INTERVIEW: A Digital Pint With… Levi Meltzer and Sam Berlin, on Puppetry, Non-Conformity, and Urinals

Readymades makes a splash this Edinburgh Fringe with a unique elixir of clowning, puppetry, and absurdism. Locked in the bathroom, one lonely lavatory attendant must plumb into the depths of his imagination and somehow keep his head above the water. We sat down with co-creators Levi Meltzer and Sam Berlin to get the spill on this fairytale in the most unlikely of facilities.

You can catch Readymades at Underbelly Cowgate – Delhi Belly on August 12th-24th from 15:55 (60 mins). Tickets are available through the EdFringe box office.

Callie: Hiya, Sam and Levi! Could you tell me a bit about what you’ve been brewing for Readymades?

Levi: I had booked this show at Camden People’s Theatre; I didn’t know what I wanted it to be about but I pitched it as something to do with the idea of safety. And at the same time I was building a urinal. I didn’t know why I was building a urinal, I just had this vision in my head that I had to, which I think is where the best art comes from––strange visions. The link to Marcel Duchamp’s famous urinal-sculpture (one of the original “readymades”) came later.

Sam: Levi and I met at a variety night and were intrigued to see if we could merge our two mediums––shadow puppetry and clowning. I think we were intrigued by the idea that it would be a bit of an experiment. Levi was interested in the philosophy of object-orientated-ontology. I didn’t really know what Levi was going on about, but I pretended to for several months.

Levi: So we ended up making a show about a urinal that runs away.

Sam: Yes, what survived this experimental phase was the urinal and an interest in the idea that objects are living things that don’t always conform to what you want them to do. I think this idea is really suited to puppetry.

Callie: I’d love to dive into the process of developing the show – how did it all come together? What was your approach to creating this collage of comedy, clown, and puppetry?

Sam: I think our main development process has involved conversation and drawing. Levi and I spent many hours doodling in cafes, getting somewhat caffeinated, and putting on bad accents to entertain each other with. We quickly realised that we had a lot of shared reference points ––Jewish humour, old cartoons, children’s TV shows, Norman Lindsay’s The Magic Pudding, et cetera.

Levi: Like for most comedy projects it’s a lot of trial and error but for Readymades there is the extra technical layer of Sam and I figuring out how the puppetry and the live action fit together. The whole process was at first learning how to make this kind of theatre and once we figured that out we were able to kind of go nuts! I think there’s a real advantage of not knowing your limitations. We kept asking ourselves how many different ways can we make this work? What sorts of interactions between people and illustrated characters. The doodling was key. I drew a picture of a Urinal with legs, Sam drew a picture of cabbage and we went from there.

Callie: What are you hoping the audience might take away from the experience?

Levi: First of all we want people to feel uplifted. It’s a show that doesn’t have all the answers to itself and we want the audience to fill those gaps with their joy. Maybe they’ll look at their relieving receptacles a little differently too. Follow their dreams!  The show was inspired by curiosity, to see if it was possible for us to create a living cartoon. We wanted to create a show that was as beautiful as it was silly! We, I believe, achieved that too and the show is very beautiful and, as a consequence, very silly.

Sam: I hope the show leaves people a little delighted and a little disturbed. I also hope they come away with a new-found love for shadow puppetry, as I think puppetry in general as a performing art has taken a hit in the last few years, and the world needs more puppets to make us question our reality!

Callie: With Edinburgh Fringe 2025 just around the corner, what are you most excited for?

Levi: It’s a wonderful year for shows at the Fringe this year. So many wonderful and inspiring artists are taking shows up this year and it is just going to be wonderful to celebrate and be among everyone. Also the food in Edinburgh slaps, I’m genuinely so looking forward to a bowl from Noodle Home.

Sam: It’s my first time at the Fringe, or indeed in Edinburgh! I’m very excited to see lots of new shows (especially puppetry), and have some haggis and chips with salt and sauce. And maybe a beer.

Callie: Given the themes of Binge Fringe, if your show was a beverage of any kind (alcoholic, non-alcoholic – be as creative as you like!), what would it be and why?

Levi: It would be piss (actually it would be apple juice but you’d be able to fool your friends for a second).

Sam: I second that––a secret about Levi, he actually pisses apple juice. Nobody, including the greatest medical professionals in the country, have been able to determine why.

Don’t miss Readymades at Underbelly Cowgate – Delhi Belly on August 12th-24th from 15:55 (60 mins). Tickets are available through the EdFringe box office.