£2,220 raised
·44 donations
Long Nights in Paradise @ EDINBURGH FRINGE
Donation protected
5 years on from the Grenfell Tower Disaster and a global pandemic, international turmoil and political scandal dominate our headlines. As the country begins to move on and forget about the systematic failings that led to the events of the 14th June 2017, this play brings the disaster sharply back in to focus. Exploring the homelessness crisis that has only been exacerbated by recent events, Long Nights in Paradise, a play by Theo Collins and Miles Molan, questions the very nature of public sympathy and forces into question the actions of our country on an individual and systematic level.
After performing at the ADC Theatre in Cambridge, we have secured a venue at The Space, a theatre in a prime location with a prime time slot. To be able to secure the funding for the show however, we need your help. From 20p to £200 anything that you can afford will be massively helpful in getting this show to the Fringe. It wont be possible without you. Feel free to read our full funding pack below for more information about the show:
Quotes from Audience Members after our Cambridge run.
“Sinister, abstract, revolting, cathartic, affronting and exhausting but always grounded”
“Ultimately this is a morality play examining the systemic failings of 2017 London deftly disguised as a masterful character study”
“Genuinely one of the most impressive pieces of theatre (forget ‘student’) I’ve seen over the last few years.”
“An incredibly moving and nuanced script performed by an excellent cast with no weak links”
“Not once did I stop having goosebumps.”
Synopsis:
Loosely, based on a true story, Long Nights in Paradise charts the journey of Scott whose life is broadsided by tragedy. We follow the character as he descends from a comfortable existence in a loving relationship to sleeping rough and alone. The audience witness how this changes Scott’s outlook and how he is treated because of these changing circumstances. The play is set in the context of the Grenfell Tower tragedy. Scott meets Adara, a resident of the tower. She provides him with companionship, offering a route back to humanity. But when the fire happens, Scott exploits the situation in a desperate attempt to salvage himself. When this fails to get him back on track, he begins to question whether he can be saved at all.
Why would we like to take this show to the Fringe?
We want to see how far Long Nights in Paradise can be taken. The story is compelling, captivating and current. For this reason, we must push this script to its limits, both in its physical embodiment on stage and in the audience it reaches. Despite coming off the back of an incredibly successful run at the ADC Theatre, creating this show has not come without its challenges. The initial theatre-making took place in a vacuum; as with any new piece of writing, we had no idea how audiences would react. Performing it in front of a crowd and getting feedback provided massive amounts of insight into what audiences liked, understood, and connected with. A slot at the fringe would give us a chance to refine the play further, ultimately making it harder hitting. Being able to rehearse over the summer would mean our actors would be able to delve deeper into the characters they are portraying. We would have time to workshop our ideas and ultimately provide the best end-product we can deliver.
Ultimately, we would like to bring this show to the Fringe because we all believe in it. The story is not only profoundly moving on a personal level but incredibly important from a political perspective. Grenfell was a huge turning point in the UK’s perception of class and one of the most significant news events in the recent public consciousness. Without continuing to shine light on these stories and emphasising their importance we run the risk of forgetting to have the conversation in the first place. Undercutting this is the equally important discussion about London’s ever-rising homeless population. Drawing the links between these two crisis’s the play pushes the audience to consider where and why public sympathy is placed.
Vision for the Set Design
The vision for Long Nights in Paradise at the ADC was to have a relatively bare stage and this idea will be continued in the design of the fringe run. Scott’s bed serves as the focal point representing both the comfort of his previous life and the hardship of his new one. After his home gets repossessed, bailiffs take apart the bed leaving only a mattress on stage. Behind the mattress is a white sheet of fabric, used for projections as the play utilises a significant amount of multimedia content. Stripping back the play and situating it in a smaller venue allows Scott to develop a much more intimate relationship with the audience.
Marketing Ideas:
The play is also able to speak to multiple generations. The story of Scott and the broader story of Grenfell in general taps into deep human fears about our need for security, safety and the fragility of a comfortable life. The protagonists are also of multiple ages, from 18-40, giving varied perspectives a voice, often in contrasting ways.
In terms of marketing, the show is able to rely on the striking visual cues of the set and lighting design, as well as an intense score and multimedia features as an initial pull. The advantage of having completed a run in Cambridge means that the show has multiple photos on the ADC stage, which capture the simplistic beauty of the show’s design. The show's subject matter will also be a conversation starter, which is a vital aspect of spreading the word in Edinburgh, whether through starting up conversations with members of the public when flyering or getting audiences in through word of mouth.
Additionally, we will be using multimedia aspects of the show and photography from the rehearsal process to create a trailer that can be used alongside a social media campaign and submitted to fringe specific forums and Facebook pages.
Link to reviews from the show:
Donations
Co-organizers (2)
Jack Medlin
Organizer
England
Miles Molan
Co-organizer