As somebody who adores the Scottish Highlands, I was really intrigued when writer, producer and actor Mirren Wilson got in contact about her Edinburgh Fringe show ‘PALS’. It surrounds a group of friends on a camping trek in the West of the country and features a “sprinkling of Gaelic”. Mirren is based locally to me in Dover and is presenting the play at Gilded Balloon during the first half of the festival. I recently had the opportunity to ask the creative some questions about this original and authentically Scottish story.
What inspired you to write a show about a camping trek in the West of Scotland?
The original inspiration for the play came from an ongoing frustration at the lack of young, authentic female Scottish roles in Scottish theatre. I was looking around at my gorgeous, hilarious and talented friends, who weren’t getting the same opportunities as our male-counterparts, and it’s because the roles don’t exist in the same abundance. And I’ll be singing this until the cows come home.
In terms of why I chose to set the play on a camping trek in the West of Scotland, the easy answer is – I love hiking, camping and being outdoors. I wanted to combine my two passions of hiking and theatre, because they’re often not compatible or seen in the same world. I think you learn so much about yourself when you’re out in nature, but on a personal level, hiking is my therapy.
I wanted to explore the modern affliction of being in your 20’s and how connecting to nature can help you process life, whilst having an adventure at the same time.
What can you tell me about the central characters?
PALS features four crude, chaotic, yet completely normal gal pals. They’re all Scottish, they’re all in their mid-20’s and they’re all feeling a little bit lost as they deal with their individual struggles.
Sadie is a keen photographer and hiker, but she’s trying to cope with caring for her mum and her rapidly declining multiple sclerosis (which none of her best pals know about); Flo is attempting to live her best life whilst existing in survival mode, struggling financially and stuck in a soul-destroying job; Taylor could be mistaken for needy and irritating but she’s battling self-doubt and avoids responsibility; whilst Claire is a queer, over-prepared and slightly erratic gal, who’s managing a recent polycystic ovaries diagnosis.
I wanted to showcase relatable and normal characters. It was intentional to highlight that everyone has their own issues, but that they power through and deal with what’s in front of them; most people don’t sit at home dwelling on how difficult things are, you get up and continue with your day whilst these things play on your mind.
Your shows often include Gaelic language. How have you included this in ‘PALS’?
Tanya MacDonald, creative director of Higgledy Piggledy Productions and director of PALS is a fluent Gaelic speaker from the Isle of Skye. She is also Director of Strabang! – the National Gaelic Youth Theatre of Scotland run by Theatre Gu Leor, so Gaelic is a huge part of her life and work.
Working with and being friends with Tanya has inspired me to learn a bit of Gaelic to keep the language alive and embrace this living language which is part of our Scottish identity. As a minority Scottish language, I believe it’s our duty to use Gaelic when we can, however it was crucial for us to ensure the language wasn’t shoehorned into the text for the sake of it. We’ve been saying that PALS includes a sprinkling of Gaelic. Our main character Sadie uses Gaelic phrases relating to the Scottish landscape or repeats phrases that her mum has taught her. Her connection to Gaelic is very much a gift from her mum. Anytime we use Gaelic, we include a translation quickly afterwards so that it’s accessible for all audience members.
In the music we use in the show, we’ve tried to promote Scottish, female artists as much as possible and we’ve got some beautiful Gaelic songs in there: “Air Fàir an Là” by Sian and “Lon-duh”, Julie Fowlis’ Gaelic version of “Blackbird” by the Beatles.
You have been awarded the ‘Keep it Fringe Fund’ for 2025. To what extent has this opened doors for Higgledy Piggledy Productions to take ‘PALS’ to the festival this year?
Oh my goodness, the Keep it Fringe fund has been a life saver. I remember when we first got the email through, Tanya and I felt like we’d won the lottery – we facetimed, screaming at each other hysterically.
Last year, I was manically squirreling money away and I still had to whack the venue costs on a credit card – I was fully prepared to be paying for my show for the next 3 years if we didn’t make a profit. This is an immense stress to have on your back whilst trying to create and promote a show, but unfortunately that’s the Fringe reality. Many artists take the financial hit in order to share their work at the biggest arts festival in the world.
The Keep it Fringe fund has completely removed all the financial pressure of Fringe and ensured that our upfront venue costs are entirely covered. This means that the tiny budget we do have can go towards developing the show, supporting our cast and offering accessible performances again. But it also means that I can be way less stressed!
In addition to the standard fund, we have also received an audio description subsidisation grant which covers 50% of the cost of hiring an audio describer. This is a game-changer for us. We were always offering an audio described performance and a BSL interpreted performance but this, again, reduces the financial strain. I wish this grant could be offered to more shows and companies who would then be more inclined, and in a better position, to offer accessible performances.
The show is both female-led and female-produced and it’s your first time in a producing role. How are you finding it so far?
First thing I’ll say – producing is not for the faint-hearted. Primarily I work as a writer, and occasionally an actor, but I’m a producer out of necessity for PALS as I had that burning desire to share my work.
The past 2 years have been a real test of spirit, and I’m really proud of what PALS has achieved. This year I’ve felt way more confident in my abilities as I know the general road map of Fringe and what needs to be done and when – but last year was a chaotic trial by fire, and I was constantly learning on the job, never knowing if I was doing the right thing. I still find it difficult to not compare myself to experienced producers who do this as they’re full-time job – I have to accept that I don’t have their contacts, or their skills and knowledge, but I can aspire to be like them.
As a producer, you sometimes wear so many hats; you’re also a finance manager, an administrator, a scheduler, a social media marketer, a press representative, a content creator, a transport organiser, a prop sourcer, a problem-fixer… the list goes on. Then, if you’re like me, you’re also redrafting the script and trying to work a full-time job where you do shift work. Yeah it’s a lot to take on, and don’t get me wrong, I’ve burned out several times, but I would rather do it than not.
I’m lucky that I’ve got a great team of women around me – their energy and passion keeps me going. Cast member Shelley Middler has been my rock – she produced her own Fringe show and Scottish tour with “The Collie’s Shed” so has been my point of reference and constant sounding board to offer advice and reassurance.
You have said that you would like to embark on a Scottish tour after the Fringe, how do you see the show growing beyond the festival?
From the success of the show in audience numbers and reviews, it’s reassuringly clear that there’s a demand for PALS. We’ve had audiences begging for a tour, we’ve had teachers asking when they can use the text in schools and we’ve had friends dreaming about a film.
I’m very open-minded about where PALS can go next, and I want to do anything and everything to share this story with as many people as possible. I think no matter what the next step, I want to really elevate the production value and incorporate the Scottish landscape visually. We’ll see what happens, I’m a great believer in that old Scottish saying “Whit’s fur ye’ll no go by ye.”
A Scottish camping story at the Edinburgh Fringe
Mirren is clearly very busy navigating the Fringe landscape as a producer, writer and everything else in between! It is fantastic to hear how much the Keep it Fringe fund has helped the creative team realise their festival dreams this year. You can catch ‘PALS’ at the Doonstairs venue at Gilded Balloon Patter House from Wednesday 30th July to Tuesday 12th August (not 7th). Performances start daily at 19:00, with tickets available via the festival’s website.
Thanks for reading my blog today.
Love Kat xxxx
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