Interview: Maatin, ‘Duck’

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 Maatin about her piece, Duck.

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

Almost six years ago, at the ripe age of 28, I decided to give writing a go by enrolling in drama school, after many years spent as a campaigner and strategist for grassroots and progressive causes. Since then, I’ve been lucky enough to have had my work staged at a number of theatres in London (where I’m from and based), been commissioned by BBC Radio 4, and in various stages of development for television and film. There have been some very kind accolades to mix into the healthy amount of rejection along the way. It’s been an absolute whirlwind of a few years, and I haven’t stopped working since starting out on this journey, which I’m extremely grateful for.

What is your show about?

Duck is the story of Ismail, a fifteen-year-old boy who’s a star cricket player at his very posh, very elitist school. It’s the sort of school you hear about because of how many Prime Ministers went there. At the start of the season, Ismail’s got his sights set on becoming the best cricketer in school. But, as the name Duck might suggest, Ismail’s batting performance takes a turn for the worse (for any non-cricket fans, a duck means 0 runs scored, which is pretty much the worst thing that can happen for a batsman.) That and many other things start to go wrong for Ismail, really for the first time in his life, and we get to follow him over the course of a very challenging summer.

The play is set in 2005, and in the background, you have England trying to win the Ashes, and the 7/7London bombings take place. Which adds a layer of context for Ismail, who has to figure out what it means to be Brown, to be Muslim, at this age, in this place, at this time.

That being said, I think the story and subject matter are highly relatable and universal–we all know what it’s like to have been a teenager and all the challenges that presents. To me, the school environment creates a very familiar setting.

What was the inspiration for the show and what’s the development process been to get to this stage?

It’s a one-person show about a British south Asian, Muslim teenage boy, which at the time felt like nothing I’d ever seen on stage before. And rather than the non-white character sticking out for being different, I felt like a more interesting starting point would be for them to firmly fit in. They’re popular, they’re succeeding. Then can we tip the balance and see what happens. How far can their class and wealth privilege take them if their skin is still brown?

Cricket felt like an amazing way to explore this–the duality of Englishness and Indianness within the sport, the idea of the good immigrant as accepted for their elite talent, the notion of manners and an honour code in the game. I wanted to unpick those themes and question their validity.

I was inspired to write it as a one-person show after watching the incredible Death of England by Roy Williams, who mentored me at the start of this development process, which began with the Hampstead Theatre’s INPSIRE new writing programme back in 2020.

I’ve been fortunate to have worked with a whole array of amazing artists to develop it since then–it had a staged reading at the Hampstead, followed by a festival run at the Jermyn Street Theatre, before being programmed last summer at the Arcola Theatre. At each stage, the play has morphed and changed, and given this is my first full-length play on stage, it’s been a rich and fulfilling period of experimentation, learning, and growth for me as a writer.

What made you want to take this to the Fringe?

We’ve been chosen as a winner of the Pleasance’s Charlie Hartill Fund, which is a massive honour and has given us this very exciting opportunity to bring the show to Edinburgh. What’s cool is that rather than it being a first outing like other shows that debut at Fringe, we’re bringing quite a well-developed piece to a bigger stage and new audiences. It doesn’t get much bigger than Fringe, and I’m thrilled to be platforming the many extraordinary early-and mid-career artists who’ve brought this piece to life.

Apart from seeing your show, what’s your top tip for anybody heading for Edinburgh this summer?

Asa first-timer, I’ve been soliciting this same advice for myself! Keeping an open mind and trying new things would be the most common things I’ve heard, which I suppose is good life advice in general.

Why should people book to see your show?

When and where can people seethe show? Duck is playing at Pleasance Courtyard Beneath, at 1540 daily, from 31 July-26 Aug (exc. 12, 19Aug), and all performances are captioned.