Could you first introduce yourself to the reader?
Hi! I’m Vyte Garriga, a Lithuanian performer, playwright and theatre maker based in London. I also make video poems.
How would you describe your show?
Paper Swans is a piece of the Theatre of the Absurd. It is set in a closed park at night where we meet a girl in a ballet dress making paper swans. The security guard arrives and tries to investigate her actions, which locks them in a continuous loop of having to encounter each other again and again in an attempt of finding the meaning beyond those paper swans.
What is your favourite part of your show?
Scene 5, because it’s mad! Both me and Dan, who plays the guard, get to do the most surreal things. I also love the visual aspect of Paper Swans- the images in this show are as important, if not more, than the dialogue.
If your show had a theme song, what would it be and why?
Oh, it has! It’s Saint-Saens: The Swan (Le Cygne) from the Carnival of the Animals. It tells a story of a dying swan, which is beautiful, sad but also real. And so is life.
Are there any particular themes or messages you hope the audience takes away from your performance?
Yes and no. It’s not a piece that overtly tries to convey a message, I don’t write that way. When people ask what Paper Swans is about, I tell them that it changes every day. I see it like a surrealist painting, where everyone will be able to see something different rather than a story that tries to make a point. But the themes of freedom, oppression and ability to be oneself without having to explain or justify it are very much there. It is also very funny.
The only thing I wouldn’t want people to feel is small or ill-equipped to understand it: there is a misconception that the Theatre of the Absurd is pretentious. No. It simply doesn’t follow a linear narrative that we are used to but that is exactly why we should lean into the feelings it creates. It is trying to shake us out from being too much in our heads, inviting us not to take ourselves too seriously and reminding us of what simply being feels like.
Why do you want to perform at Edinburgh Festival Fringe? What differentiates it from other festivals?
Edinburgh Fringe is the biggest theatre festival I’ve performed in. It’s also the biggest theatre festival that I am aware of.
After my first fringe, I was sure that I would never be able to take my own show here - I was overwhelmed with how many shows there were and the logistical side of making it happen. But when theatre company Flabbergast offered their support and expertise to take Paper Swans to the Fringe, and when we were awarded a ‘Keep It Fringe’ bursary I knew I was in good hands. One can only grow if one does something that scares them. And I could not think of a better place to premiere Paper Swans in and give it justice.
How does performing at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe compare to other festivals or venues you've experienced?
It is going to be my fourth Fringe but the first one where I am presenting my own work. I guess I feel most at home at EdFringe because I have been here before and I am aware of its demands. At the same time, Trainspotting is one of my favourite films (I know it was mostly shot in Glasgow) and I adore Edinburgh for its architecture, how friendly people are and the hills outside, so it’s always going to be number one on my list.
How has your experience at past Fringes influenced or changed your approach to this year's performance?
Having performed at the Fringe twice and then writing a play for Macready Theatre last year (which was nominated for an Offie Award), made me realise the quality a show needs to have to be brought to the Fringe: there are so many things happening all over the place, that in order to give your show justice, it needs to be the best quality it can be – I would never take a piece that wasn’t ready.
At the same time, previous Fringes made me realise that perfectionism is a direct route to killing creativity and inaction: it is a festival to celebrate and share our work- not compete; things will not go as planned but as long as one is open to change (and doesn’t take oneself too seriously), new opportunities and friendships will be formed.
What is your favourite thing to do in Edinburgh when you're not performing? How do you relax and look after your mental health?
Hanging around Arthur's Seat. I don’t know whether it’s because I’m a Capricorn (which is essentially a mountain goat) or I simply have something for the mountains but just being surrounded by the greatness of it reminds me how small and insignificant we are, allows me to ground myself and deal with anything that is thrown at me.
What is one piece of advice you’d give to someone thinking about taking a show up to Edinburgh?
Be (or have) a very good producer. Planning is key and it will make or break your experience of the fringe.
What is one thing you would change about the Edinburgh Festival Fringe?
Compulsory deep-fried mars bar with every ticket – I still haven't tried it.
How has your background, upbringing and education had an impact on your artistic career?
I was born in Soviet Lithuania but we got independent 9 months later, so I grew up in the country that was trying to rediscover itself again. However, the remains of the oppression were very much felt all throughout my childhood: that I, as a Lithuanian, was somehow lesser than the people in the world outside; that my language was not enough; that I needed to speak in riddles in order to tell the truth.
I am extremely lucky because my parents have never forced me to choose a path I didn’t want, all they wanted was for me to be happy. So, when I chose to move to London to become an actress, they could not have been more supportive. And still are.
However, trying to pursue an acting career in London, made me realise that, at least in the commercial side of the industry, I will never be allowed to play anyone but an East European stereotype, most likely with no words and being OK with nudity.
That realisation made me look for an alternative theatre scene, where I could simply be a storyteller exploring what it means to be alive. That is how I discovered devising and physical theatre. I did my MA at RADA Theatre Lab, which led me to meeting and then working with Flabbergast Theatre. They not only trusted me with the roles in Shakespeare's plays (something I always said I will never ever do) but also pushed me to dream the dreams I wasn’t allowing myself to have in the first place. And here we are, bringing Paper Swans to Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
Can you describe your creative process and how you develop your ideas into a full-fledged performance?
My ideas normally come as images that I write down and play around with. I am a big fan of a surrealist technique of automatic writing, so I allow myself to put on paper anything that comes to my mind - no editing. I find it to be the best way for me to get out of the writer’s block and just write as there is no pressure to be “good”, to make sense, to articulate my thoughts. It’s simply there to get as much information on the paper as possible, which then I can start shaping into something more coherent.
When it comes to developing them into a full-fledged performance, it might be less romantic, but I simply look at the timings, ie. word/page count: it allows me to inspect the material I have so far and have a better idea of how much more I’m missing. Then it’s very easy to tell whether the story in front of me has enough material for me to still discover or it was never meant to be a full-length play.
And then we move into the rehearsal room, where I try to shut up and see how working with other creatives can enrich the piece.
What is your favourite thing about performing for a live audience?
The connection – you straight away know whether they are with you or not. It’s the best way to grow as a creator: yes, it is extremely exposing (and hard when it’s not working) but at the same time it’s the most honest feedback you can get. And it’s instant. If you’re truly listening (and don’t let your ego get in the way), you can learn so much from it and make it better next time.
What is the strangest thing that has ever happened to you while performing?
I’ve been rained on, bitten by mosquitos, had stones thrown at us and seen a rainbow in the background of our set but I wouldn’t say it was strange. I’ll keep looking out for it though.
But there was one extremely magical moment that carved the way to all the other magical moments only a theatre can provide: we were performing Trojan Women in the amphitheatre in Messene in Greece. I was Hecuba. The show was at 9am (ish) because we needed to finish before midday as it becomes too hot to perform in the open air (and we were also performing bare feet on stone). Towards the end of the show Hecuba has this big speech accepting her fate and deciding to endure whatever challenges life has thrown at her. In our production we were forming a ship through my speech: Hecuba at the very front, her daughters behind her and then the rest. And at that very moment when the ship was about to set sail, the bells in the churches around started to ring announcing the hour. It was something extraordinary: performing in Greece, in an amphitheatre with the bells ringing and me leading the ship. I knew that I had made the right choice- I belonged to the theatre and even the Gods agreed.
What's the most challenging or unconventional venue you've ever performed in, and how did it impact the overall experience?
It has to be Ludlow Castle. The whole area around is extremely beautiful and it’s one of those “pinch me” moments when one realises that we are literally performing in the inner bailey of the castle. However, it comes with its own package: rainstorms, mosquitoes, rainbows, bats, beautiful sunsets and its own weather forecasts regardless of what the BBC says.
Every time we do it, I promise to myself that it’s the last time. Performing Shakespeare for over 2 hrs in the open air is an extraordinary challenge (especially for a non-native speaker like me): you have to think not only about the standard things relating to any performance (projection, delivery, articulation, etc) but there’s also the elements of nature thrown upon you that you need to learn to deal with in the moment that you simply cannot preplan.
Challenging, yes. But also rewarding. Having the audience stay with us for 2 and a half hours in those conditions means the world. It’s a shared experience and moments like these bring us together: us as an ensemble but also us and the audience. We’re all the same, we’re in this together and being able to share that is something very special.
I guess that’s why I keep saying yes to it every single year.
Who are some of your artistic influences, and how have they shaped your work?
I am a big fan of Surrealism, I love searching for the magic in the everyday.
I am also a big sucker for aesthetics and minimalism. It might be because my dad is an architect and my mom loves minimalism, so I grew up surrounded by form, the functionality and the use of space and getting rid of anything that pollutes the space: they taught me that the eye needs to know what, where and when to look at. The space also needs to breathe. I guess that’s where my visual storytelling comes from.
If we talk theatre, I want to be challenged. I find the contemporary theatre scene rather safe – nobody is taking risks. So, I am drawn to companies that blend genres and tell stories through images as well as language, I find it a lot more exciting. Performances by Complicité, Robert Wilson, Pina Bausch, Peeping Tom, Flabbergast to name a few always leave me inspired and hungry to create more.
And the works of writers like Murakami, Exupery, Żilinskaitė, Beckett, Vernes, Orwell, Škėma, Nyka-Niliūnas, Radauskas, recently discovered Gaiman, Brautigan, Bukowski helped me (and still does) grow as a storyteller. I love adventures and a bit of a distance from day-to-day reality.
Is there a piece of feedback you've received from an audience member or critic after a performance that’s stuck with you?
After we did the WIP of Paper Swans at CPT back in 2022, I was shocked by how much it was loved by the audience and that they found it relevant, funny and necessary. It was my first piece that I presented to the world, so every piece of feedback I received meant a lot to me.
However, it wasn’t a specific quote or sentence that someone told me that blew my mind. It was the fact that a lot of people reached out afterwards asking whether they were allowed to quote Paper Swans. Quote Paper Swans? How mad is that? I still can’t believe it happened.
Is there a show you’re excited to see when you’re up there?
Yes, a few actually:
Rebels & Patriots by Nadav Burstein. They’re performing in the same venue as Paper Swans, Pleasance Courtyard Upstairs. Nadav is a brilliant young playwright and is presenting a piece based on his time spent in the Israeli military, which talks about its damage on young men and their mental health. He also played Demetrius to my Helena in Flabbergast’s Midsummer Night’s Dream, so I might be a bit biased.
Weight of Shadow by Sasha Kohn at the Assembly Checkpoint. Sasha is a phenomenal aerialist and the most empathetic human being ever. I cannot wait to see his piece that explores depression and female mental health based on the struggles of his fiancé. Knowing how open and attuned to others Sasha is, I think this piece will offer a very much needed insight into a mind that is struggling. Cannot wait to see it.
Miriam Margolyes Margolyes & Dickens. I’ve just finished reading her autobiography and would not want to miss seeing her perform one of the pieces that took her all around the world. I would love to be amongst her pool of friends. I think Miriam is an extraordinary woman, performer and storyteller.
When and where can people see your show?
Paper Swans are going to be at Pleasance Courtyard Upstairs everyday from 31st July to 25th August (not the 14th August) at 11:05am.
And where can people find you online?
My website: vytegarriga.com
My Instagram: @vyte.garriga
Pleasance Website: https://www.pleasance.co.uk/event/paper-swans
Paper Swans will be performed at 11.05am in the Pleasance Courtyard (Upstairs) from the 31st July – 25th August (Not 14th)
Booking Link: https://www.pleasance.co.uk/event/paper-swans
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