Suitcase Royale are taking Edinburgh in their stride. It’s the first time any of the three boys from Australia have been to Europe, and they are enjoying some of Scotland’s finest Indian food. We’re backstage after an afternoon show of The Chronicles of a Sleepless Moon, at the Bosco Theatre, part of the Spiegel Garden. They’ve just had an interview with The Scotsman – something that all acts aspire to – and the boys are struggling to turn the VIP tent’s heating down while they sip red wine. So far, so good.
Described as junkyard theatre, the trio say they were influenced by a production called Phobia by Chambermaid Opera. The set for their one hour show is an eclectic collection of faded found objects, cobbled together with cardboard and yellow lighting to make puppets and silhouettes. It has a dusty, dirty feel. But add live music, the charisma of the actors, and atmosphere of the 1909 Bosco circus tent, and it’s a magical world you don’t want to leave.
The art deco wardrobe that forms the central part of the show, was found outside their rehearsal space in Australia the first day they turned up, fulfilling a prophesy Miles had dreamt the night before, but “it took six weeks and cost more than our airfares to get it here”, he says. Their whole set fits in the wardrobe, which they have reinforced with the DIY approach they take to their props. The wardrobe is the central piece: doubling as the underground vessel that takes them beneath the earth in the fantastical adventure of the Butcher (Miles), the Doctor (Glen) and the Newsman (Jock). A murder mystery in part, it’s an alternate universe, where anything can happen.
The show has received great reviews, so it seems the expense in getting it here was worth it. A crazy blend of homemade sets, music, drama, comedy and overacting that captivates the crowd and leaves them cheering when they’re not bemused or laughing. It is definitely Arts Hub’s hot pick for the festival.
“We’re surprised at what we’re allowed to get away with,” says Miles. “Puppets, people, stuffing up – it’s got a really live, anything-can-happen feel and people seem to like it”. When Arts Hub saw the show a lost moustache, forgotten lines, and prop accidents did nothing to distract from the show – in fact, the boys worked it in as if it were intentional.
The actors control the lighting and sound from the stage. As Miles says, “why is the lighting and sound always behind the audience, when it’s such an important part of a production?” Their DIY aesthetic extends to dimmer switches, and as Jock says, their approach is driven by “problem solving”.
The three met studying drama at university, but rather than acting together they formed a band and only hit the stage to fill in space on a set some friends had. The show they rehearsed over two and half months made it to Melbourne Fringe Festival, where they were a complete success, receiving rave reviews. They then applied for a grant to travel to the much hyped fringe scene in Canada, and, along the way booked meetings with producers and venues in the US, driving over 180 hours from Canada to Mexico. While they make it sound so easy, clearly their talent has inspired help from mentors like Kirsty Edmunds, who runs Melbourne’s International Festival.
They had already played Melbourne, Adelaide and Montreal before their producer, who works with the Spiegel Tent and Bosco Theatre, encouraged them to bring this show, The Chronicles of a Sleepless Moon, to Edinburgh. The Bosco agreed to host them, so after a grant from Victorian Arts for airfares, and some months spent saving money working in call centres, they arrived in Edinburgh. They also had enough budget for a publicist – a very wise move, given the trio’s youth.
Their first week was spent sharing the attic room of a Scottish family who were an acquaintance of one of their brother’s: “every meal was meat – we had Haggis, it’s like meatloaf – Glen was a vegetarian, but he didn’t want to be rude so he ate it”. Now they are sharing an Edinburgh house with Tripod, another, more established, Australian trio. “There are four rooms in the house, who do think gets a room each and who do you think has to share?” Glen asks.
So, other than the cramped accommodation and changed dietary habits, how have they found Edinburgh? “No complaints when the sun comes out – you wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.” But then they remember the shocking exchange rate. “We’d be happy to break even,” says Glen, “but this is an investment in our future – we’re opening up possibilities in the UK and Europe”.
The best bit has been playing so many gigs together – as well as their show in the Bosco, they are doing music sets at the Book Festival, and playing the late night Speakeasy at the Spiegel. But honouring all of these commitments means very little sleep.
Where to from here? Today they are filling out a grant application. Then it’s home to Australia in a month. In November they will be in the states for the Pittsburgh Arts Festival.
Each year they go back to their musical roots, playing a set at the famous Falls Festival in Victoria. Like excited children they are pleased at the possibility that they might “get choppered“ [helicoptered] from Victoria down to Tasmania to do two gigs in a row for New Year’s Eve. “We get drunk, and it’s taught us how to get away with things when things go wrong”, they laugh. It is an unorthodox approach, but one that seems to have worked.
But despite the casual air, it’s more serious underneath. Jock says “we’re becoming sharper”. And all three agree that the show is the best it has ever been right now.
“We’re just starting to poke our heads up – it’s very delicate,” Miles says. But the future looks very bright indeed.
