STAAT Productions are bringing their new show, Moth and Dog Are Dying to Get Out, to the Edinburgh Fringe this summer. I asked writer/director Aidan Monks to tell us more.
“‘Do you feel that? That tingle. Just before we touch.’ Moth and Dog are stuck inside. Inside is the place they have always / only known each other. Inside is the place they have grown. The place they have laughed, cried and hidden themselves. Until now. An inventive two-hander that blends searing dialogue, physical theatre, techno soundscapes and fragmented, time-jumping storytelling to explore queer desire, masculinity, and navigating both intimacy and early adulthood during times of crisis.”
Where: 10 Dome at Pleasance Dome
When: 5-31 Aug
Ticket link: https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/moth-and-dog-are-dying-to-get-out
What can you tell us about your show? What is it about and where did the idea come from?
Moth and Dog Are Dying to Get Out originated in discussions and workshops between myself and two actors last September when we were rehearsing Nick Payne’s Constellations, a play which has definitely had an influence on our show. We spoke generally about things like the pandemic, party cultures, the Manosphere, among other themes which have gradually, over several drafts, become less relevant to the show.
Some of these were shown as script-in-hand readings in January at the Etcetera Theatre, Camden, and then a WIP performance was selected for the National Student Drama Festival 2026: the theme was “Next Now”. And our next stop is the Pleasance Dome for a whole month this August! So, our show is several months and drafts in the making.
Lots of our initial discussions were about subject matter: this play interrogates the impact of the COVID-19 lockdowns on a generation, and its effects on rising extremism and the way extreme language (defended and sanctified by volatile online communities) becomes extreme action; as well as the homoerotic undercurrent of these online ‘Manosphere’ spaces.
But we’ve been interested in what we can do with form and style since the initial workshops, and how these subjects can be made theatrical in unique ways — as well as finding the fine line between being honest about these difficult things and crafting an enthralling hour at the theatre. We won’t give anything away, but we’re playing with different types of theatre-making within the same narrative space to really delve into this emotional territory, which we’re very excited for audiences to see.
How would you sell it to audiences in one paragraph?
Moth and Dog Are Dying to Get Out is a queer two-hander which uses time-jumping storytelling, soundscapes, and a searing double act to interrogate loneliness, internalized hatred, and the ways extreme discourse becomes extreme action. With the COVID lockdowns and a rising Manosphere as a backdrop, this show tiptoes between tragedy and satire to expose and enthral. Come see.
Do you enjoy participating in the Fringe? And do you have any moments you particularly remember?
There’s nothing like it. Our team have done about ten Fringes between us, I think, and we can’t wait to go back! This will be the first time we’ll be doing the entire month of the festival though, so we’re mentally preparing for that.
One of the best memories I have of the Fringe — I can’t speak for the rest of the team — was flyering outside the Bedlam Theatre for my previous show, which we were marketing as a “tragic farce”. I said this to one woman, who turned and said, “That sounds like my life”, before taking a flyer and walking off.
This made us laugh and took place after a more unsuccessful flyering session, which was a welcome change of pace.
What are you looking forward to the most in Edinburgh?
Being around other artists, seeing other shows, getting our show out there. The works!
What’s next for the show?
We would like to tour it. Refine it and show it elsewhere, definitely London and ideally some regional venues too, depending on how the festival run goes. But the aim is for the show’s life to continue after 31 Aug.