Siblings Maddie and Marcus Rice, with Charlotte Pleasants and Underbelly, bring their show Goodbye Dandelion to the Edinburgh Fringe this year. I asked Maddie to tell us more about it.
“This is a story of an unlikely friendship with a 50-year age gap. Oh, and death! Told by real-life siblings (Maddie on the mic, Marcus on the keys) it follows 87-year-old Darcy’s last years on earth through the eyes of a new friend. Blending storytelling and live piano, this bold and witty new show tries to make sense of the un-make-sense-able and asks what’s stopping us from really living. From the team behind Fringe hit Pickle Jar.”
Where: Belly Dancer at Underbelly, Cowgate
When: 5-30 Aug
Ticket link: https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/goodbye-dandelion
What can you tell us about your show?Â
Goodbye Dandelion is a storytelling show with live piano music, about an 87-year-old woman called Darcy, told through the eyes of a new friend. It’s performed by me and my brother, Marcus, who plays the piano, and it’s a funny, moving and uplifting exploration of friendship, death and what it means to really live.Â
What is it about and where did the idea come from?
It’s about a friendship with a 50-year age gap, and what they learn from each other. The idea came from a character, based on some older people I’m lucky to know, called Darcy. She was actually cut from another piece of writing, but the idea was as persistent in my mind as the character herself is, so I decided to give her a story of her own.Â
How would you sell it to audiences in one paragraph?
Come and hear a story about a vivacious old lady, told by siblings, with live piano music that’ll make you laugh, cry and want to raise a glass of Sauvignon Blanc. (Darcy’s tipple of choice)
Do you enjoy participating in the Fringe?Â
I love the Fringe. The first time I went was to watch my brother Marcus in The Ukulele Project, and it was addictive! I participated 7 years in a row in my 20s, and this is my first year back. I find it so inspiring, energising and fun – and always need a holiday of some kind to recover!Â
And do you have any moments you particularly remember?
The first time I ever went, I did a sketch show with Lead Pencil in a tiny pub called the Fiddler’s Elbow on Free Fringe. A very drunk man in the audience of 30 seats started booing in the first 20 seconds, and the rest of the audience made them leave and then were cheering us on like mad the whole show. It was amazing. Jack Rooke and Amrou Al-Kadhi were also at that venue doing a poetry show, so we were in good company all round! Â Â
What are you looking forward to the most in Edinburgh?
Getting to do a show with Marcus. And seeing as much new stuff as I can! It’s so incredible to have access to that much original work!
What’s next for the show?Â
The dream is to get to tour it around the UK, take it to London and, if any American producers are listening, Darcy wants to go to the Big Apple!