Edinburgh Fringe Chats (#63): Kate Ireland, GOLDEN TIME (AND OTHER BEHAVIOURAL MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES)

9 Jul

As anticipation builds for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2025, we’re catching up with a range of exciting creatives preparing to bring their work to the world’s largest arts festival this August. In this series, we delve into the stories behind the shows, the inspiration driving the artists, and what audiences can expect. Today, we’re joined by Kate Ireland to chat about their show, Golden Time (and other behavioural management strategies).

Can you begin by telling us about your show and what inspired it?

Golden Time (and Other Behavioural Management Strategies) is a one-woman, auto-fictional show combing spoken word, comedy and interactive performance. The show explores the primary school concept of ‘Golden Time’. Golden Time is a reward of an hour of free play time at the end of the week. Children have minutes deducted from their Golden Time if they misbehave. The show was inspired by my own experience of Golden Time as a child, as well as working in schools as an adult. The show is a journey through the education system as well as delving into productivity culture, time management and our accepted codes of ‘normality’.

What made you want to bring this work to the Fringe this year?

I’m from Glasgow so have been coming across to the Fringe my whole life. It’s where I’ve seen some life-defining work and really wanted to be part of it myself! I think the show needs a range of audiences and energies for me to bounce off and respond to. It’s been in development for a long time and i’m really ready to release it into the world and capture the energy of the fringe. it’s such a buzzing atmosphere and I want to harness that for my show.

How would you describe your show in three words?

Frenetic, honest, child-like!

What do you hope audiences take away from watching your performance?

Possibly a connection with their own inner child, an incentive to find time for themselves, and questions that keep buzzing around their head long after the show finishes. I want the audience to have that intangible feeling where they don’t quite have language for what they saw. Not asking for much eh!

What’s your top tip for surviving the Fringe?

Don’t eat street food for every meal.

Where and when can people see your show?

Pleasance Dome (Ace Dome) and Wednesday 30th July – Monday 25th August 2025 (not 11th, 18th) at 13:30!