What happens when you create a new play inspired by the Men’s Shed movement? You end up building one for yourself.
Which is how writers Euan Martin and Dave Smith each have a brand new space to not only work but also rehearse their new show, Man Shed, which will have its world premiere at the Edinburgh Fringe.
“What do a couple of writers do when there’s a pandemic and everything is locked down? Well, we got the tools out and started constructing our own sheds,” said Euan who formed Moray-based Right Lines Productions with Dave.
“So we both have built little sheds in our respective gardens… I’m speaking to you from my shed right now, and Dave works from his. So we put the finishing touches to the Man Shed script in our respective men’s sheds.”
Man Shed is a funny, moving and thought-provoking show
And now Man Shed – written by Euan, based in Alves, and directed by Dave, who lives in Tain – will have its premiere at the prestigious Fringe venue, Pleasance Bunker One.
It is a bitter-sweet one-man piece, starring actor Ron Emslie, that looks at the joy of sheds, the pain of loss and the comfort of friendship. It was inspired by the Scottish Men’s Sheds Association, which helps reduce loneliness and isolation by offering a place for men to meet, connect, converse and create.
Euan said: “It’s about the joy of these sheds and the comfort of friendship. It’s about one man who is older in years, he’s lost his wife, he’s had a very strong relationship with one friend but, unfortunately, the friend is also gone.
“So he’s at that stage in his life where is it better to kind of shut down and stay in his own little world, or should he go out and mix with other people and find solace and support from his local Men’s Shed.”
Euan said Man Shed aims to be both funny and moving, making audiences laugh and cry as they follow this poignant tale and he is delighted it is making its debut at the world-famous Edinburgh Fringe.
Delighted to see Man Shed have its world premiere at Edinburgh Fringe
The show had been about to tour in 2020, but that plan was abandoned due to the pandemic.
However, it was selected by the Pleasance Edinburgh National Partnerships programme – supported by Eden Court in Inverness – for a full run at the Fringe from Saturday August 3 to Monday August 29.
“That has allowed us to get a guest slot at the Pleasance, which is one of the biggest and most prestigious venues at the Edinburgh Fringe,” said Euan, adding he was delighted to see Man Shed premiere at the world’s biggest and most famous arts festival.
He thinks audiences will find it not just an enjoyable piece of theatre, but also thought-provoking.
“It might just interest people enough to go away and seek out further information about the Men’s Shed movement and make contact with their own local Men’s Shed and get along and support them,” he said.
Scottish tour is on the cards for Man Shed after Edinburgh debut
“Men’s Sheds can actually, quite literally, be lifesavers. Conversations I have had with some of the men locally in Moray, they were in dark places at times and the local Men’s Shed activities helped them turn their lives around and pull back from difficult times.”
Euan hopes Man Shed will find a good audience in Edinburgh, which could lead to a tour for the show.
“If people are enjoying it, we will definitely make arrangements to take the show out next year and get on the road. Initially a full Scottish tour and we’ll see what happens after that,” he said.
“You never know, in Edinburgh there are lots of international opportunities, other fringe festivals come to it, it’s such a marketplace the Fringe, so you never know what might happen. We’re open to all enquiries.”
Man Shed is at The Pleasance in Edinburgh from August 3 to 29. For more information and tickets visit pleasance.co.uk
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