Deadline at the Fringe are interviewing performers across the festival, putting 20 questions to them – both as an artist and as their stage or performance alter ego.
Sarah Jane Scott is Sorcha in Appropriate at Summerhall.
Sorcha LOVES weddings. Just like all the other girls in the parish, she’s been dying for her big day since forever and ever. The thing is…she has just run away from her own reception.
First we speak to Sorcha…
- First impressions of our fair city and, why are you here?
Ye could do with stronger tea. I’m glad I brought my own bags. I’m here for my wedding and it is going to be the best day of my life.
- Does your time here bring on joy or dread?
Absolute joy and nothing else at all, not even a tiny bit. It’s all I ever wanted. I’ve been planning it since I was nine, but am proper chill about it. I’ve been with my fiancé Marty (former county Gaelic Football player, local catch, great job in the bank) since the end of school.
- How did you travel to the capital, and are you alone or with friends?
I travelled with my fiancé Marty of course. We flew in from Knock Airport in the West of Ireland, I had everything booked well in advance, I will not be caught out with any of those hidden extra costs, no way.
- Where will you visit on your day off and why?
I’ll do the shops, oh I love doing the shops. Then lunch, after my mani, pedi and blow dry afterwards so I’m all set for the night out.
- What Scottish delicacies do you enjoy and, do any of them fill you with fear?
I’m actually slimming for my big day, so am just smelling food at the moment.
- Which watering hole will you most likely be stopping at?
Marty (my fiancé) and I, we love the Irish bars. Did I mention he played Gaelic football (for the County) and would be quite well known in certain circles? So, I love walking into an O’Neills with him on my arm.
- Which other act would you be most likely to recommend to a friend?
Fionn Foley and his show ‘Brendan Galileo For Europe’ at Assembly George Square. I laughed so much a little bit of wee came out.
- Plug your show in three words.
FABALIS IRISH WEDDING
- Are you a newcomer or a veteran?
It’s my first time.
- What do you love most about the festival?
The buzz and the craic…And with all these hills I’m getting so many steps in.
- What do you hate most about the festival?
I didn’t expect this many arty people around. I know it’s a festival like, but can they not bother to wear anything matching? Also, did I mention the weak tea?
- What is your biggest fear before going on stage?
Oh, it doesn’t bother me at all I have a lot of experience. I have often read at mass and Fr Foley our parish priest says I have great diction. I am also very comfortable being looked at.
- Quote yourself. What’s the best thing you’ve ever said?
“Planning a wedding in Ireland is like preparing for war. Now, I’ve never been to war, but I can’t imagine there being much of a difference.”
- What does success and failure mean to you?
Success is ticking everything off my list in time to get a walk in, and I don’t think about failure at all.
- What is your worst habit?
I am too kind.
- Most embarrassing moment?
There was that time on the dancefloor at my debs ( it’s what we call our school formal in Ireland) where after a few too many blue lagoons (they went with my dress) I pulled Debbie f**king McGrath off Marty by the hair and flung her across the dancefloor away from him. There may have been blood. But, sure lookit, it wasn’t my fault! It was supposed to be mine and Marty’s special magical night, I had it all planned.
- Where is your favourite place in the world and why?
Marty’s arms. There’s nowhere else I would rather be. Or at a Nathan Carter concert, I love that Wagonwheel song of his.
- Who would you choose to be if you were not you?
This is hard because I’m pretty sure if I was someone else and I saw me, I would want to be me.
- What is your greatest ambition?
I have always wanted to win the Eurovision.
- How can we bring world peace?
If we all love, laugh and keep drinking prosecco, we can get through anything!
… and now we hear from Sarah-Jane.
- First impressions of our fair city and, why are you here?
Beautiful, buzzy and hilly! I’m here at Fringe for the whole month to perform my show APPROPRIATE at Summerhall.
- Does your time here bring on joy or dread?
Joy tinged with a healthy dose of terror.
- How did you travel to the capital, and are you alone or with friends?
I flew from Ireland with my pal Colm who thinks he is being brought along because of his technical genius but really, I just needed someone to hold my disco ball.
- Where will you visit on your day off and why?
I will visit Arthurs seat, so I have seen Arthurs seat…and because I think it will be good for me to go outside, up a hill and be somewhere quiet when I get the chance. I’m also looking forward to wandering round the galleries and museums.
- What Scottish delicacies do you enjoy and, do any of them fill you with fear?
I enjoy all of them and as an Irish person I’m delighted to be in a land where potatoes and turnips are given the attention that they deserve.
- Which watering hole will you most likely be stopping at?
Whichever one my learned Fringe pals tell me to turn up at. I will be happy wherever I go as long as there are crisps.
- Which other act would you be most likely to recommend to a friend?
Gabby Best’s show 10,432 Sheep at Banshee Lanbrinth. She is the funniest woman I know and is the owner of my favourite brain. Everyone should go see it before she takes over the world.
- Plug your show in three words.
Hilarious! Heartbreaking! IRISH!
- Are you a newcomer or a veteran?
Complete newbie.
- What do you love most about the festival?
The energy and excitement of it. It’s so wonderful to be part of this huge, very full sitting room of mad yokes like myself, who have put their hearts & souls into their shows and are working their lil’ asses off…. And the chats! I am having the best chats with both old and new pals.
- What do you hate most about the festival?
Money, money, money…As an independent theatre artist it is very very hard to get the funds together to get your show here and it feels like it’s only going to get harder. I am so lucky to have the wonderful support of Culture Ireland and my local Co Galway Council and I still really struggled.
- What is your biggest fear before going on stage?
I always think I’m going to forget everything. Always.
- Quote yourself. What’s the best thing you’ve ever said?
“That would reeaalllly suit me” 13 yr old me with braces, glasses and a wardrobe of tracksuits, on seeing sees Posh Spice’s new cropped hair cut in the Stop Right Now video. It didn’t.
- What does success and failure mean to you?
Success I think is peers and pros I admire rating my stuff and wanting to work with me. Failure is me falling off the stage without anyone to help me up because no one came to see the show.
- What is your worst habit?
I am a terrible overthinker and can lead to mad anxious spirals that if I just left myself alone wouldn’t happen.
- Most embarrassing moment?
There are so many, I’m quite an awkward human so can often be found wearing the slight sweat of a recently embarrassed person…A new one that I am still getting over was the other day, when queing to pay for lunch and monologuing to my friend whilst picking at her chips, I looked up and saw that that my friend wasn’t there. She had gone to grab a drink. I was just eating a strangers chips from their plate and ranting at them about my life. Cool.
- Where is your favourite place in the world and why?
Galway on a sunny day during the Arts Festival. It’s magic.
- Who would you choose to be if you were not you?
A Strictly Pro.
- What is your greatest ambition?
A healthy work/life balance
- How can we bring world peace?
I will write a book called ‘The Art of Being Sound’ and threaten everyone at gunpoint to read it OR ELSE.
