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The Camden Fringe Interviews
Writer and Composer Alex Rawnsley on A Series of Introductory Lectures On Psychoanalysis
Sigmund Freud and his writings might not be the most obvious start point for a musical, but that’s just what Alex Rawnsley and Musketeer Productions have done with A Series of Introductory Lectures On Psychoanalysis: The Musical.
But don’t panic, it’s not a show full of academic musings on the Id, but rather a musical charting the budding relationship between medical student Fran and her library crush Anna, alongside her friendship with four lovable but confusing housemates. With added Freud!
Don’t believe us? Well, we asked Alex to tell us a lilttle more about this new musical to prove it.
A Series of Introductory Lectures On Psychoanalysis: The Musical will be playing at King’s Head Theatre between 20th and 24th August for Camden Fringe.
Hi Alex, so that’s quite the title for a show isn’t it!
Hi! I’m Alex Rawnsley and I’m the writer and composer of A Series of Introductory Lectures On Psychoanalysis: The Musical, (ASILOP:TM for short).
ASILOP:TM is a story about first love and not understanding people. We follow Fran, a medical student, as she navigates:
1) A budding relationship with a girl called Anna,
2) A deep obsession with the theories of Sigmund Freud.
The show features 14 brand new songs, sung beautifully by our supremely talented cast. Under the direction of Harriet Gill, the show has become a madcap, hilarious experience and audiences should prepare themselves for some outrageously funny costumes! However, there is something earnest and sweet brought out of the heart of the show, and I think anyone who has ever had trouble understanding the dizzying complexity of social cues will be able to see a bit of themselves in it.
Where are you playing?
We’re playing at the King’s Head Theatre in the Main auditorium. We applied here as this is one of the best-equipped theatres in the Camden Fringe to host musicals, as part of their exciting new renovation. Further, good accessibility is important to us, not least because we have a mix of access requirements within the team itself, and the King’s Head is amazingly transparent about how accessible the venue is; both for audience and performers. Lastly, the King’s Head has a reputation for promoting and platforming LGBTQ+ stories and performers, which is a wonderful tradition that we wanted to be part of.
What was your inspiration for the show?
I’ve been fascinated by Freud’s “Introductory Lectures on Psychoanalysis” for years. My great-grandmother was a psychoanalyst and I inherited a beautiful copy of the book from the 1920s; the combination of the scientific tone of the work with the romance of a decaying, beautiful book made a lasting impression on me. However, the play is about someone reading this book, rather than the book itself, the inspiration for this came from my own teenage obsession with Freud. The play experiments with the application of Freud’s theories to modern life, both asking why someone might be interested in them, but also highlighting their shortcomings and some of the unkindness underlying them.
How long have you been working on this?
The first ideas for this play came during that unplaceable period of “one of the lockdowns”, however work on it only began in earnest in November 2021, when I brought the play to our director, Harriet. We have been working on the show pretty steadily since then, along with our MD, Isobel Connolly. As part of this process, we hosted a workshop in February of 2023, and a performance in Oxford in February 2024.
Is the version coming to Camden Fringe how you originally envisioned it or has it changed drastically since you first put pen to paper?
Much of the show has remained consistent since day one: there have always been the same seven characters, they have always had broadly the same relationships with each other, and Freud has always worn a rotating array of fabulously stupid costumes. Other than that, the script has gone through nearly ten separate re-drafts, such that I’m pretty sure none of the original words written in the first draft even remain, and only a handful of the songs are the same as in the 2023 workshop. I like to think that the heart of the show hasn’t changed, but each draft has brought it into clearer focus.
The show was first performed in the Grove Auditorium, a lecture theatre in Magdalen College, Oxford. The greatest difference is the runtime: the Oxford production was two-act, 110 minutes + interval; the Camden production is a single 90-minute act. The cutting process was brutal, and we had to get rid of many moments that we loved very much (not least because they were acted/sung so well by the cast!). However, this shorter version forced us to take stock of what the most important and moving parts of the show are, and refine it; we believe that the show is a more focussed, exciting experience as a result.
Are there any plans for what comes next after August – for you or the show?
For us personally: our degrees! Fortunately, there is such a vibrant student drama scene that we’ll have plenty of opportunities to workshop and showcase new work, as all of us are looking to pursue careers in theatre after graduation. In terms of the show itself, we’d love any opportunity to take it further as we think it could definitely have a life beyond the fringe!
What made you decide to be part of Camden Fringe this year?
Camden Fringe is such a great opportunity for student shows. The resources are very clear and accessible, and the organisers, Zena and Michelle, have made sure it’s as producer-friendly as possible. Further, it’s a growing festival that’s getting bigger every year and it feels exciting to be part of that, and as the cast and crew are mainly based in the South and South-West, London is not too difficult for us to access!
Who is going to play you when your autobiography is snapped up by Hollywood in years to come?
Dame Maggie Smith or one of the rats from Flushed Away!
If you had to describe your show as a famous person, who?
Sigmund umm… What was his name? No, it will come to me, one second…
Many thanks to Alex for taking the time to chat. You can catch A Series of Introductory Lectures On Psychoanalysis: The Musical when it plays at the King’s Head Theatre between 20th and 24th August. Further information and tickets are available here.
