Shay Mace
Sophie Leydon from Dreambite Collective is the Director of upcoming Queer romcom theatre piece Cruising, arriving at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe next month. The piece sees a dancer and a climate activist meet over margaritas on a Mediterranean cruise, and their sizzling attraction seems like the perfect holiday fling. Until the pair realise they share more than just chemistry: both are in a relationship with the same person. We caught up with Sophie for a pixelated pint to unpack climate, cruising, greenwashing and more.
You can catch Cruising at Bunker Three at Pleasance Courtyard on August 5th – 31st at 12:50 (60 min). Tickets are available through the EdFringe Online Box Office.
Shay: Hi Sophie! Cruising follows a dancer and a climate activist who meet on a cruise in the Mediterranean who have an unexpected connection – can you give us a little clue about what’s going to unfold, and why you’ve decided to tell this story now?
Sophie: Cruising takes us on a whirlwind tour of the Med – Sardinia, Malta, Toulon – on board a ‘monstrous, carbon-pumping’ ship, designed to soothe and entertain its passengers at every turn. When a whirlwind romance starts to unfurl, the characters are confronted by the complexities of non-monogamous dating at the same time as they hatch plots to campaign for a better world.
As to why now – we’re rehearsing in the sleep-deprived days of another London heatwave – I’m speaking to you from the shade of a park as my curtain-less living room has become uninhabitable. Climate collapse continues to ravage communities and eco-systems in the global south, while those of us in the UK are seduced by quick escapes on budget airlines to ‘beat the heat’. Cruising explores how the travel industry is designed to camouflage its own impact – and the show is unflinching in its’ refusal of defeatism.
Shay: How has the creative process been of putting the show together? Give us an idea of the journey you’ve been on with it so far.
Sophie: The making of the show has been wonderfully collaborative – we started the process for Edinburgh with a few days of explorative R&D, working with our brilliant writer Katrina (Bennett) and using improv with the actors to refine the characters’ arcs. I’ve been part of the project relatively recently, and before this the show started as a rehearsed reading at the Omnibus in Clapham, where an invitation to the Pleasance led to the offer of a slot at the Courtyard.
As many companies are, we’re working with a shoe-string budget, so there’s been a real grass-roots fundraising drive to cover core costs, and we’ve been sourcing costume and props that pre-exist, where possible, to limit the carbon footprint of our theatre making. The result is a room that feels supportive, energised and committed to making the best of the opportunities that Edinburgh offers.
Shay: What will be the first thing the audience sees, feels, and hears as they enter the space?
Sophie: When you step into the space for Cruising, you’ll be greeted by a gorgeous, hand-painted sunset scape created by our co-Producer, Clare (Stenning), who is also one of the performers in the piece. We’re working with the inter-disciplinary artist, Francis De Lima, to create a sun-drenched, hazy world of light, while we have original music and sound design from Vogues, who also happens to be our other performer, Davy (Roderick).
A line from the show states the experience of the cruise is ‘Disneyland on crack’ – expect high camp, bright lights and a rollicking good time.
Shay: What are you hoping the audience might take away from the experience, if anything?
Sophie: We want the audience to be pulled along by the insistent pace of the action – the show drives ahead at pace as Sam and Amelia, our two protagonists, delve deeper into their campaign of eco-sabotage. It should feel surprising, audacious and enjoyable for those sitting in Bunker Three – I feel strongly that audience experience is a huge part of Fringe, so we want people to have fun.
More than anything, we hope that our audience will come climate-curious, and leave galvanised by this unlikely pairing’s attempts to confront the beast. Climate anxiety – zero, Cruising – many.
Shay: With EdFringe now just around the corner, what are you most excited for?
Sophie: Honestly, leading the team through their first Edinburgh. As a Director, I’ve been up 3 or 4 times with shows of various scales, but as a Collective this will be Dreambite’s first bite (sorry) of the apple – meeting other companies, seeing zany and brilliant theatre together, pints in Bristo Square. On top of that, the chance to work once more with the attentive, positive people that run The Pleasance, who so graciously supported me on Rapture, my first show as a Writer-Director, and have provided us with the tools to succeed on this most competitive of stages.
Shay: 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?
Sophie: Has to be a piña colada. Unexpected combinations, bright colours and a sickly sweet heart – that’s Cruising!
A reminder, you can catch Cruising at Bunker Three at Pleasance Courtyard on August 5th – 31st at 12:50 (60 min). Tickets are available through the EdFringe Online Box Office.
Image Credit: Miranda Mazzarella
Salvador Kent
