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Episode 11 - Chris Davis is The 40 year Old Ballerino
37 Plays1 month ago
This week on Podcast 13 we welcome Philadelphia solo performer Chris Davis to Venue 13. Chris brings us the world premiere of The 40 Year Old Ballerino this August, his first new Fringe show in seven years, and his first return to Edinburgh since 2019.
Before we get to Chris, Ian and Vanesa run through what's worth catching in June across Scotland, with Eden Festival in Moffat, Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo at the Festival Theatre and The Karate Kid The Musical all on the diary. They also have a bit of fun in an agony aunt style segment about the five types of Fringe goer, with pros, cons and shameless recommendations for our 2026 programme.
Chris then joins us for a twenty minute conversation about ballet, heartbreak, John Cusack and what it means to come back to the Fringe after a long pause. He closes the episode with a ten minute live teaser from the show itself.
This week we are skipping the Climate Change Theatre Action reading and handing that slot over to Chris for an excerpt from The 40 Year Old Ballerino.
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Transcript
00:00:10
Speaker
Quick recap from last time.
Upcoming Shows at Venue 13
00:00:11
Speaker
Episode 10 was our big program reveal episode, and we shared all 11 shows coming to Venue 13 2026. The tickets for everything are available online. You can get them through our website and the Ed Fringe website.
Crowdfunding for a Vegan Food Trailer
00:00:25
Speaker
We've also got our crowdfunding campaign running full steam. This is to get our solar and hydrogen vegan food trailer outside the venue.
00:00:35
Speaker
We'd love your support. We will continue get to put information about that in the show notes as well as links for how to contribute to that. But without further ado, let's get to our topic of the day.
Types of Fringe Goers
00:00:47
Speaker
What type of fringe goer are you? Now we've been doing some thinking about all of the very different ways people approach the fringe. And we thought it'd be fun to do this segment. Five types of fringe goer and the pros and the cons and maybe our advice as well.
00:01:01
Speaker
Let's do it.
00:01:06
Speaker
Now, first up, we have the full planner. You know who you are. You would probably own a color-coded spreadsheet by the end of April, or maybe you have, you know, a lot of calendars in your phone, you know, like color-marked. Shows that you want to see, you book everything in advance, you have a backup plan for the backup plan, know you know, you walk into every venue, you're calm and you're in time.
00:01:28
Speaker
I'd like to say that that covers my way of approaching the fringe, except for the... except Except for the last point, I do not walk into every venue calm and on time. Usually I'm rushing and trying not to expire on on everybody around me around that. So making sure I've got my water and my lozenges.
00:01:50
Speaker
People who will recall our one, two, threes from last year of Fringe Advice will remember those as part of it because I'm always rushing between venues. It does put you in a position where you're never going to miss a hit show from an artist that you are familiar with because you know to get it.
00:02:06
Speaker
You can get the early bird deals. So you can get two for one deal. So you can make sure that you see things or things that are going to be popular. You're going to make sure that you're going to get those tickets that are going to be the hot tickets for it.
00:02:18
Speaker
But the same time, when a show you've pre-booked turns out to be terrible, you're you're stuck. ah You can't really ditch it. I mean, you can leave it. But the only time I've ever been angry that I've been watching a show has been in Edinburgh because of this situation where I booked something. It looked amazing in its description, in its ads, whatever, however I got into it. And then I'm stuck there in the middle of it. And even if I leave, there's so many other things that I could have been doing in that time. And I'm like, oh, the opportunity costs were doing that because I was trying too hard to see everything.
00:02:53
Speaker
You know, it also prevents you from having a lot of room for like the random thing where you like someone hands you a flyer or you get a rec recommendation and you definitely, i have in taking this approach, I have never not burned out where by the end of it, I'm like looking at a ticket was like, do I really, is this.
00:03:13
Speaker
I'm going to read the reviews before I leave the house so that I can make sure I actually want to see this. And sometimes ah I'll bail on things that I've booked already and either go see something else or just be like, I just, I just can't.
00:03:25
Speaker
You just can't do everything. Yeah. it It just is like, I overdid it. I did too much. You know, i can't. Did you get fringe burnout? I did.
00:03:36
Speaker
And especially, you know, when it gets nicer or you just want to sit, like sometimes you're like, I know I paid 10, 15, 20 pounds for this ticket, but I just can't. I need, didn't go through another show that's not amazing.
00:03:50
Speaker
So there you go. And if you're the food planner, I would say our advice is to build two empty slots a day. Even if it's just to sit, touch grass somewhere and hydrate, Edinburgh always rewards the wonder.
00:04:06
Speaker
That brings us to type two, which is the free fringer. So this is where you can prioritize, pay what you can, or shows that are in the free fringe where you're paying what you want or if you can as you exit generally. Like you can tap.
00:04:24
Speaker
Most so of them have taps at this point. Or you can, you know, whatever change or bills that you're willing to part with in your pocket that you think that the show is worth. Or you can, you know, sheepishly not make eye contact as you're leaving the room because you're like, oh, I wasn't that, you know.
00:04:39
Speaker
This allows you to like, there are so many free fringe venues down the Cowgate. You've got Banshee Labyrinth. You've got lots and lots of comedy, primarily you in in bars. It's well, guys, there's people who just run through the free fringe and and performers who come there regularly. Chris Davis, who we'll be talking to later said today in this episode, like most of his early fringe work was in the free fringe as well. So it allows you to see as many things as you can for the most cost-effective way possible while still giving you an opportunity to support the artists.
00:05:17
Speaker
Absolutely. I think it's a great idea to see something you haven't seen before. and I absolutely love... So the Free Fringe has its own sort of like, you know program. So if you Google the Free Fringe, you will find its own dedicated section as well, which is really handy because it's that's that's the kind of thing you want to do You know, you have a very easily lined out program around the city where you can actually catch the Free Fringe shows.
00:05:40
Speaker
and The pros is that you know you get cheap, brilliant discovery, real community feel. And many times when I've seen a free fringe is when I met up with some friends, we went for some food, we went for some drinks, and then we just kind of went into a comedy show.
00:05:54
Speaker
I specifically like the ones that you see lots of um lots of actors. And so then, you know, if one of them wasn't that great, you're waiting five minutes and then you'll see another one. i do always encourage people to pay at least five pounds, at least 10 pounds. The cons is that it used to be cash only, but now you can see more and more car machine options popping up. So i would say please do pay them, even if you didn't enjoy the show. You know, this is the artist, this our time. Many of them have traveled from other places, you know, the Ireland or Australia. And, you know, they've had to pay their flights. They had to pay accommodation. They're probably staying in a place that is really not very nice and you wouldn't want to stay there. But they're doing it for the love of the game.
00:06:32
Speaker
And I think even that itself, you know, should be rewarded. Yeah, our advice there is to mix your ticketed shows with free fringe shows, put them into your fringe diet, right?
00:06:42
Speaker
It's best to have variety on your plate. You and we you get the best of both worlds. You've got the high production values or people who are you know pre-booking things that you're excited about. But then, you know, there's, like you're saying, such an opportunity for discovery and like low pressure, low stakes,
00:07:01
Speaker
relative to the rest of the fringe while being able to like say that you saw somebody for the first time there's actually i don't know if i brought this up on the podcast before but i don't know of any we i don't know where our audience overlaps with queer eye the netflix series they had a season in las vegas and one of their like subjects, people that they were, they they did a make a a makeover for, right?
00:07:26
Speaker
can't remember his real name, but he performs as Piff the Magic Dragon. He's in a Vegas residency. I hadn't heard about him in years. And he's someone who I saw multiple times in the Free Fringe, like a decade ago. And so I got really excited for that episode because i like, i've I've met this guy. I've never seen him not in a dinosaur costume.
00:07:42
Speaker
But, you know, he'd be performing on the cow gate and I run into him in a bar at the underbelly, like the, ah at at the, you know, the cow shed or whatever.
00:07:53
Speaker
And so it was really like interesting. You can see how somebody like like ladders up, like, cuts their teeth at the free fringe and then moves them way up and now this guy is doing like a regular vegas residency like it really you know as as we'll hear from chris like you just do it and do it and do it and that's how you get better at it and it works so it's really important i think to to put that into your ears fringe schedule is to not sleep on the potentials of the free fringe
00:08:24
Speaker
Absolutely, and then this this can be an official shout out to Piff the Magic Dragon. And if you're coming to the fringe, do pop by Venue 13. I think Ian would really like a photo with you.
00:08:37
Speaker
And then we have a type 3, which would be the go with the flow punta. So this is the kind of person that books one show on the train up to Edimur. So they're already on the go and they're like, I probably should book something.
00:08:50
Speaker
Decides everything else on the Royal Mile after flat Y. Trust the universe. Yeah, this is this is really leaving yourself up to the magic of the fringe, right? I know that every year end up talking to somebody after the festival and they're like, did you see this show or that show? And I'm like, I don't even know that it existed.
00:09:09
Speaker
And part of it is the planning that we talked about, the type of a fringe goer that I am, that that i' ah I fall victim to myself as our first type. But I've really been trying to go more with the go with the flow approach to things. So you actually get those magical days where you run into hidden gems and you're you're really leaning into the spontaneity of the fringe of like, what should I see now?
00:09:34
Speaker
Who's going to sell me on something? And you'd be surprised at just what you end up seeing. Now, the challenge here is that you're going to run into sold out shows, right? If something is doing really well and you're like, oh,
00:09:48
Speaker
that seems really popular, you might not be able to get into it. And you sort of had this like sad sandwich idea at like in the evening because nothing food shape fits between like two panic bookings where you're just like, oh, what can I cram in my face right now? and you just go with what you can.
00:10:06
Speaker
So you're sort of like, you know, you end up with like exhausted and it's hard to pace yourself because you don't know when everything's going to happen. And you found out that, you know, you should have skipped something or you didn't time something else. So you don't know exactly how long something is. And then you're trying to get home and you can't get onto a bus. They're crowded. You can't get your train back to where you're staying to leave town and you end up stuck.
00:10:33
Speaker
so So that's too much flow then. I guess have like the flow can be too much as well. It's like whitewater rafting. You got it you got to constantly be like checking what's coming down the river so you don't go over that waterfall. Absolutely. I think the advice would be to have like two anchor shows. So something to ground you. One at lunchtime, one at dinner. and then build everything else around that.
00:10:54
Speaker
And then build some time to like you know have a proper amount of food. Nourish. Nourish is important to avoid the fringe burnout. Yeah, I think if you walk up to the box office, like at any of the venues on a given day and ask what's great that afternoon, like, trust them.
00:11:12
Speaker
And you can also do this because, like, if you're near George Square or Christo Square, that, like, those venues have like an a outside box of and they're right next to food and lots of good food options too so you can actually like plan your food and your sustenance and taking care of yourself and then say what can i go do that keeps me in proximity to what i need to do so don't just be like go with the flow for shows go with the flow how do i take care of myself where does that lead me
00:11:46
Speaker
Which brings us actually to the Type 4, which is the foodie, right? Which is really about booking the shows around the restaurant and what you want to eat. Because there is some fantastic food throughout the festival. There are food festivals, right?
00:12:02
Speaker
Like George Square operates as a ah food festival just leading up to, while they're converting it before their shows, it's there. There's the foodie festival that happens on a weekend, overlapping with the fringe at some point.
00:12:16
Speaker
And then there's just like Edinburgh is a great place to eat too. So think about where you're going to eat and say like, what's close to this and there. And you know, you're going to end up with strong opinions. You're going to get strong opinions from other people too.
00:12:29
Speaker
There's like a coffee scene that is across the city that people are going to be like, this is where you have to get the best coffee, which you're going to need as well. My favorite coffee place, which was temporary for the festival like years ago, was ah Cafefe, which was like you know the the Trump malpropos that ended up with it. and the yeah I can't remember the coffee was any good, but it was a memorable name for a shop as well.
00:12:53
Speaker
And planning around this, like there's so many shows to see, and they're everywhere, but this will allow you to find that that perfect dumpling, right? The the the most alertness thing. like You shouldn't see... What was the good dumpling? Yes, I guess this is like the kind of person that eats well, drinks well, you know, it treats the fringe like, you know, cultural city break as well. And I guess that that happens more often than you think, because if you're in a family group or if you're in a friends group, everyone has to keep fed. There's always going to be one person in the friends group that's going to be thinking about food all the time. That's usually me.
00:13:25
Speaker
The cons is that, again, if you are in a group setting... It's different than if you're on your own and you can just have that sandwich at 7 p.m. and just call it a day. But if you're with a group of people and you've made some, you know, reservations that's at 5.30, there is three courses, there's wine, you're having a chat.
00:13:41
Speaker
It's very easy to miss a show. You could miss your next booking because you were having a chat. And then, you know, by the time everyone gets up, you pay, you know, the restaurant visit will overrun and then you will miss a show. And that is a con because that's like it's money wasted, it this plans ruined, and then someone can like be feeling a bit resentful.
00:13:57
Speaker
Yeah. You know, I think our advice would be like plan eating like you plan your shows. Keep it, keep an eye out for our new hydrogen and solar vegan food trailer venue 13, like easy to see our shows. If you're there have something in between a couple of pro tips as you're planning this though. One, a lot of places, at least in the city center, don't take reservations during the festival.
00:14:24
Speaker
ah There's a few that do, especially if you are looking for a group. Make sure that you're looking at that. It's going to limit your options, though. But the turnover so high and they're going to be full so much that they're not worried about planning ahead.
00:14:37
Speaker
So know that you're going to run into issues with that, except for in specific places. So think ahead there. And in treating and avoiding your fringe burnout, keep in mind when you get to drink things out of a glass. Right.
00:14:50
Speaker
When you get to eat things with a knife and fork, it is very easy if you're just in the festival, like flow to like eat things out of on paper plates, out of like wrapped up takeaway containers with like small, easy to break sporks.
00:15:08
Speaker
Like sometimes it treat yourself. It's important to do that during the festival. Absolutely. I mean, this reminds me of, do you remember there was a time, and i I've not seen it that much lately, i feel like we're over that now as a society, but there was a time where everything would come on a slab, or like a slate slab. And I was like, I just want a plate.
00:15:29
Speaker
And everything was in the slates. um And that there was a very strong analogy that everything, like all the theater and all the artists' shows were happening these random things, like in a football pitch, in a in a park, in a basement and in a terrace.
00:15:46
Speaker
And then someone said, I saw a theater ah show and then someone said to me, where? was like, in a theater. And they're like, what? And this is something, again, I feel like that's something that Chris also spoke as well, that when he did thering the free fringe, you know, everything in Edinburgh turns into a venue.
00:16:01
Speaker
And it has its pros and it has its cons. It's very good that you get to actually have that access to all the art that going to be available to you. But at the same time, a lot of that art comes at a cost of, like, not being properly teched, you know, not and not not the correct technology, not the correct lighting. But, you know, you're...
00:16:19
Speaker
doing those trades because you actually want to see the show and you want to, you know, ingest that type of that that that cultural shock and the the the bit of art that, you know, is very much needed and like you're fixed for the year.
00:16:31
Speaker
But there no, this was definitely when you said make sure you you eat something of an actual glass and and plates. I am very glad that I have not seen many things served on on slates. The other thing to add there is like, make sure you eat some vegetables and like fresh vegetables. Like I know that we have a vegan venue, but we can be just as guilty. Like we have a relationship with Consider It, which is vegan donuts. We sell vegan ice cream.
00:16:57
Speaker
There are days when that is my primary diet. I'm not goingnna i'm not going to appreciate on anybody else. I know there are days that I've survived on on that. It's important also to eat vegetables, fresh vegetables especially. And it's very easy not to during the festivals. Sometimes it's a conscious effort. Grab a piece of fruit, at least. That is true. And in your day-to-day life, look at us, Podcast 13, advocating for your five-a-day.
00:17:27
Speaker
you And then about five a day, here's type five, the half and half. So that's probably my favorite. So it's kind of like, this is a person that is half booked, half open. And it's kind of like a seasoned festival gore. So they just know, they've they've lived it all. They've done the extremes and they know what to lock in and what to leave to chance. And they will take the flyer if the energy of the person is right.
00:17:48
Speaker
ah For many, many years at the Fringe, I've actually printed myself a badge. And it was big badge. was the size of a paper plate. And he said, I will not take your flyer if you're not smiling. And that was that.
00:18:00
Speaker
Like if if someone gave me a bad mood flyer, I wasn't taking it. said, need that kind of energy in my life. but And I think that is a big thing is like if you feel like a show might be worth doing it, take the flyer, take the risk. But you can because you are half open, you know, you're half booked.
00:18:15
Speaker
So that's the adventure plan. I like that. Yeah, that's that's what I aspire to. I've ah've yet to get there. I know that I've tried to, that the book has become so overwhelming, so I'll flip through it. But ah ah whereas I used to try and put everything that I wanted to see, be like, here's some key things, maybe some people that I've seen before.
00:18:35
Speaker
shows that do a really good job of like sounding compelling and look them up a bit but i'm like then i want to find out i want like recommendations from people that i talk to if i know somebody who's working on something or something like that i like want to find out about that you never know who's going to be in town especially if you're working there but this is really odd goldilocks of the fringe goer right right there in the sweet spot that gets to see the must-sees or at least you know, as much of them as they can, but always gets to discover something new, like, and actually builds in sleep, like is actually able to to sleep. It's not trying to go too hard. Right.
00:19:11
Speaker
There are challenges like this is, this is best done if you have a few days, right. It's hard to, to think if you're there for a day or two, completely understand booking every waking moment, going into something.
00:19:25
Speaker
But if you have a few days, if you can take a bit of time, this is the great way to do. But it can also lead to fatigue as well. You know, you could end up double booking or really want to see something. You realize you get a flyer for something you're excited about. And it is playing at the same time that you've got something pre-booked and you're leaving the next day and you're really torn.
00:19:44
Speaker
Or they're they're leaving the next day. Right? So, but that's the case. There are too many shows to physically be able to see them all anyway. So this is this is the this is the person who has that ability to, like, have that zen balance idea that it's like, I can't see everything that I want to see, and I'm okay with that.
00:20:05
Speaker
Very good. And believe that our advice would be that although this is the format but that we recommend the most to people, this is kind what we want, three to four shows booked a day, one or two open slots, snacks in the bag.
00:20:16
Speaker
So I would say, Ian, are we safe to say that you are the planner? i am ah I'm the planner. I aspire to the half and half, but like like maybe after 20 years, I'll get there. It's taken a long time to get there. How about you?
00:20:31
Speaker
I think, so I am, dear dear listener, I am in a very privileged position because I always tend to actually go and see some shows with Ian, who is the planner. So I am the kind of the alternative, like the passenger princess of the fringe, because Ian will do all the hard work. He will find, he'll do the research, he'll find the things. And then I'm going to be the go with the flow and a bit of a foodie, I'd be like, oh, kind want to have some food.
00:20:57
Speaker
Or if I go out to the French to meet my friends, I am more excited about meeting my friends. And then I feel like anything else that comes, any any free shows that we see is kind of like just an add-on. But I'm just glad that we've I met my friends, we had some food, we had some drinks, and we had a good time.
00:21:12
Speaker
Yeah, i do I do enjoy your trust in my selection. That's not trust in quality. I want listeners to know this is not... Vanessa does not necessarily trust me to always pick good shows or the thing that she wants to see. It's always interesting and it always leads to an interesting conversation.
00:21:34
Speaker
and I do love having the conversation afterwards where either... we appreciate the show in different ways or like i just made a bad decision and we can like dish about it over over like you know we'll go into the garden pick up something to eat and be like that was shit yeah i was probably true before i tried to be very polite about it but yes sorry is it is it a fringe if you haven't seen a bad show it's not no no like isn't it's the only place that i've ever angry this year's
00:22:06
Speaker
I would feel unsatisfied as an artist, you know, of experiencing a fringe you have not seen a bad show. I feel like something's off. Something's not right. Listeners, tell us which type you are. Email us at podcast.benu13.com with your answer or comment on our socials, I'm your 13 fringe. We really want to know what type of fringe goer you are.
Guest Introduction: Chris Davis
00:22:35
Speaker
On this episode, we want to welcome Chris Davis to Venue 13 with his new show, The 40-Year-Old Ballerino. This one if one is is one of those shows that immediately felt right for Venue 13, a solo performer with a long fringe history, a real personal story underneath the comedy, and a show that really does speak for itself.
00:22:52
Speaker
Solo storytelling has become one of the strongest currents at the fringe over the past few years, and Chris's trajectory of success's form sits right at the heart of it. Chris has a back catalog stretching across more than a decade of touring and a four-star quote from the list, calling his work the kind of innovative spirit the French was created to showcase.
00:23:12
Speaker
Edinburgh has certainly missed his talent, and at Venue 13, we're excited to welcome him back with a 40-year-old ballerino this August. Let's bring him in. Chris, welcome to Podcast 13. It's lovely to have you with us.
00:23:25
Speaker
I'm super excited to be here and super excited to return to Edinburgh this year. Yeah, for people who don't know your Fringe back catalog, can you give us sort of the the short version? Tell us about your work and how your relationship with Edinburgh and the Fringe started. Yeah, absolutely. So Edinburgh definitely changed my whole career. um I came first in 2014, and I honestly knew very little about the festival. I did not know it was the world's biggest festival. I didn't know it was at thousands of people.
00:23:55
Speaker
And so I went and performed the show with no expectations. And not knowing anything, of course, that show did really well. And it was my first year and I was like, oh, this is amazing. So I kept coming back year after year after that, trying to build on that momentum. And I ended up doing that show, which was called Drunk Lion.
00:24:12
Speaker
I did that for three years total between 2014 and 2019 while doing other shows. And the reason I kept doing it was because it became very popular and just very easy to fill houses. And I did it through the free fringe.
00:24:25
Speaker
And I took all the skills I learned in Edinburgh and I really brought them back to my life in the United States. It really just helped me as a producer and performer and as a writer. um So it's a place where I really have workshopped almost all my pieces. And this is the latest piece to take there and watch it go through the Edinburgh gauntlet. You know, you start with a show in the beginning and then 22 shows later, you're like, wow, this show has performance wise, even script wise, it just elevates. And so, I mean, I think that's one of the best opportunities. You, you, you go to Edinburgh with a show and you leave with something no matter what, usually, you know, at a much higher level, a much more improved show. And that that I, and you learn, you know, you, you survive trial by fire, right? Like,
00:25:12
Speaker
from drunk Scottish people yelling to you to, yes, that happened so many times to me. I did do a lot late shows. Like, yeah you learn how to deal with hecklers and the chaos and all that and how to separate yourself from 3,500 shows, which is the challenge.
00:25:28
Speaker
And that's one, you know, you do podcasts, you do everything you can because you need to to somehow drive people to your show when you're there. Absolutely. And, you know, you are now you're a fringe regular. You've you've done it. You live for six years in a row. And now you're returning this year with the 40 year old ballerino. And now can you tell us how does that feel and what can the audience expect? Like for what you're just saying, it basically it feels like the the show is a live piece of work that just evolves throughout the month.
00:25:55
Speaker
Can you tell us bit more about what to expect on the other side, like when we're attending your show? Yeah, I think, you know, i'm not i don't believe there's a magic formula to Edinburgh solo shows. However, there is a magic formula to Edinburgh solo shows. mean, there's certain qualities that I've learned from seeing shows there. And really, I attend like over 30 shows every time I was at the festival.
00:26:18
Speaker
And so in a sense, 40-year-old ballerina takes all the tricks that I've learned, all the different techniques that I've learned, all the writing stuff that I've learned, and I think packages it together in a way that I'm super excited to share because I've never had...
00:26:35
Speaker
you know, a real venue when I've done shows there. I've mostly performed in pubs. I performed in a yurt in Three Sisters one year where there's often stag parties outside screaming during football matches. i was in the middle of the day. I performed in an attic in the counting house. I performed in the basement theater of Newsroom pub.
00:26:56
Speaker
I performed at a hotel in 2019 off George Street. So And I loved all those experiences, but to to be able to go there and have a dedicated venue with lighting, with tech, I've never had that amount of support and production value behind the show. So in this sense, this show, i believe, will be like a fully realized version of what I want. And that's something...
00:27:21
Speaker
I've never been able to do before. So that that's what is a big difference for me. And it's a big risk, but I think it's worth it. And the show itself uses all these techniques through storytelling, through its very personal show, through my own personal life, with movement, with physical movement, with ballet. You know, during the show, I i basically do an entire ballet bar class.
00:27:44
Speaker
while telling you about how love ballet, but the ballet actually informs the words that are coming out my mouth. The two are inner, they are connected. And so I think this merging of like physical theater with storytelling, with sort of standup comedy, with all these things, that's what I'm most excited about. So is this amalgamation.
00:28:03
Speaker
And I really hope to get some of the dance fans in Edinburgh because i know they're there and I know the dance scene, you know, is there and and I think it'll be cool to connect with them and just sort of try to bring in that audience.
00:28:16
Speaker
And that they'll really connect with this show. But this show is ultimately for everyone. It is a show that is about investing in yourself and about changing your own life. And that is something that everyone can do and that all of us have opportunities to do. and whether we take advantage of them or not, I think people have really connected with that aspect of the show.
00:28:37
Speaker
That's great. but like I mean, first of all, as somebody who is has crossed that boundary myself, you know you've got this premise, taking a ballet at 40, which me on the other side of that myself is ah really impressive.
00:28:51
Speaker
Maybe having the bar in the ah in the venue will inspire me too. But as a like coming as a substitute for you know other other vices, ranging from the... like the good drugs and alcohol side of things up through like you know media consumption modern family reruns and jonathan's heck movies it seems like uh very specific i i myself can relate to a lot of this but like how much is this from like your experience how can you can you talk a little bit about like channeling that experience of taking up uh ballet like into this new passion
00:29:28
Speaker
Yeah, this is, you know, it's a, maybe it's a memoir at play. It's almost entirely true. um Everything I say in the play is basically true. I do take some liberties with timelines.
00:29:39
Speaker
The play talks about a relationship with a ballet dancer who is the the person that got me first into ballet. So like, you know, obviously at 40, you don't always just jump into something like that. But I had been living with this person, watching them do ballet.
00:29:51
Speaker
And eventually i I started to say, oh, I should try it once. And I discovered quickly that I really loved it. And then all of a sudden, even though that relationship ended, I continued my relationship with ballet, which is really interesting when you, you know, you, you have relationships with people. Sometimes you can take things from them. And in this case, you know, you take the art of ballet and then ah it eventually becomes yours.
00:30:15
Speaker
And now it's beyond that person. um Now it is my practice. And I take it very seriously. I take class. Four to five times a week, I've been taking at that pace for three years.
00:30:28
Speaker
So you can imagine, it's completely changed my life. It's changed my body physically. It's changed my mind. It's changed pretty much everything.
00:30:39
Speaker
And, you know, eventually it becomes a habit and then it becomes your community and then it becomes the people you want to be around. and then And this is if you really love it. And I don't even know exactly why I love it, but I think there's like a sort of peace you get from it. You know, your thoughts...
00:30:53
Speaker
don't run so much. Maybe if you have like a fast brain or something, you kind of silences your your brain for a second while you're practicing. And so similar to drugs and alcohol, that's another reason why people do those things. You know, you drink because it relaxes you. You, you do drugs because it silences things in your brain. So I actually see a ton of connection through this sort of like these addictions that people have and that I had too. I quit drinking three or four years ago.
00:31:22
Speaker
And this will be my first Edinburgh not not drinking alcohol. I feel fortunate because this all could have like kind of fallen apart. But in a sense, like because I stayed with the ballet.
00:31:34
Speaker
it It means also the show keeps changing because my ballet practice gets better. There's dances in the show. I get better at doing these dances. So there's no two shows are not alike. I've been working on the show for three years. I've had little iterations here and there, and this is the final thing, and this is actually the best I've been at ballet.
00:31:52
Speaker
And so when I first started this, I really could not do it. Like I could not perform the show very well. It's very hard breath-wise. I had didn't have the stamina. One of the shows I always think about is by Richard Gad.
00:32:05
Speaker
It's the one with the monkey that chases him on the treadmill. What I loved about it was the physical feat of him running the whole show while this monkey, which was his trauma, chasing him. The whole show, Richard Gad, does not stop running for an hour straight while speaking an entire monologue. So in a sense, this is sort of stealing a little bit from that where it's like, okay, can I do this ballet while speaking, while doing this? And it is very hard.
00:32:33
Speaker
And so there's a little bit of physical feat to this show, which I think is fun for the audience. do it? Can you do it? can you do it Yeah, and I think this is also, like, you chose, you know, the ballet, and it is extremely precise, and it definitely something that, you know, pushes you to actually get better. And it just sort of reminds me of my my main experience that I have with ah with ballet dancers. It was a few years ago, about five years ago now, and I was very close friends with someone in the Scottish ballet, and he invited me and a group of friends to the opening of The Nutcracker.
00:33:07
Speaker
And there was an emergency and the the leading lady who was dancing couldn't make it. And it was kind of like that happened so of like two days two days before and it was a big, big stress. And they had to fly this girl from New Zealand.
00:33:22
Speaker
And because they actually have have to have this like world network connection of who can actually step in, as short notice, that knows it. And because every ballet you know organization has its own sort of little flair, they had to find the most likely one that could actually fit within the... um you know, this this story schedule that they had and deliver.
00:33:41
Speaker
And that night, we all went out with the whole cast. And I remember speaking to this girl and I said, were you nervous? Were you like, how did you manage this? You know, she's like, I was just told and it was an immediate yes. I just jump on this plane, you know, on this plane.
00:33:54
Speaker
And she goes and, you know, we were all drinking. We were drinking champagne. And she wasn't drinking. And then she actually all time. She says, ah I cannot drink. She says, because if I'm performing, it's going to take too much out of me. And she's like, all I can do right now is, i you know, have lots of water, high protein. And she goes, i just need to do my weight training and my cardio to to keep up with this.
00:34:13
Speaker
And she gets have like a full month, you know, on this on this production. So that really remembers, like kind of resonates with what you said about the the discipline that this, ah this um you know, art requires of someone.
00:34:25
Speaker
Yeah, absolutely. and I think especially at an older age, like that is intimidating. I've always been ah very afraid of injury because, you know, that would be the end of my show in a sense. Like I have to be able to physically do this stuff. So I'm very cautious about these things and very careful about how I treat my body.
00:34:42
Speaker
And a lot more so than I was in the past. In my first six years at Edinburgh, I'd say that is a different iteration of a person. So really, when I come back this year, I feel like I'm a new performer. Like I am a different type of performer. Not that I was bad before, but I'm different now.
00:34:59
Speaker
And I think I'm better. Now I know I'm better now, but I still have respect for that guy from the past and he was very fun and I'm still fun. but he's on It's different how I approach these things. um And I look forward to sort of testing all those things in the Edinburgh environment, which you know I've had shows there go incredibly well and I've had shows there struggle. And so I've been on both sides of that coin.
00:35:28
Speaker
Yes. Someone who's been going with shows. I've never been a performer. I am not a performer. It's not something I'm interested in doing, but I've done, i do pretty much anything else, especially the show, but been going since 2008 and people wondering like, okay, so what makes a good show? But yeah, the like trying to have a, like any sort of idea of, of of what you're getting into is, is kind of,
00:35:53
Speaker
Like it's an impossible task. And with all the shows that you've you've written and toured and and brought to Edinburgh before, like you have a have ah like a catalog of them between Drunk Lion and One Man Apocalypse Now, Violence of the Lands, et cetera, and One Man Nutcracker.
00:36:09
Speaker
You have not brought that one, but you've been touring that too. like But is there a similarity between, like, is is is this a culmination? What is the continuity? is that is there an expanded Chris Davis universe in which these exist?
00:36:24
Speaker
each The show does always have like a core part like a core heart to it, something like a message of some sort. And but you know that message is that, hey, you can not only change yourself and your body, but change your relationship to other people and how other people treat you and how you treat other people.
00:36:42
Speaker
And so that is a core value that the relationship with yourself and the world itself has. And that's new. You know, that's something that I didn't think about before so much. I sort of just was in the present. You know, I'd say the pandemic had a huge impact on me because it stopped me from going to Edinburgh.
00:36:58
Speaker
I was supposed to go there in 2020. I was going every year. i had no plans ever to stop. And that since it's been seven years since I've been back and it was amazing. A big break. It was necessary break for me. It was very good. I'm happy to be back. I'm excited to be back. ah and And so these shows, like, they've all, you know, you every time you go through Edinburgh, you take a new show, you learn something. you And, you know, I've learned the most from watching other people's shows, to be honest. Like, yes, it was great doing my show, but seeing shows like Richard Gad, there's a million other performers on the I'm going try to name everyone, but I see so many.
00:37:34
Speaker
Those shows really affected in my own writing, how I approached theater. I'm thinking of a show, 2014, called Beowulf. It was a solo show, very popular. it just taught me the importance of like storytelling and staying with your audience. Very simple lessons. um it's not It wasn't even a mind-blowing show in that sense. Spectacle was a beautiful show.
00:37:56
Speaker
So, yeah, I thank Edinburgh a lot. So in a sense, you know, the return is also like, I thank you to the the city itself. You know, the the festival is so messy in a sense for the locals, for the people in the city. And I know people love it. People hate it. People are neutral. There's just all different opinions. You have all the people from London coming in. There's friction and all that.
00:38:20
Speaker
But at the end of the day, it is a celebration of theater and like gathering. Yeah. And the biggest for English speakers in the world, you can't really replace that.
00:38:31
Speaker
um And the energy, as you know, is like, you try I try to describe to people what the energy is like, because that's really the thing that sticks with me there is that you're on the streets and you're just sort of in a whirlwind of performance.
00:38:43
Speaker
And there's no other place I've ever been that has gotten anywhere close to it. the the different frictions and the different way that people react to it. Sometimes that's the same person, like hour to hour too. buty I hate it here. i love it here.
00:38:57
Speaker
you know, hate and love same coin, right? So if they do hate it, that also just means they really love it. So because it is a party in your backyard, So you're coming over from Philadelphia. you tell us what do you miss about Edinburgh? Because it's not like you've you've come once, you've come more than once.
00:39:12
Speaker
And i always feel like when I travel somewhere for more than one time, I start to enjoy things. It could be products, it could be experiences, it be parts of a city that when I go back, I look forward to specifically. Now, with um with our show and with some of the academic work that we do with Ian, we've been to Prague a couple of times now.
00:39:32
Speaker
And I know that we're going next year again. I'm already, because I've been to Prague couple of times, I am already looking forward to some bits of Prague that have drawn on me, that I know that I can get, you know, that particular coffee in that place or that particular thing in the other place. Do you have something like that with Edinburgh?
00:39:47
Speaker
Definitely. And i by way, I would love to go to Prague. With C2. I've never been to Proud. That one sounds amazing. That's something I would i would love to do. um Edinburgh. I mean, god you know, i will say, so I was there 2014, 2019. That's pre-pandemic.
00:40:04
Speaker
So in a sense, I do feel like maybe I won't know this city in the same way that I did. Like what changes have occurred? I'm curious. But in that period of time that I was there, you know, the audience is...
00:40:18
Speaker
that you get, whether it's five people or 50 people, we in general, very generous, very, you know, this idea, like everyone was pretty cool and and kind overall. And, you know, people that are going to see live theater and taking a chance on a show, they don't know anything about, especially when I was doing smaller venues and stuff.
00:40:40
Speaker
They're just sort of down to see whatever, you know, whether it was the greatest show in the world or not. They're just here, you know, they wanted something fun. And I was doing Free Fringe, which is a sort of different clientele, I think.
00:40:51
Speaker
Them Aid Fringe, Aid Fringe people tend to be a bit more serious about because they had to purchase a ticket, but also the diversity of the audiences. You know, when I did Drunk Lion, I had people from Spain, from Germany, from Japan, from Hungary. And that show was an international show because it had Spanish in it. So people just flocked to it. Every Spanish speaker in Edinburgh seemed to find that show.
00:41:14
Speaker
And that was really cool to like tap into an international audience. And like, you know, you have all of Europe right there. And At least when you're there, it feels like a lot of people do come in from all these places.
00:41:26
Speaker
And yeah, I mean, the energy, again, the performer energy, you have to bring it, obviously. I've seen people, we all know people that have crashed out in Edinburgh and have not had a great time. And that's, you know, that's on you. You have to bring the energy and match the energy of the city, which is...
00:41:45
Speaker
very daunting for for some people because it is 24-7 and it's every it's the entire month. But for me, that was never a problem. That's not an issue.
00:41:56
Speaker
It's something that like yeah i I find by myself very energized by. it and You make a good point there too also. And it'll be interesting. like i i I also drink a lot less than when I started doing Edinburgh. You just get to a point in your life where it's just not quite as fun.
00:42:13
Speaker
ah the ris day I drink the same, by the way. like I know you everybody's like, oh, I'm bringing a little bath. yeah I'm from Scotland. and I drink the same. I continue to do something. It changes, it changes, like your relationship with with the city over time. It'll be interesting. It'll be interesting to hear what your reaction is to the city. Cause it is something that like, now that I've been back for a few years myself, I started coming back in 2023.
00:42:38
Speaker
it's become familiar again. But there were a lot of at the same time that it's like an ancient and medieval city. So like the architecture doesn't change that much. i You still generally know where things are, but the like the shops, like the population changed over things that I went to and and like cafes that i went to all the time and were favorites had like moved or closed or been replaced with other things and you know how much it changes or how little it changes actually was really interesting to me and i in my first trip back you know this she ah on the on the subject of you know things that change the show argues that change is always possible no matter what your age
00:43:20
Speaker
So to leave the audience with this message, what would you say to anyone over 40 who is thinking about changing their life around? Well, and I will say this. I've done this show ah for a few times in the United States.
00:43:33
Speaker
I do One Man Nutcracker, which uses a lot of ballet. I have multiple messages from people that have seen the show that talk about specifically this. And they say, hey, you know, I saw your show and I'm 60 something years old.
00:43:47
Speaker
And I decided to try a ballet class. And i love it. And I'm not joking. There's multiple messages like that of not just 40. I'm talking about, and you know, honestly, in a weird way, people in their 60s and 70s seem to be more these days, more willing to embrace change than people in their 40s, which I don't know what that's about. But You know, so I've always been just like the the themes of the show resonate enough to get people to do that. And they they usually they're just thankful and they say, hey, you inspired me to try this thing. I never thought I would do it. I've actually seen some of these people in my own ballet class because you here in Philadelphia, I'll tell them exactly where I go. I say, you can go this time.
00:44:26
Speaker
And they've shown up. And it's often they've been in the older category of 50s and 60s and And, you know, life can get a little, you know, boring and routine at times. So it's just good to remember that, yeah, you actually can do anything you want.
00:44:43
Speaker
Like you really can't you can. You can go and take any sort of dance class you want. And even when you show up, it could be tango or whatever. No one's going to make fun of you. That's all like, you know, we have all this grade school stuff in our heads where it's like,
00:44:57
Speaker
Everyone's looking at us. We feel like an idiot. where and you know You can feel all those things, but the reality is when you show up to these places, and I've felt that so many times, contemporary dance, stuff like that, no one cares what you're doing at all. just like And you realize, oh, actually, I can just do this and I can do it badly.
00:45:15
Speaker
like I don't have to do this well, but when you start ballet, you're only going to do it quote-unquote badly. That's what a ballet dancer will tell you. even though they're the top of their field, they feel the same way.
00:45:27
Speaker
Like they still struggle with, and they feel it. they You know, you can see the most amazing dancer they'll like, that was horrible. I didn't do And you're like, what are you talking about? It was so beautiful. But it's like there's, with ballet in particular, just like shows and writing, there's no end to perfection. You know, you never complete the task. You're never going to get to be the ultimate ballerino. You're always in process.
00:45:51
Speaker
And like, That's our life. Our life is in process. That is the point, right? Like to find things in life that scare you and and to try to do them. That makes Monday feel a lot more exciting.
00:46:03
Speaker
It's about relationships and how we treat each other and how people treat us. I use the metaphor of Kapalia, which is about um a guy who falls in love with a doll. It's a real ballet and it's...
00:46:14
Speaker
And so I talk about that and how he sort of like, he creates the doll into his own, you know, into what he wants. This is everything he wants, but the person's not even real. He doesn't know that, but he's created the image of a person, the fantasy of a person.
00:46:29
Speaker
They're not actually a real person, but it doesn't matter because in in his mind, they're real. And we do the same thing with our relationships, our romantic relationships, where often we'll create a fantasy of a person And then when they bring their real life stuff, we're like, it can break that fantasy. It can shatter it It can end the relationship. And I think, so I try to talk about that too in my own relationship with this person, how we both do it to each other.
00:46:54
Speaker
in different ways. And it's not like an indictment of this person where I just sort of, I've been unpacking that. And another part of this show that's important is like therapy is a big part of the show My therapist is in it as a character and talking about these things.
00:47:09
Speaker
And I've learned a lot from that, you know, just from going through that process. I also, so I started ballet in my forties. also started therapy in my forties and I don't, you know, I had never really done it before.
00:47:20
Speaker
And so those two are also kind of actually interlinked. And it's in the show itself. Like the therapist is a character that talks about certain things and ideas that I've always either never thought about or just struggled with.
00:47:35
Speaker
And for me, people connect with that. You know, I think when you get to your forties too, you're like, you start looking at your life in a different way and you see what you've done and you see the decisions, you've seen the consequences of your decisions.
00:47:51
Speaker
And that is actually a privilege. That's something I couldn't see in my 20s and 30s at all. And I feel like much more clear about, oh, so that's what happens if you do this for a long time.
00:48:03
Speaker
yeah And not everyone gets that. I am really excited about that because I feel like it has like the the heart of what a a solid Edinburgh solo show needs. And to me, I was like...
00:48:16
Speaker
Hopefully audiences see it, they tell people, and that, you know, brings in a natural. Because I do think it'll be something different than anything else in the fringe. And, you know, no one else is doing ballet and doing story. Like, I know that.
00:48:30
Speaker
And that's awesome because, you know, as you know, separating yourself from 3,500 shows where half of it is someone talking about their personal life and their story or whatever, it's just really helpful to be like, no, this show is different.
The Importance of a Show Title
00:48:45
Speaker
Like, this is going to be a different experience for you. It's not going to be the same as... Yeah, I think i think one of the things that that they gives that away, if people don't realize that, is actually the title. Like, this is something that I think about a lot. that may Perhaps, like, one of the things that I've learned over time through after sort of doing so many being involved with so many Edinburgh shows is, one, a compelling title, especially if it tells people what they do.
00:49:07
Speaker
um on the tent. like People are literally going to see it says what it is on it. And people should believe that what they're going to see is yes.
00:49:19
Speaker
Either it has to be compelling for some reason or tell someone exactly what they're getting into the show. And and I chase this high. The show that I was involved with on like the producing side that was the the easiest to promote ever was an all-male production of the Buckeye.
00:49:34
Speaker
Like, I barely had to do anything to, like, people knew exactly what it was going to be. The tagline was the title. And it found its audience. Yeah.
00:49:45
Speaker
And so i i that's one of the things that i'm I'm excited about this. And I think that you're talking to two people who also, like, have been through multiple... phases of of career and finding things. It's like, yeah, let's let's try it. Let's let's get this venue where started up again.
00:50:00
Speaker
So I think that it's really going to fit in with what we're doing. And in our last episode, we were talking through the entire season. And you mentioned 60-year-olds. We have a solo show from a company here in Toronto called, well, the show is called Sister Sophia Kicks the Habit.
00:50:17
Speaker
And the company as the universe over 60. And so it's like, we've got, we've got people working across all sort of areas. Another sort of veteran performer has never done Edinburgh before. So be interesting to, to take a look at these two social shows that we have with, with veteran performers ah fitting, ah like finding their place within the festival this time around. So thank you so much for that.
00:50:43
Speaker
i'm really looking I'm really looking forward to it. I'm going to protect that bar because it's important for the show. But you're going see me getting inspired for it. From my side, I can say that ah that's been truly inspirational. And I've just completed my beginner salsa and I will move on to intermediate salsa.
00:51:00
Speaker
And it's something that's actually genuinely given me lots of joy that I could accomplish that. And I think this this show has a level, more of a level of messages. And I really am really looking forward to it. So Chris, thank you so much for joining us.
00:51:13
Speaker
For the audience, the 40-year-old ballerino plays at venue 13 from the 7th to the 29th of August at 2.45 every day except Mondays. Tickets are £15 full and 10 concessions with a two-for-one on Tuesday the 11th of August. And we have the and Fringe Friends as well. So you can book through venue 13 and we will leave all the the the links in the description.
00:51:33
Speaker
And if you want to keep up with Chris between now and August, you can follow him on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube, typically at One Man Nutcracker. We'll put the links to all of that. It's on the show page, too, so you should just go there and get tickets. But it will also be in the notes for this if you come to see the show notes first. You can also check out all of his work through realchrisdavis.com, which will also be linked as well.
00:52:04
Speaker
Now, as part of the Podcast 13 tradition, we invite every guest artist to share a taste of what audiences will see at Venue 13 this August. ah So, without any further setup from us, here's Chris Davis with a teaser from The 40-Year-Old Ballerina.
00:52:18
Speaker
Chris, over to you. This piece is called The 40-Year-Old Ballerina. I'm not 40, though. I'm 44. And a quarter. I don't know if you can tell from where you're sitting,
00:52:32
Speaker
but I have really great ballet feet. One time, my ballet teacher stopped the class and said, look at those feet.
00:52:43
Speaker
They were my feet. I was looking around for someone else's feet, but then I saw everyone was looking at my feet. I didn't see anything though.
00:52:55
Speaker
I just saw feet. Now, I look at other people's feet and I think, what a shame. What happened? To be born like that?
00:53:08
Speaker
Feet like that? Can't imagine. Must be hard. I've been going to ballet class about five to six times a week for the past few years.
00:53:19
Speaker
That's what I do every night. I can't stop. I'm addicted. People say it's healthy. It fills something. It fills the time.
00:53:32
Speaker
i think it fills the hole of, like, life. That's why I do it. But now I've gone too far. Now it's not a choice.
00:53:43
Speaker
Now it's what I have to do. It's who I am. i used to do other things before that did this, but they were bad, like drugs or alcohol or more drugs.
00:53:57
Speaker
bad things. But I did them with the same dogged discipline. It's just that this time, it's good. That's the only difference.
00:54:10
Speaker
But for me, it's the same. It fills the hole. That's it. I dated a ballet dancer for years. That's how I got into it.
00:54:24
Speaker
I remember her always doing ballet. and I was always sitting on the couch watching her do ballet. I didn't do it though. I was just there.
00:54:35
Speaker
i didn't think I could. Like, it wasn't for me. She dances in Japan now. I think the Japanese, they probably love her. They probably like go crazy.
00:54:49
Speaker
Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow. wow I imagine they're screaming. You are so good. Cuz I'm from the 90s. I have completely unrealistic romantic fantasies.
00:55:05
Speaker
I think maybe I dance so much ballet, I become a pro at 40 years old. And then I audition for a company and she's in the company.
00:55:16
Speaker
She is my ex who is a ballet dancer. And I get into the same company. And the director says, h this is your new partner. And it's me.
00:55:28
Speaker
And I'm all like ballet swole, like huge calves, arms, flexible. I'm a completely transformed person. My legs are like pillars.
00:55:40
Speaker
I'm sinewy. And she says, Chris, is that you? And my voice is even deeper now. And I say, yes, it's fucking me. Look, I've changed. And then the music montage moment.
00:55:53
Speaker
We reconnect. We go horseback riding in Japan. Watch a movie in Japanese. Play a pinball machine. Akira. And then the thing at the fair, on the boardwalk, with the claw, it's a big stuffed teddy bear in ballet shoes,
00:56:13
Speaker
And I win it or she wins it. And we laugh over fries with cheese whiz, Japanese whiz. And then the finale, our big performance at a big stage with a lot of seats, big seats and big people, important people.
00:56:36
Speaker
And at first they're like, I don't know. But then they see our chemistry and they're like, wow. We wow the audience.
00:56:47
Speaker
Everyone says, wow, wow, wow, wow. wow We are the best duo ever. Roses and applause.
00:56:58
Speaker
And the reporters say, now that's a love story. That's a real love story. And I wipe a tear away and I say, yes, it is. We are love personified, clearly.
00:57:10
Speaker
And I love that fantasy. It's so beautiful. I don't care that it's bullshit. That it's hackneyed, played out, cliche, and probably patriarchal. I was born in 1982.
00:57:24
Speaker
I'm still holding a radio above my head. It's still raining. That shit is inside me. I've tried to get it out. I've been reading bell hooks all about love, the will to change.
00:57:39
Speaker
I've tried to get it out, but you can't cut out everything. Some things just linger. Some things are just you.
00:57:51
Speaker
It's deep. In an unhealthy relationship towards romantic idealization, that's me. I grew up in the 90s, and I watched way too much TV.
00:58:05
Speaker
End of excerpt.
00:58:20
Speaker
We're not quite to August yet. We will be talking to all of our artists, but let's talk a little bit about what's on in June.
Overview of the Eden Festival
00:58:27
Speaker
If you're in Scotland this month, there's a lot to look forward to, and we've picked three that we're particularly excited about.
00:58:35
Speaker
Now, first up is Eden Festival, running from the 11th to the 14th of June at Ray Hills Meadows, just outside Moffat in Dumfries and Galway. Now, this is one of Scotland's loveliest independent music and arts festival. You should expect about almost a week, four days of music across multiple stages with strong family programming, a lot of interactive arts, woodland areas, circus and cabaret alongside the headline acts.
00:58:59
Speaker
The Vive is more closer to a boutique camping weekend. um So it's it's very family focused and it's really wholesome. It's great for first time festival goers and for families. And tickets and lineups are at Edenfestival.co.uk. Ian, have you ever made it down to Moffador for Eden? Or this is is this on your list?
00:59:18
Speaker
It's on my list, but I've never been able to make It can sometimes be hard to pull myself out of Edinburgh. We've got so much work doing there. But it has been something I've been looking at for a while. i've got the you You've mentioned it to me, and I've got other friends in town who really rely on it as as something that's like a nice...
00:59:40
Speaker
like way to start the season before they're really getting into like if they're working the festival or trying to get out of town for the festival before they're like making those plans it's like a great space away from that to be able to like enjoy yourself it's the calm before the storm and so it's always been something that that i'd like to do but because i'm stuck in edinburgh most of the time whenever i'm over there are also things that you can see in town and this is not to say that you're stuck seeing them they are things that we are excited about we've got le belay trucadoro de monte carlo who are back at the festival theater and that's going to be on the 16th and 17th june
01:00:21
Speaker
They're actually a U.S.
Highlight: Le Ballet Trocadero de Monte Carlo
01:00:22
Speaker
s company founded in New York in 1974. It's an all-male comedy ballet company that has been parodying and honoring the classical form for over 50 years.
01:00:33
Speaker
So a great tie-in to... the shows that we're bringing up as well. So if you think, yeah, I'm going to check out Chris, this is a good one for you to check out ahead of time in June. So, you know, same point shoes, tutu, swan length, the whole lot performed with very serious technique, but very silly faces at the perfect double bill, as we said. So you can get those tickets at capital theaters.com. You know, I feel like the universe is sending us a sign with all this ballet content in our diary at the moment.
01:01:04
Speaker
but I think that this is a very good ah curated podcast episode because I feel like, well, if you're going to get excited about August, and I would want you to, you know, get something to do this month as well. And then you can compare. genuinely do believe that in anything that interacts with ballet and the arts and also, you know, you can say this is like a full theme. it's It's worth exploring. And, you know, this is that these people have been doing this since the 70s and they've been touring this for a very long time. I believe that they're excellent and one not to be missed.
01:01:34
Speaker
think I think, are we going to take some ballet lessons? Is that what we're... i always't work I think we should. I think I'm going to be really inspired after Chris's, you know, after his interview, I'm very inspired to take up ballet now.
01:01:45
Speaker
But, you know, finally, we also do have The Karate Kid, the musical. It lands at the Festival Theatre from the 23rd to the 27th of June, closing up the month with, again, another, and you know, dance performance, our star performance. And I think this is going to be fantastic.
01:02:01
Speaker
So yes, it is based on 1984 film that defined a generation of awkward teenagers with headbands. I used to one of them. Underdog story of Daniel LaRusso and Mr. Miyagi heading to the Old Valley Crafty Tournament.
01:02:15
Speaker
Tickets at Capitol Theatre's dot. So Ian, what's on, what's off? For you, a Crafty Kit Kit? Well, you know, I actually have an interesting relationship with the Karate Kid. I'll say that because it takes place primarily in various locations in the San Fernando Valley. And that is beyond being from Los Angeles. That is specifically in Los Angeles where I'm from. So I have like personal thoughts around many of the locations.
01:02:42
Speaker
I was born in the next like neighborhood over from where from our Cedar High School. was born in Encino, which like, let's not get into Encino Man, which is not at all shot in Encino. And went to middle school in Tarzana, which is named after Tarzan, but it's like the feeder school into the the feeder, like where you go to middle school or junior high before you before you go into high school.
01:03:06
Speaker
And Reseda High would have been that. It also has my... My dad was a location manager, so he did like locations for film. And it has one of the most... bizarre interpretations of Los Angeles geography. Now, he lives in Reseda and there's point at which he is riding his bike and he rides his bike to the beach.
01:03:27
Speaker
And the primary way to get there from Reseda is to take Topanga Canyon, which is, I can't remember the exact length of it, but I will tell you, ah my, one of my early full-time jobs where I ran a box office and I was head electrician for a theater, outdoor theater called the Will Gear Theatricum Botanicum, which is in the middle of Topanga Canyon. So this was like my daily commute.
01:03:50
Speaker
I see. That bike ride. That gets you from the San Fernando Valley through that canyon pass to where he goes to Leo Correa, which for the record is my favorite beach in the Los Angeles area.
01:04:03
Speaker
I've spent lots of time going there and I'll do that. And I've driven it and there is no way someone's going to chase you for that entire bike ride like this. I mean, but Maybe when you hit the downhill, you're going to recover yourself. But it is it it is ridiculous. And also, you know, on the subject of cars, i my car was broken into around the corner from the location for the dojo oh ah many years ago. my and There was no one in the dojo there to defend your car. That's hor outrageous. It was not a dojo at the time. Now it is... um It's about a sandwich between a pizza place and ah and ah and a rock and roll sushi restaurant. So it's it's locations that I'm very familiar with. So I always watch it with it was a critical eye.
01:04:41
Speaker
and and it just ah it's that i I used to be neighbors with the like the the evil sensei. Yeah, yeah ah like he backed up to ah to our house.
01:04:52
Speaker
And he was always out. He was washing his car. I don't know if he was thinking wax on wax off. But I mean, we didn't interact much. That's Martin Cove, who plays John Crease. You'd see him in like the original movies. Yeah. I like through i think he's in the new series, too, for that. But it was weird. Like, you know, be walking around the neighborhood and just be like, yeah, sweep the leg, Johnny.
01:05:12
Speaker
Oh, my goodness. that's Thank you so much for that, Ian. That's a journey he's taken us on. Yeah, so i'm i'm not I feel like I'm just going to miss this one by it, but I'm i'm excited to see what they do with it.
01:05:23
Speaker
you hope it I hope it does. It was interesting when they did the the Back to the Future musical too, which which I ended up seeing and they had to make some changes with. So I'm interested how they they saw all these things here, but interesting to see how they're going to combine that choreography with the martial arts. I think that that could be brilliant.
01:05:41
Speaker
Amazing. I'm going to do my best not to miss this one then. Thanks lot. And that's a wrap on episode 11. Massive thanks to Chris Abyss for joining us. Audiences, you've got a treat coming in August.
01:05:53
Speaker
We've got 11 shows in the 2026 program. The food trailer crowdfunder is still live. And we've got a great month of theatre and music coming up across Scotland this June.
01:06:05
Speaker
And next time we'll be back with another of our 2026 artists in the chair. Thanks for joining us. And see you next time.
01:06:16
Speaker
Thanks for listening to this week's episode. If you enjoyed the conversation, make sure to hit subscribe so you never miss an update. Those going to be particularly important in the next few weeks. As you hear from all of our artists, you can find us wherever you get your podcasts.
01:06:30
Speaker
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01:06:47
Speaker
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01:07:16
Speaker
Our back episodes and transcripts can be found on our website, which is Venue13. The music that you heard throughout this episode is by Dusty Dex, and we get that through Epidemic Sound. Until next time, thanks for tuning in, and we'll be back with another episode soon.