Ashbourne drama students to perform ‘Viable’ at Edinburgh Fringe

If you're looking forward to seeing our former students in 'Case Number' at Edinburgh Fringe this summer, you should also keep your eyes peeled for this...
Dare to laugh at abortion?
A controversial dark comedy about abortion for our postmodern time...
‘Viable’, a newly devised postmodern theatre production, challenges and questions the representation of abortion, one of societies most delicate subject matters. Inspired by the ways in which mass media distorts and trivialises such topics, the play considers arguments from both Pro-Life and Pro-Choice discourses. Which discourse the audience choose to adopt is their choice, however ignorance is not an option.

Press Release
‘Viable’ is a play-within-a-play: a group of actors attempt to resolve the issue of abortion yet each are trapped in their own subjectivity: the ingénue, the control freak, the ‘nice guy’, the diva actórs and the intellectual. As a result, these actors soon face the inevitable question: how can they create a viable piece of drama when their own personas blur and conflict with the central premise for their play?:
“The information and discourse surrounding abortion is often aggressive and overwhelming, which can lead to the trivialisation and the ignoring of the individual involved.”

The Production
‘Viable’ is an original new-writing play brought to life by a diverse cast of six, all of whom wrote and directed the play. ‘Viable’ had its world premiere at the New Diorama Theatre in the heart of London and performed to a sell-out audience. The play is coming to Edinburgh in hope of raising awareness of the issues surrounding a topic that is often considered taboo despite being so present in everyday life. This presence is heightened by the reality that:
“1 in 3 women will have an abortion in their lifetime.”
By giving voice to a subject that is so contentious, society has a chance to rectify its ignorance of it.

The Company
 
‘Viable’ is performed by students of the prestigious Ashbourne Independent Sixth Form College in London, all of whom earned drama scholarships to attend. Cast members have also appeared in numerous West End productions playing principal roles such as the Artful Dodger in ‘Oliver!’ and Young Nala in ‘The Lion King’. The cast include: George Atkinson, Natalie Garcia, Robert Madge, Sofia Sabben, Ksenia Sofronova and Payge Cassidy Temple.

Listings Information and Tickets
 
Production: Viable
Company: Dare to Laugh Productions
Venue: theSpace on the Mile, Venue 39, 80 High Street, EH1 1TH
Dates: Fri 1 August, Sat 2 August, Sun 3 August
Time: 15:25 (45 minutes)
Suitability: 14+
Warnings: Mild language, controversial topics
Tickets: Full Price-£4.00 / Child-£2.50 / Family-£3.50 / Student - £2.50
Venue box office: 0131 510 2382 / email:[email protected]
Fringe box office: 0131 226 0000 / www.edfringe.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/viableuk
Twitter: www.twitter.com/ViableUK