Francesca Moody Productions confirm two world premieres for Edinburgh Fringe

Francesca Moody Productions has revealed two world premiere productions set for the Edinburgh Fringe this summer.

Firstly, Kathy and Stella Solve a Murder! will be the company's first-ever musical. Written by Jon Brittain and Matthew Floyd Jones (the team behind A Super Happy Story (About Feeling Super Sad)) and directed by Brittain (Baby Reindeer), the show follows Kathy and Stella, the hosts of Hull's least successful true-crime podcast, who find themselves on a whodunnit mission of their own, after the murder of their favourite author.

Brittain and Floyd Jones said: "During the first lockdown we started a musicals club where we did synchronised watches of everything from Rodgers and Hammerstein to Legally Blonde. At the same time, we were bingeing every true-crime documentary and podcast
the internet had to offer. It wasn't long before we decided to mash up our lockdown hobbies – and Kathy and Stella Solve a Murder was born! A heart-warming musical about a cold-blooded killing. Serial or Making a Murderer by way of Victoria Wood, Hairspray and Scooby Doo. It's a story about true crime, the influence storytellers can have on the stories they're telling, and most of all it's about two misfit best friends, the world's least likely detectives, who set out to find a killer… and along the way find themselves."

The creative team also includes designer Cecilia Carey, lighting designer Peter Small, associate lighting designer Bethany Gupwell, sound designer Tingying Dong and dramaturg Gillian Greer.

Secondly, Olivier and two-time Tony Award nominee Samuel Barnett (The History Boys) is set to make his Fringe debut in the dark comedy Feeling Afraid As If Something Terrible is Going to Happen, written by Marcelo Dos Santos (Lionboy) and directed by Matthew Xia (Blue/Orange).

Barnett commented: "Having worked with Marcelo Dos Santos before it was the easiest yes when he approached me about collaborating on this brilliant new play. I'm thrilled to be working with such a fantastic team in Marcelo, Matthew Xia and Francesca Moody Productions to bring this funny and dark yet hugely relatable story to Edinburgh. This will be my first time as a performer at the Festival Fringe and there is no greater or scarier challenge than a one-person show, so I'm excited and terrified in equal measure. I'm especially thrilled to be doing the Festival Fringe after what has been such a terrible couple of years for everyone during the pandemic. Theatre is all about connection and community and nowhere does that better and on such a scale than the Edinburgh Fringe Festival."

The piece revolves around a permanently single, professionally neurotic stand-up comedian and his potential Mr Right. It also features lighting by Elliot Griggs, sound by Max Pappenheim and design consultation by Kat Heath.

Both productions will run between 3 and 28 August at Paines Plough's Roundabout venue in Summerhall.

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