From the team behind Fringe hit SPY MOVIE: The Play! comes a fast-paced state-of-the-nation farce about a crumbling library, a disgraced civil servant and an inspector nobody can identify. Clinging to tradition, strangled by red tape, and desperately keeping up appearances as everything (quietly) collapses, chaos ensues as staff grapple to restore this shrine of overdue fines and broken dreams back to a temple of knowledge.
• What first sparked the idea of setting a comedy in a crumbling library, and how quickly did the chaos arrive?
Jack: When Matt and I decided to write something with a satirical edge that not only made people laugh, but also held a mirror up to the way that Britain is moving towards a crumbling public health service, a decline in public services and shared spaces, we toyed with many different settings, but when we landed on a provincial public library, everything seemed to fall into place. They are places built, usually, a long time ago, that house relics of the past, but also are full to the brim with imagination and hope. It is a sad situation to see so many of our libraries closing down, but all good comedy comes from tragedy, and a library is a place where things matter, but the stakes aren’t life and death for most people, so we are comfortable laughing along with the chaos. Also, the idea of setting a slapstick farce in a place where you’ve got to be quiet is irresistible.
• How do you balance the “very serious” tone of the librarians with the fact that the situation sounds like it’s on the verge of collapse at all times?
Jack: The show is a ‘Very Serious Comedy!’ because it exists to serve two purposes; firstly, it has to be funny. We make work for a broad audience that has to have a universal appeal, but, secondly, it is a genuinely serious affair and message; we are losing our sense of identity as a country. Our public services are failing, our shared spaces are closing down, and our focus on progress is at the cost of what makes us unique: our culture and our history. Yes, these institutions might not make sense, but they are as vital as any, and more so now, in an age of WFH, bite-sized entertainment, and online life, than ever.
• What’s been the most fun part of turning bureaucracy and red tape into material for farce?
Jack: Having the constraint of the library gives us so many gifts; silent fights among the bookshelves, ancient books dusted off to check rules from a time when sheep were legal tender, as well as the universally acknowledged truth that truth is often stranger than fiction.
• If Plumstanton Library were a real place, what would be its most chaotic item on the shelves?
Jack: Plumstanton Library houses the world’s largest collection of Carol Vordeman fitness VHS tapes. They’re sealed behind glass, and you have to wear gloves when handling them, or you’ll be banned and receive a hefty fine (cash, card, and cattle accepted).
• How did you go about making the hunt for the inspector feel like a comedy thriller rather than total panic?
Jack: Comedy, especially satire and farce, has to deal with serious subjects. The higher the stakes, the more we laugh at characters who, like us, are ill-equipped to deal with their inadequacy. We felt like, once we had the location and an idea of our character dynamics, what we needed was something that gave the play its structure and driving force. One of the best devices at our disposal is mistaken identity and the refusal to freely give our characters the information that our audience might have, so then it just comes to the question of: what would be the worst thing to happen to this bunch of people at this time? And the answer is this; when the new head librarianarrives to turn around the failing library, staffed by outcasts who don’t want to change, the worst possible thing that could happen is they would find out that they have inspection, they have no time to prepare, they don’t know who the inspector will be when they arrive, and all of their careers, and lives, are in the hands of themselves. Sounds like hell, doesn’t it? And that’s exactly why we can’t take our eyes off the chaos that unfolds.
• Why do you think libraries make such rich settings for both absurdity and heartfelt storytelling?
Jack: Libraries are places for everyone; they are safe refuges for those who seek comfort in the embrace of paper pages and stories. They exist not because they are essential, but because without them, our communities would be infinitely poorer. Think about this the next time you go into your local library; where else would you see such a dynamic and rich range of people, together under one roof, united by one thing: an old building that is barely standing up, but refuses to close its doors and admit defeat in an age of constant development.
Pleasance Courtyard (Pleasance Two) from Wednesday 5th – Monday 31st August (not 17th, 24th) at 15:15.
https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/the-librarians-a-very-serious-comedy