Daniel McVey is heading to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe with a title that immediately raises eyebrows: A Foot is Not an Appropriate Prize for the Tombola. A surreal, camp murder mystery performed in drag, the show blends cosy crime with cosmic horror, inviting audiences to take part in the chaos. Speaking ahead of the Fringe, Daniel discusses the origins of the piece, the joy of drag, and why inviting audiences to play is central to the experience.
“I’m a writer, theatre maker, sometimes performer, and I’ve been writing for theatre for about the last 10 years,” Daniel explains. “Most of that was student and amateur work, and then in the last few years I’ve been moving into more professional writing.” Despite studying English at university rather than theatre, they “got really, really involved in student theatre”, later gaining an internship at a fringe venue in Nottingham. “I stage manage as well, so I’ve got a backstage knowledge alongside the creative drive.”
Taking a show to Edinburgh for the first time is both thrilling and daunting. “I’ve been to the Fringe as a student, but this is my first time with my own show as a professional,” Daniel says. “It’s very daunting, but incredibly exciting.”
At the centre of the piece is Lydia, a determined tombola operator faced with a grisly discovery. “It’s a clash of cosy crime and cosmic horror,” Daniel explains. “It’s camp, it’s outrageous, but it’s also political. Lydia is running the tombola at a village fete, and a few hours before it starts, a severed foot is found in one of the prizes. They’re determined to keep the fete running, keep raising money, and maybe solve the mystery.”
The idea itself has been a long time in the making. “The image of a severed foot in a tombola has been a post-it note on my desk for years,” Daniel reveals. “I’ve always loved cosy crime, Agatha Christie and those kinds of stories, but I also love horror. Small villages often get told as either murder mysteries or horror stories, so it felt like a natural combination.”
That combination allows the show to explore deeper themes beneath its absurd exterior. “Cosy crime has that familiarity, that warmth, but there’s also a lot going on underneath about human nature, justice, and the structures of law and governance,” Daniel says. “Those elements are often uncritically accepted, and that feels like rich ground for subversion.”
Lydia is performed in drag, something that emerged organically during development. “I’ve performed lots of unusual characters before, across genders, but it wasn’t until the first scratch performance that I realised this was drag,” Daniel explains. “It reached that level of over-dramaticness and play with gender roles. It’s been so much fun finding Lydia and discovering who they are.”
As the character developed, so too did their complexity. “Initially Lydia was quite an over-the-top spinster detective archetype,” Daniel says. “But as I explored the genre and kept writing, they became much more complex. There’s a lot going on beneath the surface, with light moments, dark moments, and everything in between.”
Balancing the roles of writer and performer comes with its own challenges. “It never gets easier,” Daniel admits. “As a writer you know your own limitations, but also where you want to push yourself. And as a performer, you know every version of the script you’ve ever written, which can be difficult.”
That challenge is heightened by the interactive nature of the piece. “It’s a solo show, but I’m just one character in the story,” Daniel explains. “The audience become the suspects, the police officer, and various other characters. I wanted them to feel empowered to join in, but also comfortable. There’s no pressure to improvise, but there’s room to play.”
Each performance becomes a unique experience. “Every person who takes part changes things,” Daniel says. “Even though the roles are quite structured, there are always moments where something unexpected happens. That’s part of the excitement.”
Bringing the show to Pleasance Courtyard is a milestone. “It feels brilliant,” Daniel says. “I’ve wanted to bring a show to Edinburgh for a while, but it had to be the right piece, at the right venue. Pleasance feels exactly right, and it’s exciting to be surrounded by such brilliant artists.”
Ultimately, the invitation to audiences is simple. “Do you want an hour of fun, of ridiculousness? Do you want to be surprised?” Daniel asks. “Then come along, because this is the show for you.”
Listings and ticket information can be found here
