Every show begins with an initial spark. What was the original idea, moment or experience that made you create this piece?
Not to bring up the dreaded ‘pandemic’ but during that period I spent a lot of time in Cornwall and immersed my ears with the sounds of traditional sea shanties. I thought it would be interesting to take a popular song like Dolly Parton’s 9to5 and see if you could transform into a sea shanty. The idea evolved very quickly and Shantify was born.
What can audiences expect when they step into this world?
Show Tunes, Rock Classics and Pop Bangers… Shantified. The show is a lot of fun and the cast are incredible. They are all West End performers with great voices and the musical arrangements are thrilling. We don’t take ourselves too seriously in the show, it’s a very funny piece of theatre and we want the audience to have the opportunity to escape to a world for 60 minutes that when they leave they feel a little lighter, extremely positive and bright.
The Edinburgh Fringe is a place where artists and audiences come together from across the world. Why is this the right place for this show?
The show was a completely new concept when we first brought it to Edinburgh in 2024. We weren’t entirely sure how it would be received but we did know that the show has something for everyone and that anyone could come and see it. Fortunately, it was a great success and now we are back for our 3rd year and we are so excited to be here. The Fringe has such an incredible vibe and the audiences are always so generous that it’s a lovely place to debut a new concept and if it does do well then they audiences are extremely loyal and always come back which is always an honour.
What is something about the show that the audience might not immediately notice, but you hope they discover?
Well, this year we have a completely new stage set up. We are breaking our traditional space for something a little more intimate and exciting that brings the cast right out into the audience and allows everyone to feel like they are part of the action. It’s going to be really fun and it will be interesting to see what the audience make of it.
What has surprised you most about creating this piece?
The audiences just love the show. We have people constantly coming back to see it multiple times which is so lovely to see. The cast are amazing and it is such a treat to see how much they enjoy it too. Their energy is infectious and I think that is why the audience can’t help but fall in love with it.
When your audience walks home, what would you love them to still be talking about? .
That Shantify is a must see show that all their family and friends should absolutely go and buy a ticket.
Shantify
Palais du Variété at Assembly George Square Gardens
15.05
5 – 30 Aug