Edinburgh Fringe Chats (#125): La Mecànic, A TEEN ODYSSEY

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 La Mecànica to find out more about A Teen Odyssey.

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

During lockdown - when dogs were allowed on the streets but children weren’t - we began working on a show that amplified the voices of 7 to 11-year-olds. That became The Little Things, a visual and physical theatre piece in which we collaborate with local children wherever we go. We ask them questions about their city - is it made for them? Do they get enough time to play? Do their parents play with them? How do they feel about mobile phones? Their answers are woven into the soundscape of the performance, making their voices central to the work.

As the pandemic continued, we realised there was another group whose voices were missing: teenagers. At a time of life already full of questions and emotional upheaval, they were cut off from social connection, locked indoors, behind screens. We knew we didn’t want to make a show about teenagers - we wanted to make one with them, and for them.

Throughout the creation of A Teen Odyssey, we worked with an artistic commission of teenagers who helped shape the show. We didn't want to speak for them - we wanted to create space for them to be heard. At every tour stop, we collaborate with local teens and record their voices, which become part of the immersive sound world of the piece.

A Teen Odyssey is an immersive physical theatre experience where, instead of asking the audience to sit still and turn their phones off, we invite them to move, interact, and connect - phone in hand. The performance becomes a space where generations meet, perceptions shift, and something unexpected happens when you look up from your phone and truly see someone else - whether they’re like you, or someone you thought you had nothing in common with.

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

In 1953, Willie Sutton - one of the first fugitives named to the FBI’s Top Ten list - was asked why he robbed banks. He answered “because that’s where the money is”. Our show has absolutely nothing to do with that, but it is why we came to the Fringe.

3. How would you describe your show in three words?

Immersive, multigenerational, uplifting.

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

A tempered pride in their generation, an understanding and appreciation of other generations, and an increased belief in the young people we are handing the world to.  

5. What’s your top tip for surviving the Fringe?

Keep your answers short and your drinks shorter.

6. Where and when can people see your show?

You can catch A Teen Odyssey at the Dissection Room, Summerhall, from 31 July to 25 August, with performances daily at 12:00 and 13:30 - except on 11 and 18 August.