Edinburgh Fringe Q&A: George Rennie

What was it about Yorick's one scene, as a skull in Hamlet, which made you feel his story needed to be told?

There’s something wonderfully paradoxical about Yorick’s skull being one of the most well-known symbols of Western theatre, while belonging to a character we know so little about. He’s the unseen performer, the lost laughter, the faded youth that Hamlet recalls so wistfully. I was already writing about childhood, grief and the imagination before I realised how Yorick captures these themes perfectly. Embracing him also gave me space to explore two of my favourite character motifs – clowns and ghosts – and provided a brilliantly blank canvas on which to channel the melancholy madness of Hamlet.

Is Hamlet one of your favourite plays or do you feel it'd be much improved if Yorick featured in more than his one cameo in the graveyard?

I absolutely love it! Clichéd as it might be, it just combines so much grandeur, atmosphere and emotion alongside Shakespeare’s brilliant wit and a metatheatricality that I don’t think can be matched elsewhere. It’s about so many different themes, from grief to performance to madness, power and relationships, blending genres and styles and swinging back and forth between poetry, drama and philosophy. While offering some of the meatiest parts in the canon, it’s also a play about acting – in all senses of the word – that holds a mirror up to life in the most expansive way. I don’t think it needs any more Yorick, firstly, because he is felt most profoundly in his absence, and secondly, because if he was still alive, I wouldn’t have had as much licence to write Hamstrung!

Yorick is described by Hamlet as a fellow of 'infinite jest' – is Hamstrung as much a comedy show as a theatre performance?

I’m interested in shows that explore the emotion behind the laughter, and one of the many lessons Shakespeare teaches us is how levity and humour can enliven drama and make its emotional heft all the more powerful. Hamstrung is very much a tragicomedy, exploring what happens when someone who’s used to the love of an adoring crowd has the rug whipped out from under their feet. Yorick is an oddball, a quirk, an entertainer. He’s desperate for attention and has all the tricks up his sleeve to keep the ball well and truly afloat. It’s only when he starts to realise where he is and what’s happening in the world of Hamlet (the play, which takes place off-stage) that things begin to unravel.

Have you been inspired by other re-imaginations of Shakespeare's work, such as Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead by Tom Stoppard, or the novel Fool by Christopher Moore?

I must admit, I’m not the hugest Tom Stoppard fan, and only read Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead after I’d started working on Hamstrung. It comes up frequently as a reference for people, and there are definite crossovers. However, the styles are incredibly different, and I’d say I take more inspiration from stand-up comedy, contemporary clowns and other one person shows – Simon Stephens’ Vanya, Gare St. Lazare’s solo Beckett adaptations, and the work of Tim Crouch to name a few. I haven’t read Chrisopher Moore’s Fool but have just started Peter K. Andersson’s biography of the same name and it is fascinating!

What are your thoughts on the Fringe in general and how do you feel about being a part of it this year?

I’ve been a visitor/reviewer at the Fringe for many years and it’s always a highlight of my year. The anarchy, risk-taking and unbridled creativity breeds such an incredible variety of live performance, and rarely are theatre audiences more open to the novel and strange. Like Yorick, I want to be liked, and have worked so hard to ensure that audiences enjoy my edgy take on Shakespeare. It’s obviously a hugely competitive environment and to make and market a show requires a lot of effort, but so far I’ve loved the process. It’s terrifying but also so exciting to be going on this adventure, and I am thrilled to be contributing my little story to the Festival’s tapestry of creative chaos.

How can Edinburgh audiences keep up with you beyond the festival?

I’ll be zipping off to the Isle of Arran at the end of August, so if people really want to stay hot on my heels, that’s where I’ll be. Otherwise, I’m on social media at @GeorgeMRennie, posting occasionally about projects, sometimes sharing skits and music, and generally trying to stay cute and authentic. I’m currently writing another play about – you guessed it – ghosts and grief, as well as a TV sitcom (not spooky) and a fantasy novel, so if you liked this show then stay tuned for more!