinburgh. I welcome recommendations!

Madeline – DISHOOM 

Christopher – Oink for a roast pork roll and a can of irn-bru.

Best thing about performing at the Fringe?

Christopher – Being part of a community of performing artists from all over the world. And personally, getting to visit Messrs Walker Slater for some delicious new clothes.

Emily –Taking our show to a global audience and having the opportunity to see shows I might never get the opportunity to in Australia. Also, meeting new artists and people.

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

Emily – Well, having kids means I have to be very organised with my time. I’ll be creating a schedule for each day so we can try and cram in as much as possible but will also be taking some rest days so we don’t burn out.  

Christopher – Try to plan your night around seeing a few shows in the same part of town (or same venue, for the bigger venues). Eating, drinking, and friends will only slow you down.

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

Emily – Good walking shoes, a raincoat and a sense of fun!

Madeline – A Powerbank and a smile. 

Christopher – An AeroPress, for portable pretentious coffee, without spending a fortune.

An icepack, for the twists, strains and sprains of doing a physical theatre show for a month.

A pair of shoes that can handle a hike up Arthur’s Seat, for a breath of fresh air when you need a break from the madness.

What’s the secret to successful flyering?

Victor – Have something catchy to say along with the flyer that will stand out in people’s minds.

Emily – Commit to at least an hour a day!

Christopher – Try to find a masochistic enjoyment in it: I find if I can make the goal to connect with people, one by one, rather than invest my entire self-worth in selling tickets, it tends to work better, for the flyering and my mental health.

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

Emily – Our Plenty of Fish in the Sea handles are – @plentyoffishinthesea2024 or you can follow us on instagram @clockfiretheatre. We are @cfiretheatre on twitter/ X. 

Madeline – @madbaghurst or @clockfiretheatre 

Christopher – @thetoffstuff

Victor – You can follow me on Instagram @victorkalka

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

Emily -Original, absurd, comedic.

Madeline – Fish –  Sex –  Nun

Victor – Sexy fish soup… 

Christopher – It’s fucked up.