Steen Raskopoulos talks about taking refuge in a convent in STAY at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival

Can you tell me a little bit about yourself and your performing background?
People get my name wrong most of the time. I usually prefer quite a neutral background, I once carried around a red curtain to hang up on stage.

Tell me about your show, what it is all about?
It’s about me as a lively lounge singer. I witness a murder by my boyfriend, and I get relocated for my protection. Set up in the guise of a nun in a California convent, I proceed to upend the quiet lives of the resident sisters. In an effort to keep me out of trouble, the nuns (also me) assign me to the convent’s choir, an ensemble that I soon turn into a vibrant and soulful act that gains widespread attention.

How long have you been working on this show and what is it that makes it relevant to audiences in 2018?
Probably, 26 years if I’m honest. I think it still holds up in the current political climate.

Do you have any top tips for surviving the Edinburgh Fringe Festival – both for performers and visitors to the event?
Yes, don’t die. Eat and drink well and don’t do anything that might get yourself killed.

What has been the funniest or most embarrassing thing that has ever happened to you on stage?
I had a large group of people walk out of my show. They thought they were attending my last years show, where I played the same character (as this years) teaching a musical class at a high school.

Who are your biggest inspirations in the industry and why?
Sam Campbell, he’s a gift from heaven.

Do you have any pre-show rituals?
Yes.

What other acts are you looking forward to seeing at Edinburgh Fringe?
Sara Baron, Suzzi Ruffell, Rosie Jones and Tom Walker.

Why do you think people should come and see your show over the thousands of others on at the Fringe?
I encourage people to go watch as many shows as possible and take risks on someone you’ve never heard of.

See Steen Raskopoulos: Stay at the Underbelly throughout the Edinburgh Festival Fringe from 2nd – 26th August.

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