We sat down for an exclusive interview with WIT? Theatre Company – Ross Tomlinson, Kluane Saunders, Tom O’Kelly, and Lucy Buncombe – to discuss ‘Remember, Remember!’ a wildly inaccurate and joyfully misinformed retelling of one of Britain’s most infamous tales of treason.
This show runs from 5th-30th August at Pleasance Dome (Queen Dome) for the Edinburgh Fringe – Tickets here.
What inspired the decision to embrace historical inaccuracy as a creative device, and how does that freedom shape the comedy?
We landed on a bit of a comedy gold mine with our subject matter – almost everyone in the UK has heard about the Gunpowder Plot of 1605, but most don’t know THAT much about it, apart from the name Guy Fawkes. The four of us love being stupid and love making each other laugh.
We think it’s hilarious that we’re in control of what the audience learns about the Gunpowder Plot throughout the show. Did Robert Catesby really go undercover and seduce the king with his feet? Was James I really a power bottom? We get to decide!
How did you approach reimagining such a well-known piece of British history through a queer and camp lens?
Queer people are often eliminated from the history books, but believe it or not, queer people existed in the 1600s! There is a lot of documented evidence that James I (one of the characters in our show) was bisexual for instance. However, often (without any evidence) it’s assumed that historical figures were heterosexual. So we thought… why not assume everyone in our story is queer?
We love that none of our characters are self-hating or discriminated against because of their sexuality. It’s refreshing and a delight to portray queer characters and relationships where their queerness is unremarked upon.
What role does pop culture and musical parody play in making the Gunpowder Plot feel newly relevant and playful?
A massive role! When people dramatise history, in movies and plays, it can sometimes be a bit of a dirge, can’t it? We think our modern pop culture references help audiences realise that people of that era were likely talking about similar things and were just like you or me. Also, why shouldn’t the Stuarts talk about Kim Woodburn? It’s just funny.
On the musical parody side, there is an innate silliness to the idea of having a serious conversation with your friends about overthrowing the government, and then breaking into a rehearsed musical number with backing dancers. We have chosen to lean in and heighten that silliness. Also, we just love showing off.
How do you balance anarchic humour with keeping a coherent narrative through such a “wildly misinformed” retelling?
We’ve taken a lot of time to make sure our show still has a heart and a journey for the audience to follow. We watch Robert Catesby (our protagonist) try to pursue his dreams, overcome his underdog status, face off against rivals, and fall in love…
In what ways does leaning into buffoonery allow you to comment on how history is taught and remembered?
We learned a lot about this as we were writing and staging the show. Honestly, our main goal has always been to make people laugh and have a brilliant time, not give an accurate representation of a historical event. But creating this show did make us realise that the storyteller has all the power. Not to give anything away, but the Gunpowder Plot in our show doesn’t quite end in the way you might have been taught at school.