European company Kulturscio’k, founded by Alessia Siniscalchi, bring their show Garden Party to Edinburgh Fringe this summer.
“A mysterious investigation of the great American writer, inspired by his scandalous life and the Black and White ball he hosted at the Plaza Hotel.
A provocative journey through success, sabotage, addiction and true crime, from Garden City to New York.
This adaptation, with original music, plunges the audience into a dangerous conflict where art and life are intertwined.
Social hypocrisy, class power, gossip and murder are the guests of honour at a garden party worthy of Truman Capote.”
Where: Annexe at The Space
When: 1-9 Aug
Ticket link: https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/garden-party-truman-capote-s-black-and-white-celebration
Alessia explains more about the show below.
Why Truman Capote? What’s his enduring appeal?
Truman Capote has always fascinated me — not only for his literary brilliance but also for the way he turned his life into a form of theatre.
His Black and White Ball was one of the first examples of celebrity culture as performance.
Today, when social identity and fame are so often constructed through image and illusion, Capote’s contradictions feel incredibly contemporary.
He was both insider and outsider — and that tension is what inspires Garden Party and all my work with French Italian collective Kulturscio’k.
Your show is an “intimate and immersive” look at “identity, performance and celebrity through a surreal lens”. What should audiences expect?
Audiences can expect to be part of a selected event. Garden Party blurs the lines between fiction and reality.
It’s not a traditional play; it’s a celebration with my team of actors, writers, sound designers, and musicians .
It’s about hypocrisy, glamour, masks, memory — and the haunting beauty of decay.
How did you get your start in theatre? Do you find Fringe festivals inspiring?
I started in experimental theatre in Paris and Naples and NYC then I got a scholarship at the new school and an MFA.
Then, working with artists who believed theatre was a space for political and poetic disruption such as Chrystal Field and more.
My work has always crossed disciplines — visual art, music, movement, and performance.
Fringe festivals are incredibly inspiring to me because they allow freedom, risk, and dialogue.
Edinburgh, in particular, is a space where anything can happen — and where the audience is often just as brave as the performers. and also, it obliges me to do a shortened format of the play and to create a specific work for the fringe.
What are you looking forward to the most at Edinburgh?
I’m looking forward to sharing this sensual and dark universe with people who are open to being surprised.
I’m also excited to meet other artists, exchange ideas, and bring the energy of Garden Party into the streets, the bars, the night. It’s not just about the stage — it’s about connection.
Where can we see your work after Fringe?
We’ll be producing a longer version of the play and all the music composed by the great musicians Marco Cappelli and Phil St. George and then bring Garden Party to France and Italy later this year.
We’re currently planning new versions for site-specific locations, including historical villas and abandoned spaces.
My company, KULTURSCIOK, is also working on a new show called TrilogyRemix and is happening under Vesuvio, among other projects. You can follow our journey at www.kultursciok.com.