Welcome back to OPENING LINES – the interview series that puts playwrights and writers centre stage by diving into the world of new writing and original work. Each interview explores the creative process, the challenges and triumphs of developing new ideas and work for the stage, why new voices and stories are essential to the future of theatre and what the industry is doing to nurture and support new writing.

This time I chatted to the amazing Emma Davies about her show, YOU ARE ALL RESOURCES which is on at Wee Container 1 at Hoots @ Potterrow til the 18th Aug during Edinburgh Fringe. Tickets available here! Join Head of Human Resources, Alllison Pope, as she delivers her final briefing before announcing staffing cuts. As Alllison’s presentation unfolds, it becomes clear that her past, present and future won’t stay buried in the PowerPoint slides. Expect questionable professional advice, power dressing and 90s corporate energy.

What inspired you to write YOU ARE ALL RESOURCES? 

Off the back of a very unpleasant encounter with one of the worst HR professionals I have ever met, I decided to channel that experience into art. While I know it’s #NotAllHR, I started creating Alllison Pope as a vehicle to explore some of the more ridiculous and frustrating experiences we have at work.

What does bringing a show to Edinburgh Fringe mean to you? Is this your first time or have you been before? 

I’ve performed at the Fringe some years back in a show called DROLL, and more recently as a solo performer. In 2023, I brought a show to the Free Fringe about an ‘alpha-wife’ turned ‘‘trad-wife’. I’ve had a range of experiences and learnt lots of lessons along the way. I’m excited to be bringing You Are All Resources to Hoots this year, alongside some wonderful shows and performers I know from the comedy circuit.

Were there any moments during the writing process that surprised you?

How hard it is, to be honest. I’ve stopped saying, ‘this is the last version’ when I print the script off for the nth time, as there’s always amends!

As the writer and creator, how did it feel to bring your own words and vision to life on stage?

It is rare in life to be so in control of a project and it’s really thrilling to perform it to people I don’t know. I’m always curious to see what works, what doesn’t work so well, and what I learn about the show through performing it.

Did you learn or discover anything about the show during rehearsals that you didn’t expect to? 

I’ve learnt so much through this process. I recently took part in the Soho Theatre Fringe Lab and, in a session with Elf Lyons, I learnt about plotting what you want the audience to feel at different points in the show on a graph against the running time. I’d never thought about pacing and building a show in such a visual way before.

How do you want audiences to think and feel about your show? 

I want people to feel different things depending on their experiences. For people who have lost jobs, feel like they don’t fit in or had ‘stuff’ with HR, I want them to find some relief through humour. For people who have felt ignored or unrecognised at work, I want them to feel seen.

Ultimately, I want people to have a laugh about workplace culture and the things we all encounter in organisations that make us feel fed up.

If you could ask your audience one question after the show, what would it be?

I loosely use the framing of A Christmas Carol, with Head of HR Alllison Pope’s PowerPoint presentation interrupted by three women all called Carol. It’s quite a tricky thing to land with limited tech, so I’d be interested to know whether they got it and if not, what could I do so they do.

Do you see yourself continuing to explore similar themes and topics to those in YOU ARE ALL RESOURCES in your future work?

I’m planning to continue developing the show post-Fringe. Beyond this project, I can’t say what I will wind up working on next. No doubt something will come up!

Do the works of other playwrights, writers or theatre-makers influence your own writing? Are there specific writers or plays that have shaped your approach to storytelling?

This show draws on literature through A Christmas Carol, the brash high drama of Rivals, with a touch of The Stepford Wives and the energy of a slightly demonic shopping channel host. I also take inspiration from Mike Bartlett’s Contractions, particularly in its exploration of power and control in the workplace.

Do you feel that the theatre world is doing enough to support and nurture new writing? If not, what changes would you like to see?

As a character comedian, I don’t feel best placed to answer this but I do think it’s incredibly hard for theatres to pull audiences, so I’m sure it isn’t as black and white as simply programming more new work as it’s dependent on what audiences will show up and see. That’s why the Fringe is so wonderful because people are up for taking a punt on something new and different.