Interview: Coral Bevan on Jill’s Tupperware Party (Edinburgh Fringe)
- Immersive Rumours
- 1 day ago
- 5 min read
Photo: Rah Petheridge
Immersive comedy-horror Jill's Tupperware Party, which comes to Edinburgh Fringe this August, is the latest interactive production from Asparagus Mousse Productions - an artist-led theatre company co-founded by performers and makers Coral Bevan, David Alwyn and Ricky Hunt, whose previous work includes collaborations with the likes of Secret Cinema and The Lost Estate.
In the show, audience members become a collective of Jills at the annual Tupperware convention - a meeting where plastic lids click, smiles almost never falter and microwaves hum with divine purpose.
Ahead of its Edinburgh Fringe run, we caught up with one of the show's writers and performers, Coral Bevan, to talk about how a cookbook inspired Jill's Tupperware Party, what sets the show apart from everything else at the Fringe, and her top tips for surviving the festival as a performer.
Immersive Rumours: Hi Coral, thanks for speaking with us today. Do you mind introducing yourself and telling us a bit about Jill’s Tupperware Party for those unfamiliar with the show?
Coral Bevan: Hello, thanks so much for having me! I’m Coral Bevan; I’m a character comedian, writer, clown and producer at Asparagus Mousse Productions, and we are extremely excited about bringing Jill’s Tupperware Party to Edinburgh Fringe this year. It’s going to be an absolute hoot! The show was written by myself, Ricky Hunt and David Alwyn, with David also directing the show.
Jill’s Tupperware Party is a cult camp immersive comedy-horror show. Expect a mix of Mars Attacks, The Witches, Stepford Wives and Midsommar. Unlike other comedy shows, you are significant to the plot of our show. You are a fellow Jill. It’s the 80th anniversary of Tupperware, and you are a Tupperware salesperson joining the annual convention.
Immersive Rumours: The show is billed as an ‘interactive comedy-horror’. What can audiences expect to be involved with as part of the show?
Coral Bevan: Unlike your normal comedy show, the audience of Jill’s are standing throughout the whole thing (obviously, if you need a chair, one can be arranged). We will be analysing your sales for the year and comparing them against the highest seller, which happens to be me!
From celebrating the coronation of this year's Highest Seller to helping us cook up a delicious recipe - your physical contributions are vital to the storytelling of the show. It starts off as a seemingly quite innocent show about Tupperware but, towards the end, turns into a silly, camp, B-movie horror with a good dose of blood and guts to boot.
Photo: Rah Petheridge
Immersive Rumours: What was the initial inspiration for Jill's Tupperware Party, and how did that evolve into the show audiences will see this August?
Coral Bevan: The show was born out of a birthday party I had a few years ago. I went with a cult theme, and Ricky decided to bring along a paperback 1980s microwave cookbook. We were inspired! The party descended into an immersive cult experience where we resurrected the author, and she instructed us to sacrifice our friend Neil with one of her recipes. The recipe was asparagus mousse. Over the years we’ve written it into a short film which we never made… not yet anyway… and now it's a show!
Immersive Rumours: Unlike Wayne Wayneson’s Rock Hard and Fisherman Jon, which were both solo shows, you appear alongside Ricky Hunt in Jill’s Tupperware Party. What does having a second performer on stage unlock when it comes to performing the show?
Coral Bevan: I can’t wait to perform alongside another human for the fringe. Solo shows are great in many ways, but they get lonely; you've only got you to hype yourself up, and if you're having a bad day, well, ain’t no one there to save you.. Just gotta pull your socks up and get on with it! But having someone else on stage to bounce off - it’s THE BEST! You can have an actual conversation on stage with another human! It's a game changer for me - and I ain’t never going back!
Photo: Rah Petheridge
Immersive Rumours: You, Ricky and David Alwyn - who all make up Asparagus Mousse - will likely be familiar faces to London-based immersive theatre fans. How did the company first come about, and how would you describe the dynamic between the three of you?
Coral Bevan: We first met doing Secret Cinema’s Stranger Things in 2019 - we were so incredibly lucky because our cast was just so excellent! The show ended just before lockdown, and over the coming months/years/eternity, the whole cast kept each other sane - having Zoom parties and various online events to entertain each other.
Once lockdown was over, Ricky, David and I all worked together again on a few other Secret Cinema shows, but it was the passing of my father that stuck a firework up my arse! If anyone reading has experienced the death of a parent, they'll understand - there ain't nothing like seeing death to remind yourself to LIVE! I’d been wanting to create a show with my character Fisherman Jon for a while, so I asked Ricky and David to help me write and direct it; they agreed. That was where the trio started.
Over the years, we’ve learnt more and more about how to write with each other, how each other works, what makes for a fun show and what audiences enjoy. I feel like this year we all had an epiphany! We realised we had over three decades' worth of experience between us in immersive theatre, and so we should translate that knowledge into comedy and form a hybrid!
Photo: Rah Petheridge
Immersive Rumours: You’ve performed at Edinburgh Fringe previously with Fisherman Jon and Wayne Wayneson. Looking back at those experiences, what lessons have stayed with you, and what advice would you have for those heading to the festival with a show for the first time?
Coral Bevan: I absolutely love each of the shows we’ve made over the years. They’ve all been huge lessons. I often think we creatives all get bogged down by the fear of failing or worry that something isn’t perfect, but the truth is we all have to START, and with each step - you learn. So firstly, congratulations on getting here; you’re already doing what many people can’t find the courage to do! Give yourself a pat on the back.
Don’t forget…
Continue being the silliest version of yourself.
Watch as many shows as you can - (what amazing inspiration!)
Be supportive to your fellow comedians
Have fun and enjoy the crazy ride.
Look after yourself - it’s tough out there!
Oh - and go to the beach on your day off!
Immersive Rumours: Finally, how are you feeling ahead of taking the show to Edinburgh, and what are you most looking forward to during this year's festival?
Coral Bevan: Last year was my first time doing a whole month in Edinburgh - what a ride! But I’m returning with a bit more knowledge under my belt about this beast that is ‘The Fringe’. I’m looking forward to making new friends and seeing old friends. Watching their crazy silly shows that have come from their crazy silly brains, but most of all, genuinely really excited about showing Jill’s Tupperware Party to the people in Edinburgh!
By the end of the festival we hope there will be an army of 'Jills' who will help us spread the word of Tupperware throughout the world! So come and join us - you’ll be ‘in the company of friends’!
Jill's Tupperware Party runs from 5th to 30th August (excluding 17th and 24th) at Belly Laugh at Underbelly, Cowgate (Venue 61) as part of the Edinburgh Fringe. For more information and to book tickets, visit edfringe.com
Immersive Rumours will be at the Edinburgh Fringe this August. See our pre-festival coverage here.
