DTF: Doing The Fringe

Today's episode is a little different as we're talking about our own project: The Truth About Trees.
Ahead of its Fringe production, Director Laura Hounsell and Writer Alex Zawalnyski discuss the show's history so far. They talk about the multiple rounds of development, making puppets come to life, and how children engage with analogue technologies.

In the world of theatre, few companies embody creativity and innovation like Trick of the Light, an Aotearoa New Zealand-based theatre company led by Hannah Smith and Ralph McCubbin Howell. Since their inception in 2011, they have captivated audiences worldwide, showcasing their unique blend of puppetry, storytelling, and visual theatre. This year, they return to the Edinburgh Fringe with two productions: The Bookbinder and The Suitcase Show.
In this episode, Hannah and Ralph explain their creative process and how sustainability sits at the heart of their work. They explain the concepts of footprint and handprint, encouraging us to considerate impact of theatre, and ensure that it's positive.

Wonder Fools is Robbie Gordon and Jack Nurse. They met at RCS and make work that is socially engaged – working with communities to help putting on a work. Over the past few years they’ve worked with David Greig, told stories about Scottish involvement in the Spanish Civil War, won awards, and written stories about the Homeless World Cup.

Orla O’Loughlin is currently the Vice Principle and Director of Drama at Guildhall. Before that she was the Artistic Director of The Traverse and Pentabus Theatre, and Associate Director of The Royal Court.
Her list of directorial credits is extensive. She’s worked with The National Theatre of Scotland on Enough of Him, Traverse with Mouthpiece which then transferred to Melbourne and Auckland, and What Girls Are Made Of travelled around Scotland as well as Adelaide and Sao Paulo.
She’s been named in the Observer as one of the top fifty cultural leaders in the UK, and the List’s top 100 women in the arts.

David Greig is a playwright, producer, artistic director, and dramaturg, the list goes on. After studying at Bristol University, David Greig started his career working with ‘Suspect Culture’, writing most of their shows. From there, he focused on playwriting, with his work being picked up by The Traverse, Paines Plough, the RSC, and the Edinburgh International festival.
He worked with the National Theatre of Scotland when it was founded in 2006, as well as taking roles in the Traverse, before becoming Artistic Director (a decade later) at the Lyceum Theatre, alongside Zinnie Harris. 
 He recently announced that he’ll be stepping down from the Lyceum to focus more on his own writing.