Could you first introduce yourself to the reader?
My name is Alley Scott, and I’m the Artistic Director of Dutch Kills Theater, a developmental company based in New York City.
How would you describe your show?
“Temping” is an interactive immersive show for an audience of one, developed by Wolf 359. Our audience member is the temp for the day, filling in for Sarah Jane Tully, who is on vacation. They receive the story through spreadsheets, emails, printouts, voice memos, and phone calls. It is a show that deals with the themes of loneliness, work, and personhood. And there is also some fun interoffice drama!
What is your favourite part of your show?
I love that the show is different every time! We have never rehearsed with our star—the audience member—and since they are alone, they are not sure how we are interacting with them. It's a real thrill to pay attention so fully to each individual and get to know them over the hour that they join us in our little office.
If your show had a theme song, what would it be and why?
“Glass, Concrete & Stone” by David Byrne. Great song. It speaks a lot about daily routine and work life while having a beautiful sense of hope and weird adventure just brewing under the surface.
Are there any particular themes or messages you hope the audience takes away from your performance?
Our audiences take very, very different things away from “Temping.” I always hope they feel a shift in their own life. That by seeing the poetry of the characters they encounter, they can feel seen too.
Why do you want to perform at Edinburgh Festival Fringe? What differentiates it from other festivals?
We love the Fringe! We have found it is the best place to find people interested in something that breaks the normal theatrical form. And not all festivals will take a chance on a piece like ours.
How does performing at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe compare to other festivals or venues you've experienced?
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe has the greatest variety of shows. Not just the highest number. I find it the most diverse place in the world for performance.
How has your experience at past Fringes influenced or changed your approach to this year's performance?
We are building on our previous two years of “Temping” at the fringe and our experiences with the fringe since 2016. We absolutely love it here, and every year brings its exciting challenges. One of the most important jobs in producing is solving problems you didn’t know you would have to solve. And the fringe has those in spades!
What is your favourite thing to do in Edinburgh when you're not performing? How do you relax and look after your mental health?
The Edinburgh Botanic Gardens is the place to centre yourself in the city.
What is one piece of advice you’d give to someone thinking about taking a show up to Edinburgh?
Plan ahead, spend more on advertising than you think you need to, and roll with the punches. But the most important thing is to focus on the quality of your work.
What is one thing you would change about the Edinburgh Festival Fringe?
Housing prices.
How has your background, upbringing, and education had an impact on your artistic career?
When I realised I wanted to produce new works, my colleagues, professors, and family were fully behind me. I don’t know that I have the same taste as they do—in fact, I know I don’t! And that was celebrated, somehow. My family life taught me to take risks, and my education taught me what excellence is. I’m very lucky to have been supported so wholeheartedly.
Can you describe your creative process and how you develop your ideas into a full-fledged performance?
Generally, when a new piece comes my way, I either like it or I don’t—that’s the first step. And I might like something that is in its very first stages of development. Then I take the time, sometimes years, to work on it with the theatre makers involved until it is ready for production. I’m a producer. So the ideas themselves I might have a hand in shaping, but they are generated by others. “Temping” was generated by the Narrative Technologists at Wolf 359. I was there to support them and take the piece to the next level of performance and production.
What is your favourite thing about performing for a live audience?
The relationship between the piece and every live audience member is singular. And watching that relationship develop in real-time, feeling the tension and trust, is magical.
What is the strangest thing that has ever happened to you while performing?
Once upon a time, when I was a performer, I had a pretty long ten-minute pre-show. I cut lots and lots of asparagus. That was it. And one day I cut off the end of my finger. Just the very tip. But it started to bleed, of course. A woman who was with her friend in the front row said, “I think she just cut herself.” and her friend, in a heavy New York accent, said, “Nah, I don't buy it.”
What's the most challenging or unconventional venue you've ever performed in, and how did it impact the overall experience?
Our shipping container is the least conventional venue I’ve ever had the pleasure of working in for sure. It's weird, and the hours are long, but the closeness with my colleagues and the intimacy with our audience member is extraordinary.
Who are some of your artistic influences, and how have they shaped your work?
The theatre designers of New York City are the greatest influencers of my work. Hands down. Hardest workers in the business. Sometimes too hard. They are relentless in their pursuit of excellence and innovation. They help me to see a piece, and sometimes theatre as a whole, anew with their creativity and sometimes very strange beautiful big brains.
Is there a piece of feedback you've received from an audience member or critic after a performance that’s stuck with you?
Once, years ago, at the Fringe, I performed a piece about domestic violence with the rest of my cast at 10:10 am for one man. Only this time, that wasn’t the goal. We had a house that could fit 80. We gave it to him—didn’t hold back. And he was great. Gave us a standing ovation. I’ll remember him forever.
Is there a show you’re excited to see when you’re up there?
Yup! I’m excited to see “Hold Onto Your Butts” by our fellow New Yorkers, Recent Cutbacks. It will be 100% a good time. I’m also looking forward to “Arcade,” the new Darkfield show, and “The Ceremony'' at Summerhall.
When and where can people see your show?
“Temping” runs from the 3rd to the 25th, and we are located just behind George Square beneath the Gordon Aikman Theatre in our own little shipping container!
And where can people find you online?
Temping is playing at Assembly George Square Studios – The Cubicle at Buccleuch Place, 3 - 25 Aug 2024, every 90 mins from 10.00 until 20.30 (50 mins – 70 mins)*.
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