Edith Alibec, the talented writer and performer, brings her darkly humorous and poignant show Glitch to the Edinburgh Fringe. In this exclusive interview, Alibec discusses the inspiration behind the play, which explores the complexities of mother-daughter relationships, shattered dreams, and the challenges of living abroad.
Glitch follows a woman returning to her home country for a high school reunion, only to find her life unraveling amidst forgotten dreams and sporadic reunions. The show, originally presented as Tea and Milk and a recipient of Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Keep It Fringe fund, has been updated and reworked to offer a fresh perspective on the transition from young adulthood to full adulthood.
Don’t miss Glitch at Assembly George Square (The Crate) from July 31 to August 26, 2024 (excluding August 13 and 20).
You’re bringing your show, Glitch, to the Edinburgh Fringe. What can you tell us about this storytelling production?
We came last year for the first time with Tea and Milk, we got pretty good reviews and wanted to rework it a little bit and come again.
It’s simple, purely based on the storytelling, no other gimmicks 🙂
The show explores themes like the mother-daughter relationship, living abroad, and shattered dreams through quite a dark comedic lens. What drew you to tackle these subjects with edgy humour?
That’s how I deal with difficult problems, I try to crack jokes about them. There’s this Romanian author, Aglaja Veteranyi, who says that humour comes from suffering.
The central character attends her 10-year high school reunion, which seems to trigger an unraveling in her life. Why did you choose this reunion setting as the catalyst?
It’s that point where you see people you haven’t seen for 10 years and basically it brings you back to who you were back then, what your dreams were, who you imagined yourself to be in 10 years and where you actually are.
You’ve described Glitch as delving into that transition from young adulthood into full adulthood when youthful hopes and dreams fade. How does the show capture this poignant experience?
The reunion, the meeting with a lost friend, the meeting with a lost love, the changing of the relationship with the mother
The show is an updated, reworked version of your previous production “Tea and Milk.” What made you want to revisit and evolve this story?
Focus more on what happens when you return back home for a long time. Tea and Milk was taking place between 2 timelines and 2 places.
What would you say to anyone thinking of booking to see Glitch at the Fringe?
DO NOT HESITATE BEST MONEY SPENT you won’t regret it
‘Glitch’ is that show that you want to try to see more underground artists
