INTERVIEW: Edinburgh Award winner, ‘Life According to Saki,’ crosses the pond

There are few theatrical gifts like the Best of Edinburgh Award given out annually by the Carol Tambor Theatrical Foundation. Essentially one production from the uber-famous Edinburgh Fringe Festival is chosen each year to jump across the Atlantic Ocean and engage New York audiences. That’s a special opportunity for plays that might otherwise not receive a second life in the Big Apple.

This year’s award winner is Katherine Rundell’s Life According to Saki, based on the short stories of Hector Hugh Munro, or Saki. The play tackles some serious topics amidst some serious settings, including 1916’s Battle of the Somme, a brutal standoff that finds a soldier named Saki in the trenches. Some of the themes explored include rebellion, conscription and obsession.

“The play stood out because of its incredible polish,” Tambor stated in a press release. “The persistent contrast of tone, as well as time, was fascinating. I was never sure whether the characters would say something cruel or funny — often both.”

Life According to Saki, which will play New York’s Fourth Street Theatre, is Rundell’s playwrighting debut, although she has published books, including Rooftoppers, Cartwheeling in Thunderstorms and The Wolf Wilder. The production is directed by Jessica Lazar.

Recently, Hollywood Soapbox exchanged emails with Rundell about the play. Questions and answers have been slightly edited.

When did you first read Hector Hugh Munro’s stories? What is it about his stories that inspired you?

I first read Saki as a child; I remember finding the stories weird, and gripping, and slightly troubling, but full of wonderful jokes and fantastic images. Now, I find his stories pure gold: I love their anarchy, their barely-contained hunger, their wit.

Did you have to do research on World War I and the Battle of the Somme?

I did quite a lot of research into living conditions for soldiers and into the identities of soldiers who would have been in Saki’s battalion. I didn’t have to do much reading on the basic facts of the war because, growing up, we moved around quite a lot — which meant I was taught WWI three times at three different schools.

This being your first play, how challenging was it getting used to the style of writing dialogue, stage directions, etc?

Although it was my first play, I had worked on short films before, so I was used to the script format. I found I loved writing stage directions, not having to search for the exact right turn of phrase: I loved just writing exactly, straightforwardly, what you mean.

What was it like to sit in the first audience at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival? What was going through your mind?

The first thing that went through my mind as I came in to the audience was, what a glorious set: the design by Anna Lewis was superb. And it will be even better in New York, now we don’t have to be able to pull down the set in five minutes.

What were your thoughts when you heard you won the Carol Tambor Best of Edinburgh Award?

Shock. And then delight.

Do you think American audiences will have a different reaction or takeaway from the piece?

I think for American audiences, World War I won’t be engrained in their collective psyche as it is in England, but I hope they leave a little in love with Saki, or at least thinking that they might look up his stories when they get home.

What was it like working with director Jessica Lazar?

It was wonderful. Jess and I have known each other for years — we worked in the trenches of our doctorates together — and I had seen the brilliant work she had done at the primary Oxford theatre The Playhouse. We had lots of discussions about which stories we loved best, about which might play out well on the stage and, too, about how elements like puppetry and dance might be woven in to the story.

By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com

Life According to Saki will play the Fourth Street Theatre from Feb. 8 to March 5. Click here for more information and tickets.