Merely Players: Time to Go! The Canal Cafe Theatre
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Rifts have been opening throughout the multiverse threatening to rip reality apart! There is only one group of adventurers who have any hope of saving it. Only they can venture into the dungeon, close the portal and save existence itself! There’s only one problem… they don’t know who they are yet. Oh, and they only have 50 minutes before the rifts tear everything apart!
We spoke to Merely Players‘ Ellen Constable, Max Aspen and Austin Hayes about bringing their first live improv show to the boards, and just how will they save the universe in 50 minutes? We can’t wait to find out!
Time to Go! is at the Canal Cafe Theatre on 11 August at 7.30pm. Get your tickets here.
What can audiences expect from the show?
A mix of chaotic choices, gut wrenching drama and unthinkable shenanigans as a group of actors race against the clock to save the universe. The show promises to be a high octane 50 minutes as our team rely on dice rolls and bold choices in an improvised show that promises unexpected turns around every corner.
Is Camden Fringe going to be the show’s first time on stage, or have you already performed elsewhere?
Time to Go! will be Merely Players’ first venture into a live audience setting, treading the boards with anticipation after creating both audio and visual content online for several years. We’re hoping that bringing our stories onto stage will bring a whole new energy to performances.
What was it that drew you to this show and role?
I’ve been working with Merely Players for the last couple of years on their audio and filmed shows, so when I was asked to be a chance for a live version there was no way I was saying no! I didn’t know how we could condense a whole narrative into the 50 minutes of a Fringe show, but when Max and Austin explained the concept and using this time restriction to up the stakes, I thought it was fantastic. The fact that these shows are different every time, unique to that audience that shares it with us, is one thing I love about improvised storytelling – Max Aspen
What is it about your character that you most enjoy?
The fact that right now, I have no idea who I’ll be playing. Austin and Max decided to add an extra bit of chaos into the mix letting our social media audience decide our characters a couple of days before the show. So right now, I could be a gruff orc barbarian or a very squishy elf wizard…I’m excited to see the story we tell! – Max Aspen
What brought you all together?
We all met and trained together at drama school, opting to spend our limited spare time playing Dungeons and Dragons for some ‘dramatic’ light relief. It wasn’t long until we realised that we were able to combine our skill sets to work together in a professional capacity and have a huge amount of fun and shenanigans while doing so.
How important is audience interaction to you?
We’re experimenting with engaging the audience in our storytelling in a more interactive way than working in audio or visual mediums have allowed us to – having audiences play a hand in what characters our actors play and even interactive puzzles dictated by the audience themselves!
If budget or reality was not an issue, what’s the one piece of scenery/set you’d love to have in your show?
A giant, exactly 50 minute sand timer! Just having that large intricately cast behemoth towering over our performers, constantly reminding them that time is ticking away, would be fantastic.
What’s the most valuable piece of advice you’ve received during your career, and how has it influenced your work on this show?
If you want to make it, make it. And make it the best it can be! It’s very easy to fall into trying to create something that will appeal to everyone, but you can lose yourself in that sometimes. With this show especially, we’re sharing what we find fun, our unique sense of humour, and the stories we think are important. When someone clicks with that, the connection with an audience is immense. We’ve always kept the belief that there’s always another seat at our table, and with this live show, that’s more true than ever!
Thanks to Ellen Constable, Max Aspen and Austin Hayes for chatting to us about their show. Time to Go! is at the Canal Cafe Theatre on 11 August at 7.30pm. Get your tickets here.
