Katherine MacAlister finds out more about an award-winning comedy debuting at the Fringe

Off The Canvas and Red Dog Theatre Company present the UK premiere of award-winning dark comedy Arthur and Esther at this year’s Oxford Fringe Festival.

Arthur and Esther is an elemental and affecting two-hander that is set in both the real world and the afterlife.

The play is darkly comic and explores love, loss and the lives we inherit and impose on others. It has previously been staged in the US and won the Las Vegas Best of Fringe in 2010.

In the wake of public spending cuts, Arthur wrestles with the methods set out in Montgomery Swank’s 28 Ways to Terminate Your Existence and Questions You May Have, the one book he has salvaged from the closure of his beloved library. Having been abandoned by his beautiful wife and seemingly surplus to requirements following the council’s decision, Arthur is left with one choice to make. The role of Arthur is played by Ian Gain and Esther by newcomer Katie Baugh.

Ian has been an actor for over 25 years. He trained at the Oxford School of Drama, winning the George Benson Prize (William Poel at RNC).

He has worked extensively in television, film and theatre, and also as a voiceover artist. Since 2007 Ian has been an associate artist of Red Dog Theatre Company. As a successful acting coach, Ian has worked with established actors and also with entrants to many of the leading drama schools. He recently founded his own performance and production company, Off the Canvas.

Katie trained at the Guildford School of Acting. Her previous credits include Katerina in The Brothers Karamazov, Yelena in Uncle Vanya and Helen in The Trojan Women. Katie’s film work includes Eric Steel’s feature film Kiss the Water (screened at The Tribeca Film Festival 2013 and recently aired by the BBC). She has also previously worked with the late Rik Mayall on comedy pilot Soapopolis.

Arthur and Esther is written by young British playwright, Ross Howard who has had his work (Our Walk Through The World, No One Loves Us Here, Picture Ourselves in Latvia) produced all over the UK, Ireland and the United States. Ross is a 2008 Edward F. Albee Foundation Fellow and the resident playwright of New Light Theater Project in New York. He lives in London.

He said: “Arthur and Esther is a play that mines themes of loss and feeling obsolete and a real struggle to keep up with gallop of modern life and progress, but at its core there is a love and spirit that in its own way is immovable. I do believe that. And it’s funny. To have its first UK outing in Oxford too is brilliant. It’s an aspiration within the play for Esther to go to Oxford, so maybe it’s fate.”

The play is directed by London-based theatre and film director Abbie Lucas.

SEE IT
Oxford Fringe runs May 22 – June 7. See Arthur and Esther on Saturday at 8.15pm, Sunday 4.45pm, Wednesday to  Friday 7pm at the Old Fire Station, George Street, Oxford
Tickets £10 (£8 conc.) from ticketsoxford.com or 01865 305305