Louise Lee talks FEED at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival

Can you tell me a little bit about yourself and your performing background?
I’m a scouser who thoroughly enjoys talking nonsense. I toured for many years doing Shakespeare around the world and then moved up to Shitfaced Shakespeare which satisfies both the nonsense and the joy of the bard.

Tell me about your show, what it is all about?
The whole show is an algorithm and focuses on the attention economy, the machine that reflects back what you click on and grows its own distorted content.

How long have you been working on this show and what is it that makes it relevant to audiences in 2018?
We started research and development last year, working with young people and understanding how social media shapes their world. Obviously, we all live within our own echo chambers when it comes to social media, so a 14-year-old in 2018 is going to have different content reflected back to them compared to a 30-year-old but we’re all entertained by the same things when it boils down to it, YouTube ads run on videos that keep huge sections of society hooked.

Do you have any top tips for surviving the Edinburgh Fringe Festival – both for performers and visitors to the event?
It’s knackering but don’t stay in bed, however tempting it may be! Get out and see as many shows as possible! The charity shops are ace! Battered mars bar! That beer with the fruit in is also ace.

What has been the funniest or most embarrassing thing that has ever happened to you on stage?
Doing Shitfaced Shakespeare over the years has stripped me of my dignity more times than I can remember, stripped being the operative word and often in the first scene… by the drunkard… once you start bereft of clothing where do you go from there?!

Who are your biggest inspirations in the industry and why?
To be honest it’s the behind the scenes folks who do all the work and don’t get the applause, the lighting and the sound folks (my partners a sound guy, seeing the amount of work that goes into stage productions and film and getting very little thanks has really humbled me).

After that there are so many inspiring performers that excite me there are too many to name so here’s a few: Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Olivia Coleman and Hannah Gadsby – they work hard and create magic.

Do you have any pre-show rituals?
Usually rolling around the floor and then moving on to chant nam-myo-ho-renge-kyo with anyone who fancies joining me.

What other acts are you looking forward to seeing at Edinburgh Fringe?
Hidden nuggets of joy! I’m yet to discover what awaits!

Why do you think people should come and see your show over the thousands of others on at the Fringe?
It’s very dark, it’s very funny and it’s arguably the most bizarre thing you’ll see there… aside from spotting people under hypnotic instruction from a hypnotist called Tony Lee and shouting “Tony Lee is the man!” upon climax.

Feed
Pleasance Dome (King Dome), Potterow, Edinburgh, EH8 9AL
Friday 3rd – Monday 27th August 2018 (not 15th), 14:00

Twitter: @Theatre_Temoin, @ThePleasance, #FEED2018

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