Tiggy Bayley brings her new show, Squidge, to the Edinburgh Fringe this summer.
“Daisy, a reluctant teaching assistant, is assigned a young Irish traveller to help with his reading. Amid phone calls with her grieving mother, a sexy plumber, and whale noises, she finds hope in an unlikely friendship.”
Where: Pleasance Courtyard
When: 31 Jul, 1-11, 13-26 Aug
Ticket link: https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/squidge
Tiggy tells us all about Squidge below.
What are you looking forward to the most at Fringe?
I’m looking forward to getting to perform my show. I really believe in the message of Squidge, so it’s a pleasure to dive into it every day.
I’m also looking forward to seeing lots of shows and making the most of my Pleasance pass.
I did this year’s Edinburgh Lab at Soho Theatre, so I’ve got a group of fellow clowns to hang out with.
Last week, I was laughing so hard they asked if I was okay, it’s been a while since I was surrounded by creatives every day, and my God, have I missed it.
Tell me about Squidge. It’s billed as ‘dark comedy’ about ‘those left behind by our education system’. So what’s it all about?
It’s about a grumpy teaching assistant struggling to find her place in the world in the aftermath of her brother’s death.
Squidge was born out of quite a dark period in my life when the only thing getting me through the day was the fact that I had to teach. Showing up for the kids is what got me through that difficult time.
I think children are like little angels. But also they are outrageous. Demonic angels. Is that possible?
That’s what provides a lot of the humour in the play, the fact that Daisy is basically a child herself. She rips the piss out of school life as well as using it as a crutch to help her through her grief.
I’ve drawn on a lot of real teaching experiences myself and my colleageues have had so it is at points very raw and honest.
There’s also a sexy B plot running through it with a plumber. I’ve decided that as a playwright I’m like Alan Bennett but female and sexy. Raw and female and sexy… ?
What do you enjoy most about solo performance?
That is a good question. I do think it’s a bit mad to do a solo show, cause there’s no one up there to bounce off or help you out if you fuck up.
I think the reason anyone does a solo show is because they’ve got something to prove. I’m trying to prove that I can let go of what other people think of me…
I’ve spent my whole life as a people pleaser. But people pleasing with a solo performance is impossible. There are going to be people who don’t like it. And that’s okay. Kind of.
This is the hardest thing I’ve ever done. Opening myself up to criticism is terrifying. So that’s not so much what I enjoy about it but it’s why I’m doing it.
Although I miss working with other actors, I have really enjoyed working with Selwin Hulme-Teague my director and diving into performance with him. We love a bit of improv.
So, in answer to your question, what I enjoy most is getting up there and doing my thing – for myself – and a bit for Selwin. And of course, for my incredible producer, Linda-Ray Ndlovu.
You also work heavily in film as a creator and performer. Do you have a preference for stage or screen?
There are not so different. What I love about both mediums is the collaboration. I love working with other creatives and you get to do that in both theatre and film.
Performance wise, they’re also similar, you prepare and then you do your thing. Except with film you shoot it and then it’s done. Whereas with Squidge, I get to keep exploring it.
Someone very wise said to me, “every performance is a rehearsal” and I love that, it’s takes the pressure off.
What’s next after this run?
I think Squidge would make a great TV show. Personally.
We’re also planning to do a national tour with it. It’s such a relatable play that we think it would work well all around the country.
I will also sleep probably a lot in September. I’m auditioning for stuff too so let’s hope I get something for the new year. And I have a couple of tv and film projects on the go…
I love writing and I’m hoping to carve out some time to hide away in Autumn with the golden leaves and get some stuff done.
Which makes me think of one of my fave Michaela Coel quotes, “do not be afraid to disappear, from it, from us, for a while. And see what comes to you in the silence.”