Tit for Tat Theatre

"Life would be a lot simpler if people would only stop doing stupid shit," begins the press release for Tit for Tat Theatre's Three Cities.  Given the amount of stupid shit I get through on a daily basis, I had to find out more about the performance. Lisa Carroll kindly agreed to explain it all to me...

Why the fringe?

The Edinburgh Fringe Festival is unmatched by any other large scale arts event in terms of audiences, atmosphere, and of course, its range of wonderful shows. This makes it the perfect place to air a new, exciting and vibrant piece of writing to an international audience. The opportunity for emerging artists to be immersed in a culture of experimentation and expression is one not to be missed, especially with a play which speaks to such a diverse audience with its coverage of topical issues as well as comedic moments.

What will make Three Cities stand out this year?

Three Cities stands out simply for being a piece of engaging, witty and contemporary new writing performed by three talented actresses.

Three Cities invites audiences to explore the worlds of three women, each based in Dublin, London and New York. With its intimate staging, the show stands out for its comical treatment of issues which are pertinent to every one of us, offering a fresh perspective and a chance for audiences to laugh at themselves.

Where did the inspiration come from?

Three Cities began with the characters: each with elements drawn from the people that playwright, Lisa Carroll, has encountered when living in each city. Three Cities is permeated by media and current affairs as Lisa seeks to explore through these three loveable characters the extent to which we are shaped by our political surroundings as much as our relationships and experiences.

Do you see the production sitting in any particular tradition or style of theatre?

Three Cities draws upon elements of traditional theatre while seeking to address a contemporary audience. The play is structured by interlinking monologues, a technique often used in theatre which allows characters to confess, reflect and dream whilst simultaneously directly engaging their audience. Three Cities uses this technique to also explore what is said between the lines, with the overlap or disparity between each woman’s stories highlighting the malleability of narrative, the inconstancy of memory and the nature of perception.

Is there still a place for the script in the age of diverse theatre practices?

Theatre relies upon an interlinking chain of contributors, and the playwright has just as much as place in that chain as any director, designer or actor. Theatre is an expression, a response to what is happening around us, to other people – that can be pushed and experimented with just as much through language on a page as it can a devising theatre company or contemporary dance.

Playwrights understand the necessity and simultaneous difficulty of translating ideas into language as a blueprint for a number of artists to then interpret and transmit their meaning.

Look at Beckett: with his scripts he was not only more experimental, but more successful than a vast number of practitioners who would do away with scripted theatre or purport that it no longer has a place. Beckett’s work still has a profound impact on audiences and continues to be revived across the world.

Without tradition there would be no possibility for experimentation, whether on the page or off. Each style of theatre has its own merits but relies upon its opposite, or counterparts in order to operate, communicate with, and define itself in relation to these.

So, yes, the script still very much deserves its place in an age of diverse theatre practices.

Sweet Grassmarket, Apex International Hotel, Venue 18

13^th- 17^th, 19^th-24^th, 26^th August

19.30 – 20.30

£8.00 (£7.00)