A new comedy written by performer and theatre maker Izaak Hamilton-New is heading to the Fringe this year, marking Beautiful Death Theatre’s Edinburgh debut. The play is set in the 1970s and centres on two young boys who are chasing their childhood dreams but then get caught up in a murder case. I recently had the opportunity to ask the company co-founder some questions about the piece, with Izaak intriguingly referring to the show as “somewhat semi-autobiographical”.
What made you decide to create your own theatre company? Where did the name, Beautiful Death Theatre, come from?
Along with my friend and co-founder Michelle Allen we had been looking at creating a theatre company for a while after we both graduated from drama school together. We weren’t having much luck with our agents and finding work was few and far between. We figured if we couldn’t get the work then we’d create the work. We must have gone through about a hundred different ideas for names and aesthetics but nothing ever stuck. For me, personally, I was going through a rough moment in my life and was convincing myself everyday that pursuing theatre was “worth it”. Eventually, I realised that what I’d regret most wasn’t failing, it was never giving it everything I had. I didn’t want to reach the end of my life wishing I’d taken more chances. I want to live a life that I can look back on and be proud of, a life that is beautiful. Put the two together and ‘Beautiful Death’ just felt right to me. I introduced that to Michelle and it just clicked. We immediately began progress on our debut production called BIGMOUTH at Camden Fringe in 2024.
You Are What You Eat is a comedy that follows two children who get entangled in a murder case. What inspired you to write this new piece of theatre?
I wanted to write a story that was funny, heartfelt and relatable. A story that was about achieving your dreams even with the odds stacked against you. A feeling that a lot of people have experienced. I started writing this story a few months after receiving the news that a family member had died and I needed something to cheer me up. I had never written anything before, let alone a comedy. So I started writing some silly jokes and through those jokes two characters were born. It was easy to put these two characters into a late-seventies setting because I had a backlog of movie references I could make and wanted to use as a sort of opportunity to say “thank you” to the medium I love and made me the human I am today. The more I go back and revisit the script, the more I come to the realisation that I wrote something that is somewhat semi-autobiographical. Although the play is wrapped up in an absurd murder mystery and follows the classic good-versus-bad dynamic, at its heart it’s about friendship, ambition and refusing to give up on the things you love to do.
You have said that the comedy “serves as a love letter to the films and television that defined a generation”. Who will this new piece of writing appeal to?
We think it appeals to all generations for different reasons. There’s lots of nostalgic pop culture references that are very well suited for those of an older generation. There’s also lots of humour in the fast paced writing that attracts younger audiences, especially those who have grown up on modern buddy cop films like Hot Fuzz and The Nice Guys. There’s a universal element to it that never leaves you, whether you’re experiencing it at a young age or reminiscing times gone by. The themes of friendship and ambition resonate with anyone, regardless of age.
With both a Camden Fringe and Drayton Arms Theatre run under your belt, how has this new piece of writing evolved since it first premiered?
The more we do this show the more we find in ourselves as actors. We find new ways to approach the characters and delivery of the dialogue and it creates a unique feeling to us each time we do it. In a way the writing hasn’t necessarily evolved through changes in the writing (although we had to make a couple of minor edits to adjust to the needs of this run) but more so in style through the actors’ performances. Each run teaches us something new, and that’s naturally influenced the way we perform it. On top of that, audiences have evolved. We’re in a time now where more than ever we need a good laugh. Repeated viewings from audiences during our two runs last year were especially rewarding because people told us they’d found new things to enjoy each time they came back.
What are you most looking forward to, making your Edinburgh Fringe creative debut?
For most of us involved in the show, this will be our first experience not only taking part in, but also actually attending Edinburgh Fringe. What we’re most looking forward to is our interactions with the public. The conversations with strangers who share a love of theatre. Finding people who we can share our concerns about the industry with, whilst also celebrating how privileged we are to be able to call ourselves theatre makers. We’re also looking forward to discovering new shows and supporting other artists throughout the festival. The chance to collaborate and make connections with those who are also passionate about creating. London has already introduced us to an incredible creative community, so we’re excited to experience that on an even bigger scale in Edinburgh and hopefully make lasting connections along the way.
If you were to describe the show in one word, what would it be and why?
Hope.
There’s a strong theme of hope in the show. That word is directly referenced through a conversation between the two main characters when talking about Star Wars, which is a movie franchise that could also be described using that one word. So yeah, I think that’s the appropriate word to go for.
Catch You Are What You Eat at the 2026 festival
I hope Izaak, Michelle and the team at Beautiful Death theatre company have the most amazing summer, experiencing their first Edinburgh Fringe. You Are What You Eat sounds incredibly nostalgic, offering both a new story to audiences and TV and film references that will appeal to a range of ages. The play is based at Space 1 at theSpace on the Mile (venue 39) from 7th – 22nd August (not 16th). Performances start at 20:50 (1 hour 10 minutes), with the show on sale via the EdFringe website now.
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