Writing itself to The Fringe...
Settling down to compose the first draft of a play. Sat in my boxer shorts on the couch in the living room. I've got a week long holiday away from the day job. The time I need to do it. Least, that's what I tell myself. That it has to be now or else it'll never happen. Only trouble is all I'm doing for those initial couple of hours is staring deeply into the screen of my laptop. A mocking blank page staring back.
The truth is, I've got no idea what the hell I'm going to write. All I've got is a title, Colours Run. As well as a loose idea about a Hibs Casual. Oh, and I've got the main character’s name, too. I'll call him, Pongo. But that's about it, really.
I'm depressed. Somehow though I get it done. Not exactly the play I thought it would be. It's dark and full of despair. A mirror image of my mood, I guess. In fact, the thing ended up writing itself, to be honest. Cos when I finally got into it, I couldn't stop.
Many months have passed since that day. Tireless hours and days spent developing it until suddenly a full run at The Edinburgh Fringe Festival beckons. Twenty four performances at Summerhall, just off The Meadows. I'm looking forward to it even if I do share the same complaints most natives of The Capital voice whenever August arrives in the city. A lack of vacant seats on our buses for one.
Still, it isn't an unsubstantial achievement to become a participant. Not when you're someone from my background. Where Theatre and the Arts in general tend to be catered for the middle classes.
And there's no better example of this than Edinburgh in August. But what makes Colours Run even more unique is that it is actually a piece set locally, on Leith Walk to be precise, involving two brothers. The elder, a violent Hibs football casual. The younger of the two, a housebound gentle soul with a childlike mind.
There's comedy captured in the midst of their verbal ping pong exchange. But throughout the hour something very dark is yet to reveal itself. Lingering in the background. It is a play I am very proud of and one that I think fellow natives will quite easily relate to.