Emerging company WIT? Theatre is presenting a new musical Remember, Remember! at the Edinburgh Fringe this year. Very loosely based on the Gunpowder Plot of 1605, this show is an unapologetically queer retelling of a moment in history that we all mark every 5th November, but rather than focus on Guy Fawkes, they’ve placed Robert Catesby at the centre. Written by and starring Lucy Buncombe, Ross Tomlinson, Tom O’Kelly and Kluane Saunders, with Musical Director Isabella Guilar joining them on stage for the performance, this new piece of theatre features buffoonery, an original score and pop culture references. I recently had the opportunity to ask co-creator and performer Tom O’Kelly some questions about the show, which is heading to The Pleasance for the entire festival.
What inspired you and the team at WIT? Theatre to write a wildly inaccurate musical retelling of the Gunpowder Plot historical event?
This whole wild and wonderful journey was born out of a desire to perform together again, so we wrote a show ourselves! With regards to the story, we were utterly baffled by the actual facts of the Gunpowder Plot and saw it as a fabulous opportunity to put it all to the tune of some campy songs.
Why did you decide to focus on the lesser known plot leader Robert Catesby, rather than Guy Fawkes?
Robert is the mastermind! He was the true Che Guevara-type revolutionary of this story. I can’t say that we gave him nearly as much swagger as Che, however.
How did you go about reimagining these historical figures for the stage?
One of the joys in retelling history is that you can make things your own. It was immensely fun creating the personalities of these people. Who’s to say that Robert Catesby wasn’t a twerpy, basement-dwelling dork? Or that Guy Fawkes wasn’t a rugby bro who loved protein powder and homoerotic banter?
How would you describe the comedy in the show?
This show is bonkers. It is silly and irreverent from the beginning, satisfying the lambrini girls and the monty python loving nerds alike. Our key technique when writing was, when any monologue or storyline got too serious, we would throw a ridiculous element in. Someone is talking about their dead relative? Make them say it while doing a slutty dance routine!
What is one thing that might surprise audiences about this comedy musical?
Apart from the fact that I guarantee you will not be able to predict what happens, I would say even the most irreverent and silly shows can contain a lot of heart and show real human relationships.
Looking ahead to the end of Fringe, what do you hope comes next for the musical, after a summer of festival performances?
We are beyond lucky to be doing a run of the show in London in November at the Pleasance. Beyond this, we would love the opportunity to develop this show even further. It is such a privilege in today’s climate to be able to do a run that is longer than a week. Just know if you ever see us doing a six week run, we have hit the big time!
Catch Remember, Remember! at the 2026 festival
Remember, Remember! sounds like a really fun musical, with the creatives taking a historical event and turning it completely on its head. It is also exciting that the show already has a future life beyond the Fringe, with London audiences having a chance to see the production in the autumn. It is based at Queen Dome at Pleasance Dome (venue 23) from 5th – 30th August (not 17th and 24th). Performances start at 17:15 (1 hour), with the show on sale via the EdFringe website now.
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