ED FRINGE 2023 INTERVIEW | The Brief Life & Mysterious Death of Boris III, King of Bulgaria
In preparation for the 2023 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Emmie chats with writer Claire Gilbert about their show The Brief Life & Mysterious Death of Boris III, King of Bulgaria. As an ensemble of Bulgarian, Jewish, Queer, and Working Class artists; they are bringing the story of how Bulgaria stood up to Hitler during WWII and prevented the deaths of almost 50,000 Jewish people. Intrigued? Read our interview to find out more..
1. Let's begin by pitching your show at the Ed Fringe, tell us about it?
You think you know WWII? Well you don’t know this bit! Our show is about how Bulgaria told Hitler to f*ck off, saved nearly 50,000 Jewish Bulgarians and lost its King in the process. Oh and it’s set to live music including Bulgarian and Jewish folk songs.
2. Where did you draw your influences from for this piece?
Any good tragedy starts off as a comedy, so our humour is drawn from that last scene of Black Adder, the patter of PG Wodehouse’s Jeeves and Wooster stories. For the Eastern Europeanness of the show, the magical realism and absurdity of ‘Master and Margarita’ by Bulgakov was a huge influence. As was Armando Ianucci’s Death of Stalin
3. What are the challenges of bringing a piece to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe?
This is our first Edinburgh Fringe as a company. We have wanted to bring work before but financially we just couldn’t justify it… so here we are with our biggest show to date! Go big or go home, right? Or both. This story about Bulgaria & Boris III is definitely the story to be sharing with the Fringe audience - so one challenge is getting you reading this in the door!
A huge challenge for us was - how do we tell as much of this story as possible in only 70 minutes?? In this version, we have had to cut out a few very important historical figures (sorry to Dimitar Peshev) - we are offering an online programme with more information on the historical events etc, and our next challenge will be writing a 90-minute version!
4. What can audiences expect from your show?
Belly laughs, gut punches, an array of music, some untold history and even a wee dance number. A number of Bulgarian place names and a greater number of hats!
5. What are you most looking forward to during your time in Edinburgh for the festival?
Other shows that are quirky, fun and musical, anything that involves a deep dive into niche-nerd history or the untold human experience. Theatre-aside, we’re very excited to try the delicious restaurants, walk Arthur’s Seat, and get a glimpse at the book at the Surgeon’s College bound in Burke (or was it Hare)’s skin.
6. What are the main things within your piece?
This is a story of hope. Boris III may have his name in the title, but Kings tend to don’t they? What we actually want to draw your attention to are some of the ‘extraordinary ordinary’ people who in 1943 Bulgaria, did what they had to, what they could, even when those in power are telling them to do otherwise. This is also a nuanced piece of political history that recalls the Jewish experience in Bulgaria at the time, and we do not shy away from the complexities of this. Nothing is black and white, and we are putting a spotlight on those grey areas…
7. Where can people come and see ‘The Brief Life & Mysterious Death of Boris III, King of Bulgaria’?
You can come see ‘The Brief Life & Mysterious Death of Boris III, King of Bulgaria’ at Queen Dome Pleasance Theatre (Bristo Square) 5:20pm. It’s a 70-minute show! (pleasance.co.uk/event/brief-life-mysterious-death-boris-iii-king-bulgaria)
