We sat down for an exclusive interview with Samia Rida ahead of their show Kidnap at the Edinburgh Fringe. Directed by the BBC’s Gareth Edwards and produced by BAFTA Elevate producer Gina Lyons, writer and actor Samia Rida’s blazing autobiographical comedy-drama explores Saudi, family, and how the act of kidnap can involve a swimming pool… Samia Rida: Kidnap tickets available here
It’s nice to meet you, Samia. Tell us about your upcoming Fringe show Samia Rida: Kidnap.
Nice to meet you too! Kidnap is my one woman, sixty-minute show based on the true story of my kidnap to Saudi when I was a child. It’s a comedy! Don’t worry – I was kidnapped by my dad and he’s from Saudi. He didn’t just throw a dart at a globe when deciding where to kidnap us.
It’s directed by Gareth Edwards (Spaced, That Mitchell & Webb Look) and is a dark, challenging and funny exploration of multiculturalism, domestic abuse, having a disabled sibling, Saudi and how kidnap can involve a swimming pool.
Was the creation process for the show like? Have you enjoyed collaborating with the BBC’s Gareth Edwards and BAFTA Elevate producer Gina Lyons on the work?
I started writing the one woman show after finding a newspaper cutting that reported on my kidnapping. The script I wrote got picked up by a Producer at Fullwell 73 Production company (behind Mammals and The Kardashians) who wanted to develop it into a TV series – so that took quite a lot of my time, and I stopped developing it as a one woman show for a while. Then I picked it up again and it got to the interview stage of the BBC Comedy Collective Bursary, and they continued to support me with the project. I then asked Gareth Edwards, who I’ve had a relationship with and has mentored me for a long time, and who has developed series ideas with me and took one idea of mine forward to ask the BBC to commission it, and asked him if he was interested in directing it, and he was. I then started workshopping sections of the show and building it into the kind of three part structure it is right now – which is pre-kidnap, kidnap and post kidnap.
He’s just finished producing a new sketch show for Channel 4 starring David Mitchell and Robert Webb! I really enjoyed working with Gareth. He’s been such a support to me for many, many years now and it was really fun to be directed by him and work on the show together. I met Gina through BBC Comedy Collective and she’s also been a massive support in taking Kidnap forward. She introduced me to the team at Gilded Balloon and also told me about the Keep It Fringe fun, which I was successful in receiving.
If you could describe Kidnap to audiences in one sentence, what would you say?
Kidnap, not all bad, can involve a swimming pool.
What would you like Edinburgh Fringe audiences to take away from the show as a primary message or experience?
As with anything I work on, I really want to reassure audiences that they’re not alone and encourage us all to look at our dark sides and at the complexity in life, and in ourselves, and to embrace it all. I’d also like to give audiences permission to laugh, even at the most difficult things, and that show them healing can really be found that way.
Kidnap is supported by the charity Sibs. How has it felt to work with them?
I was in some ways a young carer, helping to look after my older brother who is disabled. When I first discovered the charity Sibs, it was incredible to talk to other people who also had disabled siblings, and who would talk really quite openly and candidly about the difficulties involved and even the resentment that could come up around this. We all really loved and supported our disabled siblings, but we did sacrifice and carry a lot on our shoulders and had a very unique experience. I really would love to continue to support this charity and to shine a light on this experience which affects so many people in a profound manner and I feel isn’t really discussed much.
Finally, when and where can we see your show?
You can see my show at Gilded Balloon, Patter House, from July 30th – August 10 at 19:15.