We sat down for an exclusive interview with Craig Manson, writer and performer of ‘Bunny!’, in which an aspiring theatre starlet becomes a serial killer in her quest to streamline the talent pool to increase her chances of getting a job.
This show runs from 6th-31st August at the Edinburgh Fringe – Tickets here.
1) Having written ‘Bunny’ as well as performing it, what has the process been like for you of bringing it to life?
Bunny is a great tool as a performer because I wanted her to be indestructible – that she could perform under any circumstances and deal with anybody because she’s so confident in her talent. But she’s not a superhero and her actions come from real human feelings, so it became clear that I had to show a vulnerability to her as well. I think the process has been about balancing those two qualities and finding a sweet spot in not only the writing and her characterisation, but also the forms of cabaret and theatre because they relate to the audience in different ways.
2) How do you balance the heightened, campy aspects of the show with the more earnest emotional side of the narrative?
I try not to get too earnest in anything that I do, but when making any theatre show there has to be different textures. Keeping the audience on their toes has been a big part of that, trying to make Bunny feel unpredictable. I like to work with ‘liveness’ in any show that I do, so Bunny’s relationship to the audience is something I’m trying to test out a lot. There isn’t a fourth wall in the show – it’s Bunny’s cabaret, she’s aware of who’s watching her. I think trying to be in conversation with the audience throughout the story can be a really useful way of connecting with them during moments that do feel more emotional.
3) How much of the character of Bunny is drawn from your own life and the criticisms you’ve been making of arts organisations?
I haven’t murdered anyone to get what I want yet, but Bunny’s experiences are either massively exaggerated parts of my own life, or wild dreamy offshoots of what could have happened. People have told me after watching past scratch versions that it feels like Bunny makes the dark daydreams you’ve had about the industry into a reality, which is cool, and a bit concerning, and funny! The criticisms I’ve made of arts organisations are definitely embedded into the show, and it’s been interesting to see when it evolves from just fun parody into some righteous anger, because I see a lot of it from artists who are just really fed up and disgruntled. I hope Bunny can be a good outlet for them!
4) Have people refused to work with you because of the work you’ve been doing to call out different sections of the industry? Do you find it (practically) difficult to balance standing by your principles with finding success in the arts?
Not that I know of! I’ve occasionally had someone tell me how hard it is to run an arts organisation and I should try walking in their shoes (which I have no interest in doing). I don’t intend to make anything out of malice, it’s just meant to be something to have a giggle at. If anything, I’ve found the community rallying around me more than ever – I’ve had a few offers of work, and people have very kindly given me tips on Ko-Fi or donated to my Fringe run, which just absolutely flabbergasts me, I’m very grateful to all of them!
5) What’s your relationship with the ‘critically acclaimed solo show’? How much do you enjoy watching them?
My background is in contemporary performance and live art so most solo shows I’ve seen have been in that genre. Those shows are very different to a one-person play and come from a different cultural background/history. Over the last few years I’ve been less interested in that kind of work, veering more towards comedy and theatre. When I was at drama school, we made small solo performances all the time, but I only recently realised that my professional work always involves collaborators or other performers, so this is the first time where I’m totally alone on stage for an hour. GULP. Maybe that’s why I like to involve the audience, to try and feel less alone, haha!
6) What role does the satire of solo shows have in the broader points you’re making about the arts industry?
A lot of the time I wish people who work in theatre would take the industry a bit less seriously. People will see a show they didn’t particularly like and talk about it like someone’s been murdered. In the past I’ve exhausted myself and become unwell in the name of trying to make a show ‘good’, and then nothing comes from it. I think Bunny is a satire of the idea of the ‘acclaimed solo show’ in the sense that it deliberately isn’t anything extraordinary. I’m not breaking my back trying to make it, any trauma that I’m ‘mining’ is entirely fictional, the tone of it is very light-hearted. All you get is Bunny, her talent and her story, and hopefully a lot of laughs, which I really think the industry could do with right now.