Edinburgh Fringe Chats (#155): Ornagh, THE ODE ISLANDS
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 Alex Garcia-Laguer to find out more about The Alchemy of Sadness.
1. Can you begin by telling us about your show and what inspired it?
The show is a live mixed-reality performance set inside a responsive virtual world, where holograms, digital characters, and real-world movement collide. It began about two and a half years ago, when I started developing VR environments based on my own lived experiences. Each world had a personal narrative woven into it, though at the time they were seen as separate pieces. When I was offered a headline slot at an arts festival, I saw the perfect opportunity to bring them together into one connected story. A conversation with a friend then led to an introduction to Anthony at The Pleasance, who saw its potential for the Fringe and that's when this surreal, tech-driven performance journey truly began.
2. What made you want to bring this work to the Fringe this year?
The Fringe felt like the ideal platform to debut something so experimental and immersive. It's a space where audiences are open to risk-taking and new formats, and this show definitely pushes the boundaries of traditional theatre. The opportunity to share a deeply personal story, told through a mix of VR, holograms, and digital storytelling felt right for this kind of global, creative gathering known for such a variety of new exciting shows. It’s a fresh and unknown show, and the Fringe gives it room to grow, find its audience, and evolve in real time.
3. How would you describe your show in three words?
Surreal, Experimental, and Inspirational.
4. What do you hope audiences take away from watching your performance?
I hope audiences come away feeling emotionally connected and creatively inspired. Even though the performance takes place in a surreal, high-tech world, the story is rooted in something deeply human: transformation, vulnerability, and reclaiming your identity. I want people to feel immersed—but also seen. Whether they relate to the journey, the emotions, or the visual worlds themselves, I hope they leave feeling like they’ve stepped into something new and unexpected, and maybe even a little bit healing.
5. What’s your top tip for surviving the Fringe?
Vitamins, snacks, and a team that supports rest! Pacing yourself is key, it’s a marathon, not a sprint. Make time to support other artists and shows, but don’t feel guilty about taking downtime. And bring comfortable shoes. Seriously.
6. Where and when can people see your show?
The show takes place at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC) during the Fringe. You can find all the details and follow the immersive journey at: www.ornagh.com/ode. The story even begins before you arrive at the venue.
