TravCasts available to download

Sep 5 2011 | By More

#EdFringe playwright interviews online

By Thom Dibdin

Interviews with four playwrights whose work was performed at Edinburgh’s Traverse theatre during this year’s fringe are now available to download.

The Traverse podcasts – TravCasts – are the latest foray into new media from Scotland’s new writing theatre. The fringe TravCasts feature the theatre’s literary editor, Jennifer Williams, in conversation with Lynda Radley, Zinnie Harris, David Greig and Tim Crouch. Future monthly podcasts are planned, starting with Peter Arnott later this week.

Williams told The Annals that: “The podcasts have enabled me to ask some of the burning questions I have had for these playwrights for a long time now. Their answers have been enlightening and have enlarged my understanding of their work and their writing processes.

“For instance, David Greig talking about the interior and exterior aspects of the art of writing, and Tim Crouch explaining his desire to liberate the audience – hearing this directly from the writer’s mouth feels invaluable. Zinnie Harris’ insightful investigation of her own work was fascinating, and it felt like such a gift to be able to explore the motivations and intentions behind The Wheel with her.

“I think good work speaks for itself, but the chance to discuss it with the writer has the power to amplify and open out the impact of the play.”

The interviews are available on the Traverse’s Soundcloud page as well as to download as podcasts from iTunes. Links to all four Travcasts and to the download pages are after the break.

The series opens with Lynda Radley, whose play Futureproof was directed by Dominic Hill and won a Fringe First. It is currently touring to co-producers, Dundee Rep. During the interview Radley reveals that the idea for Futureproof was first born during the Traverse Cubed season in 2006, but was not commissioned until early 2010, with several drafts ongoing since then.

Speaking of the interview, Williams recalls: “I loved hearing Lynda Radley talk about feminism – she is so eloquent and such a good example of a strong, smart woman achieving in the creative industries. She isn’t afraid to call herself a feminist, and to work toward a useful definition of that word.”

TravCast – Lynda Radley by Traverse Theatre

Zinnie Harris wrote The Wheel, directed by Vicky Featherstone for the National Theatre of Scotland, which also won a Fringe First as well as sharing Amnesty’s prestigious Freedom of Expression award. She discusses whether the play is really about war, or whether war is just the extreme example she uses, to discuss the way in which a child grows up.

TravCast – Zinnie Harris by Traverse Theatre

David Greig follows, talking about his plays The Monster in the Hall, produced by the Citizens Theatre which won its ensemble cast a Stage Award for Acting Excellence during the fringe, and The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart, another production from the NTS, whose ensemble cast lost out for the same award. In a particularly fascinating passage, Greig reveals how his love of language has inspired his latest slew of successful works, from Midsummer to Prudencia.

TravCast – David Greig by Traverse Theatre

In the final Travcast of the series, Tim Crouch reveals how he came to write I Malvolio, the fourth part of a series of plays that respond to Shakespeare through plays written from the point of view of lesser characters. He also talks about how he moved from being known as an actor to being known as a playwright, and the role of the audience as an important part of the live event which is a theatre production.

TravCast – Tim Crouch by Traverse Theatre

Williams promises that the TravCasts are an ongoing project: “Following our four festival podcasts we will continue from here on in with monthly instalments, starting with an interview with Peter Arnott later this week. We are planning to regularly interview writers who have work on or in progress at the Traverse, but will also record episodes whenever we can with interesting writers who are in the building, in order that we can keep a steady stream of exciting TravCasts coming to our listeners each month.”

The Traverse’s Soundcloud page is at soundcloud.com/traverse-theatre

The iTunes downloads are available through the feedburner link at http://feeds.feedburner.com/TraverseTheatre

 

ENDS

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