Agata Nielsen on The Swan, The Werewolf and Gianpiero
After the success of our 2025 Camden Fringe Interviews, we thought it only right to attempt a repeat for 2026. So throughout July we’ll be publishing new interviews each day to give a taste of what to expect from London’s best fringe theatre festival. The festival starts Monday 3 August this year, so we may give ourselves a couple of days off inbetween the end of the interviews and the first shows… then again, we might not.
You can find out more about Camden Fringe, along with details of every show playing this August here. You can also find all of this year’s interviews as they are published here.
What do you get when you mix a money-chasing blonde, a werewolf mask, a tight-knit group of tango dancers, and an unsuspecting audience member who is suddenly handed total responsibility for a massive theatrical catastrophe?
You get The Swan, The Werewolf and Gianpiero, a dark, physical, utterly absurd comedy landing at Etcetera Theatre for Camden Fringe 2026.
Born three years ago as a short scratch night piece, the production has grown by popular demand into a full-length exploration of social performance, insecurity, and chaotic comedy. We caught up with writer and star Agata Nielsen from Drama Queen Studios to talk about walking the line of ridiculous stereotypes, the secret sauce of their cast dynamics, and why you should catch them this August before they vanish into the dark.
If you had to describe the vibe of your show in just one sentence, what would it be and how does it manifest on stage?
It is a dark, physical, absurd comedy led by a director who bows while the actors call an ambulance.
On stage, that manifests as high-energy chaos where things go wrong in the most beautifully ridiculous, physical ways possible.
Why is 2026 the absolute perfect time for audiences to see this piece?
Simply put: you don’t want to miss it, and as it currently stands, there are no dates booked for 2027. It’s a lightning-in-a-bottle moment for our company.
What was the “eureka moment” that made you realize this story had to be expanded into a full play?
The audience explicitly wanted more. We actually started three years ago with a very short version of the script, which was first performed during a local scratch night. Two years ago, we added the character of Gianpiero and performed it again. The audience response was so overwhelming and loud that we really had no choice but to develop it into a full-length performance.
Is this final version how you originally envisioned it when you first sat down to write?
Surprisingly, it hasn’t changed all that much! I wrote it down, our team discussed it together, we implemented some small structural changes to make the physical comedy hit harder, and that’s it. It kept its raw, absurd spirit from day one.
Tell us about your character. What lies beneath the surface?
On the outside, she is the classic pretty, silly blonde chasing money and fame. But if you dig just a little deeper, you find the deep-seated insecurity, the raw hurt of being constantly judged by appearances, and a deeply rooted need to prove her worth to a world that dismisses her. She’s just going entirely the wrong way about it!
What has been the most challenging part of bringing this specific role to life?
Finding the exact balance between not being too stereotypically Russian, but still remaining ridiculous enough to anchor the comedy. The goal is to make the audience feel deeply mixed feelings about her; they should laugh at her, but also pity her.
What is the “secret sauce” that makes your cast dynamic click so well?
We are all genuine friends off-stage. We originally met through the local Argentine tango scene and hang out a lot outside of rehearsals. By now, we call ourselves “more than tangueros.” That trust and physical rhythm we built dancing tango transfers directly into the intense physical comedy on stage.
Fringe festivals require minimalist sets. How have you adapted your staging to fit the strict turnarounds?
We have an absolute ball with our constraints. Instead of bringing in massive pieces of scenery, a randomly chosen audience member is vital to the show, and they end up being sort of responsible for all the mounting drama on stage! I can’t tell you more about it without spoiling the surprise, but the audience is the environment.
If budget or reality wasn’t an issue, though? I would love to hang massive, long, heavy, four-meter-long opera-style red velvet curtains across the space.
If you had to describe your show as a color, what would it be?
It would be the color of an angry Instagram DM that you leave on “seen” but never answer. It would just confuse you, you’d scratch your head, and you’d really rather not get involved in the drama—but you can’t look away.
What’s the most unconventional prop you have to pack in your kit bag?
A full-headed Werewolf Mask. We absolutely had to have it. After all, it’s right there in the title!
What’s next for The Swan, The Werewolf and Gianpiero once the festival curtain falls?
Oh yes, we are already hard at work developing the concept into a fully immersive performance experience. Think of it as a living, interactive prequel to the events of The Swan, The Werewolf and Gianpiero. Keep your eyes peeled!
Many thanks to Agata for spending time talking to us. You can catch The Swan, The Werewolf and Gianpiero at Etcetera Theatre from Saturday 22 to Monday 24 August.
The show will also be playing at The Playground Theatre in November as part of Voila! Festival. More information can be found on the company’s website here.
