Interview: Gabriella Foley, ‘Flicker’

Ahead of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2024, we’re chatting with a range of creatives who will be heading to the city over August to find out more about their shows. Today we’re chatting with Gabriella Foley about Flicker.

Can you tell us a bit about you and your career so far..

I’m an actor/writer who graduated from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama last year, so, I’m very much at the start of things. Flicker was longlisted for the Victoria Wood Playwriting prize for comedy (2024) and has received praise from playwrights Penelope Skinner (Eigengrau, Lyonesse) and Bryony Lavery (Frozen, The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage). I’m currently also immersed in my first short film project, Brown Bread as well as filming for ITV’s A Cruel Love: The Ruth Ellis Story.

What is your show about?
Flicker is a queer sex farce about OCD (which is what everyone wants their sex farces about really). It follows Jo, who after a shit show of a shag must hide a stain, a naked man and her terrifying intrusive thoughts from her housemate Anna, before she loses everything she loves!

What was the inspiration for Flicker and what’s the development process been to get to this stage?
I wanted to create a play which explored Pure OCD, a type of OCD characterised by obsessive intrusive thoughts and a condition we don’t see much representation of in the media. I love comedy, so I thought why not combine the too? Because although, thinking about your dad's cock at a funeral is harrowing, it's objectively quite hilarious too. I created the play in my final year of drama school and have since developed the script with the help of OCD UK and a wonderful team of female creatives.

Apart from seeing Flicker, what’s your top tip for anybody heading for Edinburgh this summer?
This is actually going to be my first time properly at the festival; however, I’ve been a part of the Soho Edinburgh Labs this year and so I would recommend people seeing some of their brilliant shows! Long Distance / Lessons in revolution/ CrimeLandTown / My Brain is Soup, Your Hands are the Spoons/ Dear Annie, I Hate You / Yes, We're Related / BANGTAIL/  SQUIDGE/  Must I Paint You a Picture? / A STAN IS BORN! / Battle Counters! / Nerine Skinner: The Exorcism of Liz Truss / I am Claire Parry (very funny stand-up) / Boorish Trumpson / KAREN / Four More Short Plays Loosely Linked by the Theme of Crime/ Dr Dolittle Kills A Man (And Reads Extracts From His New Book) / Hot Rubber / Is There Work on Mars? / Hagar: War Mother / Femme Fatigue / PROJECTION / PALS

Why should people book Flicker?

There are shit stains, cross dressing and slapstick – what more do you want? You’ll be laughing all the way to the punchline, then learn a lot. Then laugh all over again.

When and where can people see Flicker?
People can see Flicker at the Pleasance ACE DOME at 12.10pm everyday!