INTERVIEW: A Digital Pint with… Edie Havas, on Violence Against Women, Bizarre Policies, and a Radical Proposal

Edie Havas is current Company Manager of Minotaur Theatre Company, based at the University of East Anglia and headed back to EdFringe for their new upcoming show I’m Not Saying We Should, But What If We Did? The piece imagines a UK where violence against women is declared a national emergency, and celebrity
politicians with their bizarre policies are at an all-time high – and two characters Maud and Agnes take to a TV chat show with a radical proposal – what if we banned men?

We caught up with Edie for a pixelated pint to find out more about the show. You can catch I‘m Not Saying We Should, But What If We Did? from August 11th to 16th at theSpaceTriplex – Studio from 12:05 (50mins). Tickets are available through the EdFringe Online Box Office.

Jake: Hi Edie! Your upcoming EdFringe show I’m Not Saying We Should, But What if We Did? has a curious title – tell us what it means, and about the intriguing setting for the story.

Edie: Well thank you – the goal was to make it enticing so I’m glad it’s had that effect! The production went through lots of title options but once the fabulous writers Harriet and Lizzie landed on that, I knew it had to stick. Though it’s quite long and wordy, I think it ends up being quite memorable! The aim with the title, also delving into some of the overall themes of the play, is to show the kind of language politicians use to gaslight their audience. The line that the title was born from goes on to say, “Look, I’m not saying we should, it’s just an idea, but what if we did… ban men?”. This is one of the radical policies that Maud and Agnes use to try and get the audience on their side to vote for them – more widely exploring the types of policies that the public have fallen for from some of our leaders around the world. 

The story is set on a live TV set where these celebrity politicians are trying to get their names out there – whether in a good way or a bad way. It’s set in an unspecified future to display how this could be something we see in the next five, or 100 years – this is left ambiguous and up to audience interpretation.

Jake: Tell us about what the audience can expect coming into the show, and what they might not expect about the show.

Edie: The audience can expect to be immediately immersed into this TV set – they are not only a Fringe audience for us, but also the potential voters for Maud and Agnes, arriving to watch their TV interview to make their minds up about these radical politicians. The lines of cast and crew are blurred and though it sometimes feels like a two-hander play, it is truly an ensemble piece. Prepare for feminist politics, anarchy, and blurred reality. We don’t want to give too much away with what the audience may not expect – you’ll have to come and watch to see what else we are offering!

Jake: What are you hoping the audience might take away from the experience, if anything?

Edie: As you can probably tell from all my answers already, this is an inherently political play, but I can assure you that it doesn’t come across as preachy, it is all truly up to audience interpretation – and it’s funny, I promise! Despite this we do want to encourage the audience to question our idea of democracy and the confidence we put in our leaders. If Donald Trump can be trusted by enough of America to win his second term in power, what’s stopping people from trusting two women dressed as clowns? (And I personally prefer many of Maud and Agnes’s policies over Trumps’!) I want the audience to question how radical is TOO radical, and what changes they would like to see in the world, that actually MEAN anything. And specifically from our female audience members, a consideration of what policies would make them feel safer existing in this male-dominated world, as the play was born out of frustration with the rise in violence against women. 

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

Edie: I just can’t wait to be back! My first time at the Fringe was last year and I loved every second of it – the buzz, the shows, the beer gardens!!! But as a first timer I must say I found it overwhelming – there was so much going on, and I felt like a small fish in a very very big pond! But this year, I feel more prepared, and I cannot wait to be back again. I am so excited to explore all the theatre shows on offer and see the wonderful ideas all our fellow creatives have come up with. This year I definitely want to see more comedy, as I didn’t see enough last year, and I’d like to support other university shows, as I feel like we often get overlooked but I know how hard we have to work to get there, often with very little help. Get me a Pimm’s in my hand in Bristo Square and I’ll have a massive smile on my face 🙂

Jake: 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?

Edie: I would say a cheap white wine – like one you’d buy from a corner shop and neck on the way to the club! Maud and Agnes like to think they are fancy gals but in reality they just want the cheapest way to get shitfaced! Then best believe they will be scaring every man off with their feminist chat while dancing the night away with one tequila shot after the next.

A reminder, you can catch I‘m Not Saying We Should, But What If We Did? from August 11th to 16th at theSpaceTriplex – Studio from 12:05 (50mins). Tickets are available through the EdFringe Online Box Office.