Interview: Virginia Gay, ‘Cyrano;

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 Virginia Gay about Cyrano.

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

Hullo! I'm a tall Australian, who worked on tv a bunch and then made a funny, queer stage version of Calamity Jane, which I won a bunch of awards for, and now I've written a funny, queer version of Cyrano. Good to have a brand, I suppose...

What is your show about?

It's an old story which we're fucking around with, because old stories should be fucked around with. Cyrano is a brilliant human being who knows/thinks they're ugly and unlovable. She falls for Roxanne who is brilliant and beautiful, who in turn fancies Yan, who is very handsome and (forgive me) an idiot. This is a charming proto-rom-com set up - a classic love triangle - but then Cyrano starts to write love scenes for Yan to seduce Roxanne with, and that's deeeeeeply problematic. 

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

I saw a production and thought I absolutely HAVE to play this role (a filthy luvvie thing to say, soz) and went to the box office at interval and bought two copies of the translation, and then I went back in to watch the second half and EVERYBODY DIES. And I thought 'well, I can't put my queer clout behind a show which suggests queer love is impossible' and so I wrote my own mad, hopeful, adaptation with a (spoiler alert) hard won happy ending. It's had a wonderful production in Melbourne already, but this is an all new UK production, with a phenomenal new cast and creatives. 

What made you want to take Cyrano to the Fringe?

The fringe is all about lo-fi theatre magic, and this show is aaaall lo-fi theatre magic. About how, with just words, you can collectively imagine the most amazing things. You can bring whole realities (and fictions) to life with just a couple of perfect sentences, a lighting change and a sound bed. That's MAGIC, you know? And it's what Cyrano excels in. 

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

Wear comfortable shoes. Listen to word of mouth. That's the most valuable currency at the Fringe - if you liked something, tell people, and if people tell you they really fucking loved something, go and see that thing. Join the longest queue you can find and make new friends and flirt outrageously in the queue. Remember to eat veggies (occasionally) and that hot chips don't (exclusively) count. 

Why should people book Cyrano?

It's very funny and very hot and pleasingly weird. It's a great show for a date! Or to meet someone who might be a future date. Just saying ... 

When and where can people see Cyrano?

We're on at the Traverse on has a floating schedule, which means sometimes you can see us at 10 in the morning, and sometimes at 9pm at night, and everywhere in between. It's gonna be tough for my tiny little ADHD brain to remember, but you don't have to worry about that, that's what our long suffering stage management team are for (sorry in advance, team...)