Sunday 13 August 2017

The Friday Night Dramaturgy: Sunday's Child @ Edfringe 2017

Sunday’s Child Theatre
Presents

The Friday Night Effect
Assembly George Square Studio 4
3rd-28th August
14.35

Meet Jamie, Sive and Collette: three best friends on a wild night out in Dublin. By the end of the night, Collette will be dead. Can you save her? The Friday Night Effect combines compelling new writing with an edge-of-your-seat interactive experience. 


What was the inspiration for this performance? 
The Friday Night Effect is an interactive piece, where we pose a series of moral questions to the audience, and they decide what they would do in their place. We did an interactive show last year called Nuclear Family, and we were overwhelmed by the audience feedback. We have combined sharp new writing, with a really fresh engaging format, and so The Friday Night Effect was born. 

Is performance still a good space for the public discussion of ideas? 
Absolutely. The audience are faced with a series of moral dilemmas. We ask them what they would do in the characters shoes, not necessarily what they think is the morally superior decision,. Its sparks massive debate in the audience 


How did you become interested in making performance?
I've been writing and performing since i was 17. I studied at Edinburgh Uni, and this is my 8th fringe. I set up Sunday's Child in 2010, and we have been producing our own work soon. Overshadowed my last play is now a series on BBC3 , coming out in October. 


Is there any particular approach to the making of the show?
We wrote the show and it was published by Bloomsbury, before we went into rehearsals. Because it's "choose your own adventure" there are various ways the action can play out, so rehearsing it was a challenge! 

Does the show fit with your usual productions?
I think it has mass appeal that my previous shows didn't necessarily have. I generally write quite dark theatre, and this piece is probably the biggest crowd pleaser, in terms of its format. 

What do you hope that the audience will experience?
We hope that they will walk a mile in the characters shoes, and realise that even the most well intentioned decisions can lead to unexpected and some times tragic outcomes. We want them to leave considering the notion of fate and destiny. Are we in control of our lives are we pawns. 

What strategies did you consider towards shaping this audience experience?
We tie ribbons around seats and divide the audience into groups of 5, in order to make decision making teams. We try and divide up friends and family so they are in groups of  new people. It makes it a very sociable and thought provoking theatrical experience. 


At crucial turning points in the story, the fate of the characters will be in the hands of the audience, whose decisions will change their stories irrevocably. Funny, insightful and provocative, this interactive piece is brought to you by award winning Irish company Sunday's Child.

Despite being best friends, the girls are all harbouring dark secrets which will come to the surface as the events of this fateful night spiral out of control. Outspoken and opinionated Sive is putting herself through Uni by sex work. Shes not ashamed of her work - but fears her friends would see her in a different light if they knew the truth. Immaculately groomed and ever organised, Jamie is reluctantly helping her middle aged mum plan her wedding to sexy silver fox Gerry - but has accidentally started sleeping with him. Vivacious, magnetic, and spontaneous, Collette is the life and soul of the party. Her life can sometimes be chaotic due to her bipolar disorder, and her friends are always on hand to help her through. What they dont know is that Collette is an an abusive relationship with Brian, her seemingly perfect boyfriend whose behaviour she constantly defends.
As the night progresses, the stakes continue to rise and explosive secrets come out into the open. At 5 points in the story, the audience will be faced with a cliffhanger decision. Eg: Should the girls A) chase the guy who has just stolen Colettes handbag, or should they B) go to the police? The audience must choose carefully, as the fates of these three girls are in their hands.
Brought to you by the makers of My Name is Saoirse and Overshadowed, currently being adapted for television with BBC3.

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