Interview: Michaela Burger, ‘The State of Grace’

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 Michaela Burger about their piece The State of Grace.

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

I have had a very fortunate career with a variety of opportunities including TV, opera, musical theatre, cabaret, theatre, children's theatre, composing, writing and producing, to mention a few. There has never been a dull moment. I currently mostly tour with various shows that I've created as well as appear in any other contracts that might come my way. My first professional show was when I was 9 years old, so I've been treading these boards for a while. 

What is your show about?

My show is about a high class, self employed sex worker, activist and prolific writer, Grace Bellavue. She took her own life in 2015 and left behind a huge collection of unpublished writing that her mother entrusted to me - monologues, hip hop lyrics, poetry, musings, diary entries, daily thoughts. I've taken these, along with her published writings, interviews that she did and research into her life and created The State of Grace. This powerful, inspiring story is interspersed with original songs that I've written and is mostly verbatim, the actual words of Grace Bellavue.

What was the inspiration for The State of Grace and what’s the development process been to get to this stage?

Grace's Mum, Lyn, approached me in 2021 to tell her daughter's story in the form of a show. The development for this show has been huge, the largest amount of research that I've done for any of my shows. I spent five weeks in New York in 2023 writing, researching, collating and working on the character of Grace with world renowned acting coaches Susan Batson and Carl Ford. Since then I've continued to develop the show to what it is today. It has involved consulting with other sex workers as well as Grace's Mum and friends, writing songs, script writing and editing, costume/ props and set design with assistant Juliette Whitney, working with Jane Packham (director), Alys Daroy (dramaturg), Elena Kirschbaum (brand consultant) and Lewis Major (choreographer), collaborating with my husband Jonker Burger to create the set and Stephanie Mackenzie to create animation...and the list goes on. The elements needed to create this one person show about such an incredible human are greater than I could have ever imagined. 

What made you want to take The State of Grace to the Fringe?

House of Oz; A philanthropic powerhouse with a mission to platform Australian creative arts for international cultural export. I would never have been able to bring The State of Grace to Edinburgh without their support.

Apart from seeing The State of Grace, what’s your top tip for anybody heading for Edinburgh this summer?

I would recommend all of the other shows that The House of Oz are bringing to Edinburgh. Their shows have been curated and are the highest level of Australian performing arts. 

Why should people book The State of Grace? 

People should book tickets to The State of Grace if they want to see theatre that challenges their perspective and view on humanity. If they support the decriminalisation of sex work and especially if they don't support the decriminalisation of sex work. If they want to feel inspired and passionate about forging their own life on their own terms. If they want to enjoy stunning music and vocals along with an award winning performance. 

When and where can people see The State of Grace? 

Showing: 1st Aug - 24th Aug (except 7th, 13th and 20th) at Assembly Drawing Room 7:05pm