Joan Greening‘s play A Montage of Monet heads to Edinburgh Fringe for a second year (following a brief appearance in Wimbledon).
Monet’s paintings are world-famous. We all know his water lilies, but how much do we know of the man?
Where: Clover Studio at Greenside @ Riddles Court
When: 18-23 Aug
Ticket link: https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/a-montage-of-monet
Joan tells us more about Monet and this show (which is performed and produced by Stephen Smith for Threedumb Theatre).
Why did Monet inspire you to write this monologue?
I have had a career as a writer, but I have also lectured in art history. I have always been fascinated by Monet.
He was a deeply complex man with many unpleasant traits, and yet he produced some of the most iconic art the world has ever seen. He and his fellow Impressionists made Paris the centre of the Art World, and nearly every inspiring artist headed to Paris.
Monet became world famous in his lifetime and hugely wealthy, which was an achievement when so many other artists could not find their way.
Monet was helped enormously by the art dealer Paul Durand-Rual, who put the Impressionists on the map. He bought over a thousand of Monet’s paintings over the years, and the rich and famous Monet then turned his back on him and sold to anyone who would give him the highest price.
He loved his wife, Camille, so much that he upset his family and lost his allowance to be with her. When she was dying, all he could think about was painting her because she was changing colour.
He sponged off his friends and yet seemed genuinely sad when they died. His second wife was his mistress for years and seemed to hold the upper hand in the relationship. She wouldn’t allow him to have models, so he went outside and painted water lilies instead!
He could have spent his life in Le Havre being a cartoonist, which was very lucrative, but he was bribed into being properly trained in art and then revolutionised the art world.
Art has never been the same, and the Impressionists are still huge favourites with so many people. I truly felt he was worth writing about.
It’s a very intimate play returning for a second year. Have you made any significant changes for 2025?
The script has certainly been tweaked. It was interesting to attend every performance in 2024, and suddenly, I could hear the lines that grated or were misplaced. I did the necessary alterations.
The script has now been published by Lazy Bee Scripts, so it’s set in stone now! The director will be looking at making changes to the set and the projections.
How did you make your start in the business? Do Fringe festivals inspire you?
I started by going to evening drama classes in my teens and worked and achieved my LAMDA Gold Medal. I had the most marvellous teacher who was inspirational and encouraged us to read every famous play ever written.
She taught stagecraft very effectively, and all my knowledge of the theatre comes from her. She’s still interested in everything I do and is always sending me encouragement and kind words.
I soon realised that acting wasn’t going to be my future and turned to writing. In the eighties, I had a career in writing sitcoms for TV but decided that the theatre was far more satisfying. I’ve never looked back, although every so often, someone asks me to write for TV, and I always turn it down.
I have a love/ hate relationship with the Edinburgh Fringe. Every single year I come back and say ‘I’m never going to do that again’ It’s too expensive and too crowded. I’m never going back.’ My family an friends chorus back ‘You said that last year!’ And I always seem to go back. It will be my thirty-second year this year! (Not also with a play sometimes as a punter).
Does it inspire me? Yes, I think it does. It pushes me to write in a certain way. Most venues give you five minutes to set up and five minutes to get out. The play needs to be 50 minutes, so you can have five minutes each side in an hour slot.
This means very little in the way of settings and props. The fewer the characters, the better as actors equal expense! One man shows are ideal. It really focuses your mind when you set out to achieve a Fringe Show.
We did perform Montage of Monet at Watford Fringe last year, which was a much more relaxed atmosphere. I am also inspired by some of the new work I see up there as I try to take in as many shows as possible. I often meet people who I end up working with and find friends for life.
What are you looking forward to the most in Edinburgh?
Meeting so many friends that I don’t see all year. I have a friend who always comes over from Glasgow and another who comes up from Durham. We spend happy days together watching shows and enjoying the Fringe atmosphere.
I think most of all, I simply love being in Edinburgh. I am half Scots and feel great affinity to the country, and Edinburgh is such a beautiful, vibrant town.
And where can we see your work next?
I understand from the producer, Threedumb Theatre that A Montage of Monet will be going to Lichfield next.
We’ve also had great interest from another producer to make it into an immersive show. A shipping line is also interested in having it as onboard entertainment.
I have recently finished a new script entitled Manet’s Muse which is a one woman show and may well appear at Edinburgh next year.
Currently I’m working with Blue Fire Theatre Company on a play for 2027, which hopefully will tour and go to several Fringes. It’s an exciting project which I can’t say too much about but I’m looking forward to seeing on stage.
Meanwhile, because I have such amazingly good publishers, my work is performed worldwide, and I’ve had productions in Canada, USA, Australia – in fact, almost everywhere there are English speaking people!