Richard Gadd returns to the Edinburgh Fringe with his debut play based on a startlingly true story about obsession, delusion and the terrifying ramifications of a fleeting mistake
“I need a nice boy to take care of me / One who looks like the baby reindeer.”
After 10 consecutive years at the Fringe, Richard Gadd moves from his Edinburgh Comedy Award winning Monkey See, Monkey Do towards a highly anticipated debut into theatre. He marks the return with Baby Reindeer, a chilling personal narrative exploring the dangers of pity and the aftermath of a seemingly innocuous encounter. When Richard offers a free cup of tea to a complete stranger what appears to be a trivial interaction has ramifications far wider than he could ever have imagined. This tense new work is presented by a creative team whose individual successes include Rotterdam, Fleabag and Edinburgh Fringe smash-hits Square Go, Angry Alan and a Super Happy Story (About Feeling Super Sad).
Writer and performer Richard Gadd said of Baby Reindeer: “I knew I would do a show about this one day when I felt I was able to talk about it. The story I am about to tell got so messy and complicated, sometimes as it was happening to me, I’d think, “I almost don’t believe it myself.” I think audiences will be shocked to hear how scary the truth of going through something like this is.”
On the switch from comedy to theatre, Richard said: “When you write comedy, you preview the show over and over and you get feedback from your audience in terms of the laughs you hear. Essentially you have constant feedback throughout the show as to what works and what doesn’t. With theatre – or in this case doing a serious piece – there is no reliance on laughs to carry you through, there is no audience gauge for feedback throughout the show – so you don’t have a clue as to how it’s going. That’s the main difference.”
Director Jon Brittain said “Baby Reindeer is one of the best scripts I’ve ever read. From the first page I was completely gripped. The story unfolds like a thriller and the fact that it’s all true is utterly chilling – not least because everything that happened to Richard could happen to any one of us. I guarantee you’ll be on the edge of your seat right the way through.“
Written and performed by Richard Gadd (2016 Edinburgh Comedy Award winner), directed by Jon Brittain (Olivier Award winner, Rotterdam).
Roundabout @ Summerhall, 31 July – 25 August 2019 (not 1, 6, 10, 13, 17 and 20), 18:25 (19:30), 14+
