Be Prepared premieres at the Edinburgh Fringe

Be Prepared

  • PLAYWRITING DEBUT FROM IAN BONAR PREMIERES AT THE EDINBURGH FESTIVAL FRINGE
  • THE PRODUCTION WILL PLAY AT BIG BELLY, COWGATE FROM 4TH AUGUST

The Corner Shop Events today announces that Be Prepared will premiere at the 2016 Edinburgh Festival Fringe as part of the first season of Underbelly Untapped. Be Prepared is the first full-length play from actor and writer Ian Bonar, and has been developed at The RSC’s studio theatre The Other Place.

By turns poignant and gut-wrenchingly funny, Be Prepared is based on Bonar’s own experiences and includes verbatim extracts of his grandfather’s memoir. The production is directed by Rob Watt and features a blistering central performance by Bonar himself. Lighting design is by Elliot Griggs and sound design by Alex Crispin.

‘Imagine seeing all the stuff that you’ve done played out in your head in glorious fucking technicolour… and then opening your mouth to speak and all that comes out is mixed-up nonsense and spit and dribble.’

Tom’s dad is dead. Mr Chambers needs a funeral director. Tom is not a funeral director.

Conversations become confused. Mr Chambers’ mind begins to disintegrate. As their memories intertwine and unravel, Tom connects to his father in ways he had never expected.

A heartbreaking, hilarious new play about one man struggling to remember while another tries to un-forget.

Ian Bonar’s acting credits include Interlude in Prague, New Blood, Black Mirror, Southcliffe, Spectre and Atonement, as well as stage work such as The Witch of Edmonton and the Roaring Girls season (RSC), The Blackest Black (Hampstead Theatre) and Brilliant Adventures (Royal Exchange). He is a member of the Orange Tree Writers Collective and his second play, St Anthony, was recently longlisted for the Bruntwood Prize.

Rob Watt is a director and theatre-maker who is currently Youth Programme Manager at the National Theatre. His directing credits include Party Trap by Ross Sutherland (Summerhall / Shoreditch Town Hall), A Lie (Soho Theatre / Norfolk & Norwich Festival / Latitude Festival) andStandby for Tape Back-Up (Summerhall / Bush Theatre / Soho Theatre / Shoreditch Town Hall / UK tour).