The Man Who

While it is generally very difficult to determine which companies will have a successful Fringe - although I am always quick to point out that the average audience for a show during August in Edinburgh is somewhere around five people, and not going home ten grand in debt is a success - I am investigating the possibility that certain venues might have a stronger track record. I like to think that the most important thing is the coverage by the critics... but that might be wishful thinking.

Chatterbox are a young company: "O

utside of studying, most of the team have been working in theatre for a grand total of a year," laughs director Eilise McNicholas. "but saying that it has been a great year!" She even remembers Fringe 2011 fondly. "It was a hi

ghlight for me – like most young companies we had no money, a short run and relied on handing out flyers to get people into the show. But even with that we had a great turn out and brilliant feedback. We also loved meeting other companies – it was lovely to see companies in your audience whose show you’d seen the night before or a group you’d had a drink with- felt like one big happy family!"

Chatterbox have returned in 2012 with the story of a man who has a talented best friend.  McNicholas describes the show as "

A quirky, weird and wonderful mockumentary about the best friend of The-Man-Who-Invented-The-Wheel. Set shortly after the dawn of time, The Man and The Younger Man have invention on the brain while The Woman has an idea that will change their lives forever. This is an absurdist comedy about love, invention and making the wheel rounder. If you are a fan of Spinal Tap and Aeroplane – you’ll love this!"

McNicholas is especially enthusiastic about the script. "

Our show is a new piece by one of the UK’s hottest young writing talents," she explains. "Seamus Collins was one of the winners of the BBC writers room 10 competition and was also shortlisted for the International Student Playscript competition. He is currently being mentored by the BBC while his plays have been read on BBC Radio 3 and have been shown in various cities throughout the UK and Ireland. Catch him before he goes global!"

"Inspiration for this piece came from an assignment on the theme of invention.," she explains. "The writer was late to class and hadn’t done the work. Like most great ideas the thought came to him out of nowhere that it would be funny to write about play about the best friend of The-Man-Who-Invented-The-Wheel... and it was!"

The Man Who

2nd – 6th of August 2012, 14.55 (45mins)

White Belly, Underbelly, Cowgate