New musical JACKIE!!! tells the glamorous and scandalous life story of the legendary Jacqueline Kennedy. Combining sharp political exploits with vibrant musical numbers to unpick the complexities of one of the 20th century’s most influential women entangled in the ‘Kennedy curse’. Gilded Balloon Patter House (Big Yin) from 30th July – 25th August at 18:30. Tickets are available here.
Thank you for chatting with A Young(ish) Perspective! Introduce us to who you are and what you’re doing at the Edinburgh Fringe this year?
I’m Nancy, and I’m a writer and performer based in London. This year, I am going to the Edinburgh Fringe with JACKIE!!!, a new comedy musical based on the life of first lady Jacqueline Kennedy. I co-wrote this musical with Joe McNeice and composer Max Alexander-Taylor, and Joe and I will be starring as Jackie and JFK!
A Youngish Perspective platforms accessible arts and champions the huge scope of different perspectives – can you tell us about the show you’re taking to Edinburgh Festival Fringe as if you’re flyering to both a young first-time-Fringe goer and a festival veteran returning every year?
Inspired by real-life characters and events, JACKIE!!! has everything: music, politics, comedy, fashion and space puppies! If you’re headed to Edinburgh Fringe this Summer, and want to laugh, cry, or just learn something new about the icon that is Jacqueline Kennedy, head down to the Gilded Balloon at 6:30 to see JACKIE!!!.
Jackie Kennedy is an American icon, how will UK and international audiences be able to connect with this piece and its themes?
Taking a deep dive into one of America’s wealthiest, most illustrious families, JACKIE!!! is a tale of power, fame, manipulation and legacy. Though the Kennedys are the epitome of American iconography, the themes of our musical are ones that audiences across the world will recognise in their own countries’ histories. The importance of media, public persona, and familial secrecy within the creation of Jackie’s untouchable legacy makes her a character akin to that of Lady Diana or Meghan Markle in the British Royal family.
The Kennedy family– while iconic, has a complex history and legacy. How are you able to address these complicating factors with the glitz and glamour of Jackie O?
Inspired by real-life characters and events, JACKIE!!! takes a new perspective on the Kennedy family’s rise to fame, highlighting the immense political and social influence of icon Jackie Kennedy, later Jackie O. As these characters and events are so well-known, we wanted to play on the audience’s preconceptions of the highly revered Kennedy family through comedy, because their lives weren’t always as glamorous as the public eye thought. The more we researched this period of political history, and the infamous Kennedy curse, we realised that we had a much darker story than we had anticipated, so we had to learn to balance the glamour, the comedy, the drama and the tragedy of it all.
Who would your surprise dream audience member be?
Jack Schlossberg.