American creator and performer Katy Murphy is bringing her show, (No) Refunds, to Edinburgh Fringe this summer. She chats about her alter ego Tiffany Gold and her interactive production.
“(No) Refunds is an interactive game show play hosted by Tiffany Gold, an old-school American host and model presenter all-in-one who quite literally depends on your entertainment.
One premium ticket holder, dubbed the Star Player for the evening, will compete in three games designed to amuse the audience and showcase their talents.
Only those best-suited to handle the demands of stardom will walk away with a full refund. Do you have what it takes?”
Where: The Penny at Gilded Balloon Patter House
When: 5-31 Aug
Ticket link: https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/no-refunds
What can you tell us about your show?
(No) Refunds is an interactive gameshow play hosted by the dazzling, delightful, and only occasionally dastardly Tiffany Gold, an old-school American gameshow host and model presenter all-in-one who quite literally depends on your entertainment.
Each show, one premium ticket holder (dubbed the “Star Player” for the evening) competes in three of nine possible games designed to amuse the audience and showcase their talents.
Only those best-suited to handle the demands of STARDOM will walk away with a full refund. No two shows are ever the same!
What is it about and where did the idea come from?
This all began as an idea back in quarantine, March 2020, when I lost three jobs in one day and was terrified by my sudden and complete financial dependency on friends, family, and the state as an out-of-work artist.
I was angry and in shock at how what I thought was a carefully crafted system to sustain myself independently as an artist had crumbled in less than 48 hours.
(No) Refunds interrogates what it means to create art under capitalism, the direct responsibility of audiences to compensate artists, and what a day’s work as an entertainer really feels like for our Star Players. To quote its host, Tiffany Gold, “Could YOU do this every day?”
How would you sell it to audiences in one paragraph?
Well, I always ask first: Do you think you have what it takes to be a star?
IF YES: Buy a Star Player ticket, and you’ll be refunded if you can prove it! What do you have to lose?
IF NO: Oh gosh, I thought you might based on your VIBE, but no worries if you HATE being interacted with by actors! Our General Admissions audience is wayyyy lower stakes, you’ll laugh, you’ll go “huh.” you might even walk out with a new piece of art or romantic partner.
Every show is different, so I can’t promise what you’ll experience, but I can promise you’ll have a SPECTACULAR time. Or your money back – oh wait, that’s just for stars… Are you SURE you don’t have what it takes?
Do you enjoy participating in the Fringe?
I always describe our first year at Fringe as if we had made a goal to swim in the ocean without having ever seen an ocean before. WE DID IT. We swam in the ocean! We didn’t drown.
However, we had NEVER SEEN an ocean before! We didn’t know how helpful a liferaft, water and food preserves, and sunscreen could be and we didn’t pack ‘em! We may not have drowned, but my goodness, we barely stayed afloat.
I am SO proud of what our team did to stay afloat last summer, but boy oh boy, I am even more excited about reentering the ocean with a little more experience this time.
And do you have any moments you particularly remember?
Honestly, last year I got to meet a person at the Fringe who had participated in shows I’d done remotely over the phone. She was one of our first Scottish stars and came into the show blind because she’d trusted me from previous work.
There is something so powerful about sharing an in-person experience with someone, even when you think you already know a lot about them. It’s why I love how immersive our show is for the Star Player, although it’s always a bit wild to meet someone IRL for the first time while in the Tiffany getup…
What are you looking forward to the most in Edinburgh?
Reuniting with Aaron Cawood, our UK-based Stage Manager who is one of the few in the business who can manage the UNMANAGEABLE diva that is Tiffany Gold.
What’s next for the show?
World domination? We’re definitely in the market for an EU work visa at least. The US is getting… weird…