Sasha Wilson is co-writer of The Brief Life & Mysterious Death of Boris III, King of Bulgaria, which comes to the Edinburgh Fringe to share a largely forgotten story of World War II.
Winner of the Origins Award for Outstanding New Work at VAULT Festival 2020, this darkly comic retelling is told in Out of Forest Theatre’s inimitable style: combining historical theatre and folk music with a modern revisionist twist.
Sasha Wilson is co-writer along with Joseph Cullen, and will also perform in the production, which explores the suspicious circumstances of the King of Bulgaria’s demise, how 50,000 Jewish people were saved from deportation and death, and how the world forgot all about it.
The ensemble performs Bulgarian and Jewish folk tunes live while sharing this unique story from 20th century European history.
More information can be found here
You’re bringing The Brief Life & Mysterious Death of Boris III, King of Bulgaria to Edinburgh Fringe, what can you tell us about the play?
This play is a totally unsung story from WWII. You might think you’re a history buff, but I’ll buy anyone a pint who genuinely knew about these events going into the show. I’m Bulgarian and I never heard about this incredible rescue growing up. And despite the fact that the events are set against the backdrop of the Holocaust, this show is drenched in hope and is ultimately an uplifting and happy tale. Also, we’ve presented it in our classic Out Of The Forest style – lots of music, lots of gallows humour and lots of heart.
What inspired you to write it?
My grandfather – my O’Papa – passed away last October, just days shy of his 101st birthday. He loved Bulgaria so ferociously that I felt a real pride to share in that identity. I think that Bulgaria is a largely overlooked and misunderstood country. It has a richness of culture and history and the people are generous to a fault and delightful good company.
I spent all my summers there as a child and I just wanted to share a piece of that with British audiences. It was on my O’papa’s shelf after all that I first found the book that sparked this whole process. It was called ‘Crown of Thorns’ and it was nestled in and amongst sudoku and old National Geographics. When I read the dust jacket, I instantly realised I’d stumbled across something truly special.
Why do you think the story has largely been forgotten, and how do you think audiences hearing it for the first time will react?
I think the answer is two-fold. Partly, I feel that the UK and America have a habit of self-mythologising when it comes to WWII. Unfortunately, it leaves both countries with a blindspot. Far be it from me to dispute the importance of their involvement. But when you consider yourself to be the hero who’s swooped in to save the day, I don’t think you’re thinking about the countries you consider to be your supporting castmates if you’re the lead.
That being said, after the Soviet invasion there was a deliberate suppression of the history and a cull of every major player. From the Soviet perspective, it was not ‘on brand’ to celebrate the heroism of a king or the church, and then no-one was left to sing the praises of the extraordinary ordinary people who saved their friends and neighbours from deportation and death. I hope the audiences will feel empowered.
Our message is that no one is too small that their good deed won’t add to the cause. And if a whole country of ordinary citizens stand up for what they believe in and think is right, then real change can come about. I don’t know, but that feels inspiring to me in this current moment.
It had a successful run at VAULT Festival, have you made any changes ahead of taking it to Edinburgh?
Ha, you may as well ask me to answer the Theseus’ Ship paradox. Almost everything is different, but yet it still very much feels like it’s still at heart the piece we presented at VAULT. The bones are the same. The characters are by and large the same. A fair amount of the dialogue and songs are the same, but so so so much of it has changed. It’s kind of like a kaleidoscope. Over the past three years we’ve twisted the component pieces until they’ve snapped into place and hopefully we’ve got a glittering, fascinating and affecting picture.
You’ll also be performing, what do you enjoy about performing your own work?
That I’m finally done writing it! It’s now in the hands of the offensively talented actors that are part of our little band of players. They’re making their own choices and breathing their own life into it. It’s honestly so much fun that I get swept away and forget that I had a hand in writing it.
What would you say to anyone thinking of booking to see The Brief Life & Mysterious Death of Boris III, King of Bulgaria?
Our aim is to provide you with a rollicking 70 minutes of knee slapping – possibly even tear jerking – theatre. If you learn something along the way, fantastic!
