ED2019 Interviews ED2019 Theatre ED2019 TW:DIY

Eight Steps Q&A: Jordan & Skinner

By | Published on Friday 16 August 2019

Performer Melanie Jordan and director Caitlin Skinner – who together run theatre company Jordan & Skinner – offer some tips on how to get the most from the Edinburgh Festival, in eight steps…

1: Beyond posters and reviews, how do you suggest people pick shows to see at this year’s Fringe?
Ask a local! Many Edinburgh folk are well seasoned Fringe-goers and often know where to go to take a risk and where to go when you want to see something specific.

2: What tips have you got for people trying to see as many shows as possible in one day – how can you power through?
Take a walk outside in-between shows, preferably somewhere green. Take some tasty snacks, like those protein balls. And make your programme as varied as possible – a bit of circus, a bit of theatre, a bit of music, a bit of Book Festival, a bit of comedy.

3: When people are reaching peak Fringe, what tips do you have for chilling out during the Festival?
Come to the People’s Republic Of Leith! We have a great market on a Saturday down at the shore and there’s loads of nice pubs and other places to hang out in away from Fringe town.

4: What things do you think should be on every Fringe-goers Edinburgh Festival bucket list?
See some international stuff. Anything from traditional music to dance or plays from other countries. The WORLD is in town so don’t just see UK stuff, or European stuff, or Western stuff. Get out there! Also, I’ve always wanted to do that walking tour with the Silent Disco. So do that too!

5: Beyond the flyer, what tips have you got for performers trying to get people into their shows?
Make pals with people you meet around town. And that includes anyone and everyone – so taxi drivers, waiting staff, hotel/hostel receptions. They might pass details of your show on to other people. They might not, of course, but at least you’ve had a nice chat!

6: The Fringe can be great for finding a new audience. What tips would you have for staying connected with that new audience beyond Edinburgh?
Get a mailing list! We’ve been slow on this one and are just getting it sorted now, but we’re really excited about this. Because we are a feminist theatre company, we also try to connect our audience in with other activists and artists. We use our social media to do this at the moment and are excited about being able to do even more of that with our new mailing list.

7: Performing at the Fringe is partly about building a network. What tips have you got for people looking to make connections in the industry?
Think local and global. Sometimes the Fringe is a great way to connect with people who are actually based near your home town. And once you’ve made that connection, it’s easy to keep in touch. Also, we’ve found that getting to know other people performing at our venues can be really valuable. These connections have proven to be some of the greatest and longest lasting benefits of performing at the Fringe.

8: How would you recommend performers stay healthy during all the Fringe madness?
VITAMINS! Go on a health kick and eat veggies and fruit. Seriously! Also, remember it’s only a show. Remember why you are doing it. Remember it’s about the quality of the experience you are having as an artist, not about how well your show is doing compared to others.

Jordan & Skinner’s show ‘A Brief History Of The Fragile Male Ego’ was performed at Pleasance Dome at Edinburgh Festival 2019.

READ MORE ABOUT: |