Interview: Guy Woods, ‘Puddles and Amazons’

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 Guy Woods about Puddles and Amazons.

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

I’m Guy, I’m a theatre and filmmaker based in Glasgow. I’m a big fan of Marmite, I was recently a writer in residence for National Theatre Scotland, and my debut short Mouth won the Scottish Young Filmmaker’s Prize at Glasgow Short Film Festival. 

What is your show about?

It’s a storytelling show about a boy who eats an ice cream when he finds out his mum’s died. He freezes throughout and it’s the story of his cold cold adolescence, turning swimming pools Baltic, hugging radiators and just trying to survive being a teenager.

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

I got brainfreeze while reading a Yoko Ogawa short story. Development’s been a lot of me making horrible dance music with a loop pedal while my director tells me to stop. ***my director tells me to “please stop” or “try something different”. Have you made me look like a dick here haha.

What made you want to take Puddles and Amazons to the Fringe?

They didn’t want it at the Olympics.

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

Buy your meal deal early in the day. Those puppies fly off the shelves.

Why should people book Puddles and Amazons?

There’s a small chance I will give you an ice lolly if you do. ***in all seriousness, we need to discuss the practicalities of this so let’s not mention it because this will definitely be printed and set an expectation!