Musical theatre writer and performer Stephen Cole is bringing his solo show, Camelton, to the Edinburgh Fringe this summer.
“20 years ago, award-winning musical theatre writer Stephen Cole met his first camel… and he hasn’t been the same since. Stephen tells his hilarious story of writing a musical for the Emir of Qatar. Picture this! Two Brooklyn Jews, some Middle Eastern producers, a Qatari movie star, flying carpets, Croatian acrobats, Russian ballet dancers, an Italian director, the desert, camels (a lot of camels!) and, of course, music.. You will laugh, and you will cry (from laughing) in this outrageous, unbelievable-but-true tale of how Stephen and his collaborator wrote the first American musical to premiere in the Middle East.”
Where: Wine Bar at Gilded Balloon Teviot
When: 5-31 Aug
Ticket link: https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/camelton
What can you tell us about your show? What is it about and where did the idea come from?
Camelton is a hilarious rollercoaster ride about a New York Jewish writer who was commissioned by the Emir of Qatar to write the first American musical to premiere in the Middle East. That New York Jew is me, Stephen Cole!
I lived through an incredible nine-month adventure that took me from NYC to Dubai, Qatar, Bratislava, London, and back again…alive! The show in Doha was an event with camels, actors, acrobats, fire eaters and flying carpets, but the show about creating the show is a one-man mini-musical written and performed by Stephen Cole.
I play myself and every other character that I encountered on the journey using video, songs, projections and even a newly designed puppet with whom I sing a duet! The idea of doing it as a one-man show stemmed from the success of my musical The Road to Qatar! (nominated for Best Musical in the Edinburgh Festival and performed around the world) and writing a book about the complete experience (also called Camelton… and by the way, the title alone gets a big laugh!) and wanting to tell the story myself.
How would you sell it to audiences in one paragraph?
Twenty years ago, Stephen Cole met his first camel…and he hasn’t been the same since! Stephen tells his own hilarious tale of writing a musical for the Emir of Qatar and 1000 of his best friends to celebrate the opening of a sports arena in Doha. Picture it: Two Brooklyn Jews, an Egyptian producer, a handsome Qatari movie star, Croatian Acrobats, Bratislava Opera Singers, an Italian director, the desert, the gulf, camels (lots of camels…and camel poop!), and of course musical comedy itself. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry (from laughing) at this outrageous once-in-a-lifetime, unbelievable, but totally true story of Stephen and his collaborator creating a musical, and the story of creating it became another musical. You can’t make this stuff up!
Do you enjoy participating in the Fringe?
I love participating in the Fringe. My musical The Road to Qatar! was a big hit when it played, garnering several nominations including Best Musical. The fabulous circus-like atmosphere where at any given time of day you can see a brilliant performance. What could be bad? And where else could a big ham come and eat haggis in a kilt?
And do you have any moments you particularly remember?
When we did Road to Qatar! I especially loved meeting audiences before and after the show, internationally diverse theatre lovers. It was thrilling to be part of it all.
What are you looking forward to the most in Edinburgh?
I am looking forward to being back in this gorgeous city at the height of the Festival excitement. I look forward to doing a show every day for a month. To keep myself healthy and in shape and entertain audiences, making them laugh and think and just giving them an hour of a story they can never get anywhere else. I want to see as many of other people’s shows as possible, and I also want to climb Arthur’s Seat again.
What’s next for the show?
Camelton is a compact, easy-to-travel production. I am hoping to do a more extended run in NYC (my hometown) and London (my adopted home). Because there is a companion book also called Camelton, and there is interest, I am looking forward to a film and/or extended TV version of my story.