INTERVIEW: A Digital Pint with… David Chocron, on Donald Trump, Resistance, Protest and Watermelon Cocktails

Multi-disciplinary artist David Chocron arrives at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe next week with his new play With the Possible Exception of Abraham Lincoln. The play, set in the Lincoln Bedroom the night before the 2020 election, sees a sleepless Donald Trump come face-to-face with an adversary, determined to get answers. David describes it as a political drama reflecting on loss, legacy, hubris and honesty. We caught up with him for a pixelated pint to find out what audiences can expect.

You can catch With the Possible Exception of Abraham Lincoln at Greenside @ George Street (Forest Theatre) from 16:10 (55mins) on August 7 – 29. Tickets are Available Through the EdFringe Online Box Office.

Shay: Hi David! Tell us about the play and why you have decided to bring this to the stage now?

David: The play is very much a reaction to Trump, motivated by the threat of him being reelected in 2024. I completed the writing in a mad rush so we could present it as a staged reading on Election Night. Unfortunately, this play wasn’t enough to stop him. Weird. Trying to push this play out into the world is the act of resistance and protest that I can offer. We each need to resist in the way we know best.

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.

David: Creatively, it has been a joyful process because I could spend hours reading and researching Abraham Lincoln. A wonderful escape from reality. And my already formidable admiration for Lincoln was in no way diminished by that research. It could even get emotional at times. I remember uncovering a document in the Library of Congress, written by Lincoln’s hand. It left me in tears. When Donald Trump leaves me in tears it is for completely different reasons.

Shay: What will be the first thing the audience sees, feels, and hears as they enter the space?

David: The audience will immediately get the feeling that they are witnessing Trump like never before. The curtains go up on a very private moment. The TV cameras, glaring spot lights and his adoring supporters are all absent. Trump is alone – and he’s scared. The audience will also understand that this is not an SNL sketch or an impersonator’s routine. It’s something else. Something more.

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

David: There is a such a stark contrast between the two characters. We must reflect on how we’ve gotten here, how we could ask so little in the way of decency, honesty, benevolence and intelligence of our leaders. We see that very contrast when Trump is pitted against people like Pope Leo or New York mayor Zorhan Mamdani. The comparison with Lincoln is even more pronounced. Brutal, actually.

Shay: What journey has the show been on to find itself at EdFringe 2026?

David: Our journey is very short. It has mostly been in my head and heart. We will premiere here at the Fringe on the 7th of August, so welcome to our maiden voyage! And the trip from Norway and here to a former colony, in the Viking tradition, is hopefully a stepping stone to the New World. And beyond.

Shay: With EdFringe now just around the corner, what are you most excited for?

David: Like most first-time presenters, I’m wondering if anyone will show up, and if they do, how they will receive the performance. And if we get any MAGA folks in the theatre. I hope so!

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?

David: Well, when it comes to beverages and drinking, Lincoln and Trump actually have something in common. They both sold alcohol, but didn’t do much drinking themselves. Lincoln was a licensed bartender, but very rarely drank. Trump had his own vodka brand, and is an absolute tea-totaler. So, given that and certain political undertones of my play I must choose the Watermelon Cocktail. For Trump, Lincoln and the playwright, we’ll have the mocktail version, which we find just as refreshing.

A reminder, you can catch With the Possible Exception of Abraham Lincoln at Greenside @ George Street (Forest Theatre) from 16:10 (55mins) on August 7–29. Tickets are Available Through the EdFringe Online Box Office.