Fionn Foley: The Edinburgh Interviews 2019
Who? Fionn Foley
What? Brendan Galileo For Europe
Where? Assembly George Square Studios – Five (Venue 17)
When? 13:30
What are your feelings as you enter into this year’s Edinburgh Fringe season?
I am very excited to bring the show to the festival. We’ve toured it around Ireland and had an overwhelmingly positive response. My feeling is that the show will feel more at home in Edinburgh than anywhere else. It’s a somewhat hybridic blend of comedy, music and theatre which I think audiences here have a real appreciation for.
What is the premise of your Edinburgh show this year?
The show follows a young politician Brendan Galileo as he attempts to save his granny’s music school from destruction at the hands of the local political establishment. In an attempt to bolster his public profile, he enters the greatest political catfight in Europe, the Eurovision. It’s a fast-paced satirical comedy full that asks pertinent questions about contemporary politics, through an energetic and music-infused hour of fun.
What is the biggest obstacle you face(d) while putting this show together?
The show has an incredible team behind so no challenge has proved too much so far. And it does have it’s fair share of tricky challenges. The show has over 200 sound queues, which are incredibly sharp and snappy. With satire there is always the worry that what you write may not have the same relevance even a few months later. Fortunately, issues like Brexit are still in as purgatorial a state as ever and the show seems to resonate strongly with audiences.
Has your attitude towards the Fringe changed at all in recent years?
It’s my first time bringing a show to Fringe, so in that sense, I view it differently this year. Not necessarily with any less enthusiasm or joy, but I definitely look at it as an opportunity to bring my work to an international platform. So this year brings a quiet determination with it.
Do you have any other Edinburgh show recommendations?
Of course. Comedy-wise, I’m looking forward to Josh Glanc’s new show- he was hysterical last year. Dreamgun’s Film Reads are always an absolute blast and I’m a massive Tommy Tiernan fan. Theatre-wise, Sarah Jane Scott’s Appropriate in Summerhall is a real gem.
Where would you like to be in a year’s time?
I think everyone involved in the show would love to see it travel further afield. Luckily (or unluckily, depending on how you look at it) the subject of disharmony and cultural identity within a changing Europe is as pertinent and is has ever been. As long as audiences are able to laugh at the absurdity of it all, I think the show will have a great lifespan. So naturally, I’d like to be reclining on a deckchair somewhere south of the equator signing a TV deal and drinking Fanta from the skulls of my enemies.
GET YOUR TICKETS FOR FIONN FOLEY: ‘BRENDAN GALILEO FOR EUROPE’ HERE