Curtain rises on Glenrothes writer’s third show at Edinburgh Festival Fringe
A Glenrothes based theatre company is preparing for its third show at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe - this time with an all-female cast.
Michael Johnson’s Without Compromise Theatre is staging ‘Collateral Damage at thespace @ Surgeons Hall from August 24-29 at 8:45pm.
It tells the story of the Laing family who have been through thick and thin together but now lead separate lives. In the wake of Alex Laing’s release from prison, they have to try to mend the rifts between them and come together as a family once more.
Michael said: “It’s a story of working class women who have been living separate lives after events shatter their family. This is them reconnecting and recovering familial bonds.”
Featuring a cast of three, it’s the latest work from Michael who has taken his plays to the Fringe for the past two years. In 2024 he staged his debut, ‘Wish You Were Here’ - a drama set in the town’s Macedonia precinct - which also performed at the Kings Theatre in Kirkcaldy.
His cast includes Fifer Lorna McFarlane, along with Erin Clark from Irvine, and Charley Crooks from the Borders.
“It has gone very well,” said Michael. “Rehearsals have been fantastic. They are a great cast who have gelled so quickly - and although they are from across Scotland, they all have a Fife twang!”
He added: “It has been quite interesting writing for an entirely female cast. One character was male originally, but then the suggestion came that I change it, and it made everything so much more interesting . It made performance sense
“Women deal with issues in a very different way, and thought the process their voices were heard and helped to shape this play.” Collateral Damage was inspired by someone Michael knew who had battled alcohol issues and how their family stepped up t hep them back to health.
“It inspired me to see how a family can out any differences aside and come together to help each other,” he said.
His drive now is to fill the seats at the city centre venue as the Fringe heads into its final week.
“There are over 4000 shows at the Fringe so it is a lot of work, but it has gone very well.” he said. “We have done a lot of fundraising to make this happen. We’re a small company which got funding in year one but not for our second year, and got a lot of help from other artists .
“We also have an authentic Scottish voice and that works to our advantage among lots of international shows.
“Home audiences can hear Scottish voices on stage, and this is something they can relate to. As a Scottish artist, I’d love to see more Scots writers have the courage to bring their stories to the biggest stage.”
> Ticket details at www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/collateral-damage