ED2015 Children's Shows ED2015 Interviews ED2015 Week1 Edition

A. Tiger: The tasty Fringe

By | Published on Monday 10 August 2015

You Look Tasty

I’ve never interviewed a tiger before. But this is the Fringe. And this Fringe a tiger has written a play. A Tiger in fact. The A stands for Aloysius by the way. And while he may have had a bit of help from Stewart Pringle, otherwise known as Artistic Director of the Old Red Lion Theatre in London, it was Aloysius we sat down with to discuss new children’s show ‘You Look Tasty!’.

CC: OK, I’ll admit this is the first time I’ve interviewed a tiger. I’m going to be safe throughout the interview, right?
AT: That rather depends. If you make it snappy, I’m sure you’ll be fine.

CC: So tell me all about yourself, your life story, your journey to becoming a playwriting tiger.
AT: Well I don’t want to give too much away, but I spent altogether too much of my life cooped up in a zoo. Coming to Edinburgh has been a real treat for me, a chance to stretch my paws, sharpen my claws, exercise my jaws.

CC: Why did you decide to write a play?
AT: It just seemed like playwrights got such an easy ride of it! Scribble a few scenes, take a nap, and then all these juicy people just stroll in to watch it. The whole hunter-gatherer thing can be such a bore and so exhausting. Why go chasing after your prey when you can knock out a play and they’ll come rolling in?

CC: Tell us about the premise, what happens?
AT: That’s probably best left to Sue, who’s our (surviving) actor. It’s the story of my Grand Escape from the zoo, about some of the friends I ate along the way. And it’s about all of you lovely people, who have come to join in with the feast! No, the fun. Sorry, I meant to say the fun.

CC: I hear you had some help from a guy called Stewart Pringle. How did you meet him? What role did he play?
AT: Oh he did sod all, really. He typed it up for me and suggested a few tweaks here and there, which I’ve put in just to humour him. The thing is, tigers can’t touch-type, Stewart can’t touch-type either but he’s got Microsoft Office so it’s just made the admin side of things that much smoother.

CC: Stewart is more usually associated with an Old Red Lion. Did he try and get any lions in the play?
AT: Constantly. And panthers. There was a bit with a leopard that he wanted to put in, but that’s where I put my paw down. I actually think this big cat thing of his is a little perturbing. I’ll be keeping my eye on him.

CC: How did you pick your cast? Acting potential or lunch potential?
AT: Lunch potential, by and large.

CC: There are songs as well. Did you write them?
AT: No, no, no. Tigers don’t write songs. Tigers subcontract. We got a chap called Paddy The Baptist in. He’s very good.

CC: You make a brief appearance in the show I think. Have you caught the acting bug? Maybe a one-tiger-show next year?
AT: I hope so! I’m actually hoping to get a part in ‘The Tiger That Came to Tea’ when it next heads out on tour. I think I could liven things up a bit.

CC: Have you got any Tiger-like inspirations?
AT: Well Tony is the big one, obviously. He’s done so well for himself. Also Shere Khan of course, terribly sophisticated chap. And then there’s the one from the Esso adverts, who’s actually a crushing bore, but again he’s been very successful with it.

CC: Will you be visiting Edinburgh Zoo while you’re in town?
AT: I certainly will not. Me and zoos, we’re just not made for one another. Also I’ve heard their tigers are terribly vulgar.

CC: And what other shows and performers would you like to see the Festival? Or maybe eat for lunch?
AT: It’s a bumper year for tigers at the Pleasance, it really is. There’s ‘The Tiger Who Came For Tea’, of course. And ‘Mr Tiger Goes Wild’. Tigers galore! So I’ll be seeing those. Check out the competition. Then devour it. But I’ll also make sure to catch Gyles Brandreth, because he’s awfully funny, isn’t he?

‘You Look Tasty!’ was performed at Pleasance Courtyard at Edinburgh Festival 2015.



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