If Tim Burton met Stephen Sondheim in the KitKat Club… and they were a woman… This twisted one-woman musical is an electric exploration of the life of the artist. As Amelia’s prime source of inspiration, her charismatic alter-ego, The Master, gradually becomes her sadistic captor, we travel through the depths of workaholism and the lengths one will go in pursuit of “the dream”. A frantic Dad, dodgy agent, oh… and that 65-year-old boyfriend, all come to life through The Master’s larger-than-life ‘Show Dahling!’, while Amelia believes one thing is more important than entertaining an audience: the truth
Q&A with Em Hoggett
How does it feel to be making your debut at Edinburgh Fringe?
Wild! It’s so exciting and is exceeding my expectations in every way. I don’t think I’d anticipated how all-encompassing it would be in preparation! I first came to Edinburgh Fringe when I was 14 or 15 and it immediately became one of my favourite places on Earth. It is so magical how the entire city embraces the festival; you feel like you’re walking around in an artist’s haven all day every day. To be surrounded by so many creatives, and so much WEIRDNESS, wackiness, freedom, and crazy clothing is my dream. It’s alive all day and all night! This will be my first time performing at the festival and it’s come around so quick. I’ve been so engrossed in the process that part of me forgot I’m going to Edinburgh! I can’t wait to arrive.
What can you tell us about your show and its inspiration?
Showtime! is a twisted one-woman-musical which challenges workaholism and recounts the escapades of a young woman growing up in the entertainment industry. It’s FUNNY! And true… if you can believe it.
Having been a classical pianist since the age of 3, workaholism was drilled into me and ultimately led me to a total collapse in 2023. Inspired by my struggles with addiction, sexual assault and my encounters with strange men, the latter of which I’ve been able to find large amounts of humour in… I’ve written a show featuring two sides of myself I’ve grappled with for a long time… my day-to-day self, and The Master, my charismatic, larger-than-life alter-ego who is the source of so much of my creativity, but can grow into more of a sadistic dictator at times. Showtime! travels through Amelia’s story; The Master revelling in playing every character, including Amelia’s 65-year-old boyfriend!, and ultimately comes to a head-on battle as Amelia fights for the truth of the story while The Master fights for entertainment value.
I was very inspired by the current London production of Cabaret and I’m so excited that my orchestrator, Anessa Marie, is currently on Broadway conducting and playing in Cabaret! Artistically, Tim Burton and Stephen Sondheim are big influences of mine… and the show speaks to it. Think magical worlds, twisted narratives and witty lyrics with a dash of audience interaction and a shameless display of truth!
How do you think audiences will react to the show?
I think audiences will be shocked. I don’t think it will be what anyone is expecting… The piece is exposing and fearless in its portrayal and I hope it will encourage others to question their own relationship with their work and the search for “the dream”, and inspire us to get back in touch with the ART. The piece is laugh-out-loud funny,but confronts difficult topics including rape and addiction. I hope that its authenticity will encourage us all to embrace our humanity. I think that it will remind people that you can never know someone’s story until you hear it.
How have you been preparing for the festival?
Non-stop! There’s so many moving parts, but to name a few… it’s been a joy sending songs back and forth with Anessa, listening to her orchestrations. Creating the movement for the many different characters I play with my choreographer Kris Engelstad has been months of work and exploration. I’ve been in various types of rehearsal for since March. Long days spent on choreography and movement, daily vocal work with the fast-paced, lyric-filled songs, discovering how to approach acting through my own story, and lots and lots of producing. I’m producing the show solo, and I didn’t anticipate how much that would take! Each day I’m ordering a new prop, designing a new costume, creating a poster or managing a budget. But I know it will all be worth it! I hope the preparation will allow me to be fully present in Edinburgh to take in all the MAGIC! I know each night I’ll discover something new and I’m really looking forward to the privilege of having 26 days to explore this particular artistic concept that fascinates me.
Will you get a chance to enjoy the rest of the festival?
I’ll make sure of it! I love the Fringe so much and as an audience member, I usually try to see as many shows as I can. I’m going to need to take care of myself for the intense month, but I’m definitely going to be out and about, watching as many shows as I can, dancing at night, maybe being in a few compilation shows! I’ll be out about town & excited to meet people!
Do you have any Fringe anecdotes you can share with us?
Wow. So many. Fringe always feels so synchronistic to me. So many things happen that seem perfectly aligned. It’s the type of place where anything can happen. Once I spent the night dancing till late, met some podcasters on the street in Cowgate, did an interview for their show in the middle of the night and then did a spoken word performance out of a window as the sun rose – wild!
