Dramaturgy Awakes: Miranda Colmans @ Edfringe 2017

New solo show reveals the struggles and darker side of insomnia at this year’s Fringe

Miranda Colmans / Free Festival

Awake

It's the middle of the night and I'm awake. "I'm Awake"... are you?

A brand-new show by experienced performer and novice writer Miranda Colmans, Awake is about five women around the world who are all awake in the middle of the night.  Their narratives are interwoven to reveal their joint story, exploring the harrowing effects Insomnia can have on the lives of those that suffer from it

Performing dates 3^rd-27^th August 2017

Performance time 18:45

Venue Basement @ The Cuckoo’s Nest, 69 Home Street, Edinburgh, Venue 106

Ticket Price Free / unticketed

Performance length Approx 40 mins

Performer Miranda Colmans

What was the inspiration for this performance?

"Awake" is not autobiographical but it is inspired by my personal experiences with insomnia. I’ve suffered on and off with insomnia since I was about 12 and one night, lying awake again it came to me that this would be a good thing to write about.  30% of British people suffer with short periods of insomnia, women being twice as likely to do so, therefore the topic is something that many people can identify with. 

Is performance still a good space for the public discussion of ideas? 

Absolutely.  Performance is a great way to have a debate - writers can explore an argument through their characters by pitting them against each other.  

The writer may or may not come up with a definitive answer.  

I love leaving the theatre and having a good chew over what I've just seen and I like the idea that that thought and influence can have life beyond the

theatre's walls.  Theatre can of course also tell stories which may not have been heard by a wider audience before and I think that is vital - to society at large and to the people whose stories they are.

How did you become interested in making performance?

I remember taking part in school Nativity plays and even from that early age, I knew that this was something I enjoyed.  I always loved to play dressing up games and the idea of pretending to be someone else.  

As a child, along with my sister and our friends, we would often make up shows for our long-suffering parents to watch and I seem to have just carried this habit forward into adulthood!  Before I went to drama school, I did a BA Hons in Drama and Theatre Studies at Chester.  

Our course was very practical and we spent three years devising our own work.  It was a brilliant degree and gave me a lot of confidence to create work and to see the endless possibilities of performance.

Is there any particular approach to the making of the show?

Trial and error!  This is the first play that I've written for one performer with multiple characters, so I've been feeling my way through it, writing, re-writing and creating characters to see what will best work to deliver the story.

Does the show fit with your usual productions?

As a professional actress, I don't think that I have a "usual" production as I've done a bit of everything.  I've always wanted to write and to do a one-woman show so I am really excited to be making this happen.

What do you hope that the audience will experience?

I would like audiences to come away having been told a good story.  I hope that they will invest in and enjoy listening to the different characters

What strategies did you consider towards shaping this audience experience?

My staging is quite simple as I would like the audience to listen to the story, rather than be distracted by set and props.  Awake is designed in that respect for an intimate space and for the audience to hopefully feel as if they are being told this tale one on one.

It's the middle of the night.  The air is still, the moon is up, foxes are skulking under lampposts. Many people are deeply, blissfully asleep, unaware of the tortured souls around them who are struggling to sleep.  But there is a place where they can meet, a place to find comfort and solace..."I'm Awake"... are you?

Speaking on the inspiration behind Awake, playwright Miranda Colmans said “I’ve suffered on and off with insomnia since I was about 12 and one night, lying awake again it came to me that this would be a good thing to write about.  30% of British people suffer with short periods of insomnia, women being twice as likely to do so, therefore the topic is something that many people can identify with.”