Little Lark of London

Recently, I had the chance to speak with Kat Kleve and Lizzy Connolly about Tink, their show that is coming to Edinburgh Fringe this August. Performed by Kat and directed by Lizzy, Tink tells the story of a shrinking fairy, asking an important question – “Why do so many girls who start powerful, unfiltered, big, bold, loud and without prejudice or shame, begin to shrink just as they should be growing?”

What has it been like to be performing a work that you had a part in creating? 

Kat: It’s actually the best feeling ever. I feel so proud of what we’ve created. As a performer, the show incorporates everything I love to do, from various styles of comedy to the more dramatic moments, the different characters and the music I like to sing. But it’s even more fulfilling being a part of the whole creative process because you care for it and feel it in a much deeper way. I’m so passionate about telling this story and really want people to feel it, so when they do, knowing how much time, energy, blood, sweat and tears we have put into this show just makes me so proud. 

How does music contribute to the show? 

Kat: The music is a such big part of the show. Each song comes at a different stage of her journey so is inspired by the different styles of music she would be listening to at that age. They’re the type of songs that’ll be stuck in your head for the rest of the week. They’re joyful, funny, tear-jerking and catchy (if I may say so myself!) 

What has it been like directing Tink? 

Lizzy: Kat is a bit of a wonder and she will make you laugh and love her. She is playing the music, keeping up the pace of the show, and building a nuanced, full character who feels like a person you know and care about. So working as a team with a talent like that has been a real joy. She’ll be on one leg playing the guitar and singing and be able to take on board the tiniest note about sense or feeling – a skillful actor and artist. 

We did rehearsals for the first round when Kat had also just had a baby, so it was hard, but we found so much more feeling and it hit new depths seeing the words through a mother’s eyes now that she has her own daughter, Ada. 

The hardest bit is directing your own words. Sometimes the harsh things said to Tink, that shrink her, are meant as compliments by the other characters and it’s in the way she hears them that hurts. Kat had to connect to all the other characters as much as Tink and know where they are coming from and how they are feeling when they bring her down to get the type of real juicy nuanced pain we all know and love (ha). Hurt people hurt people and all that. It’s not a play about women slamming each other, it’s about seeing the dated standards we have been indoctrinated with through the media and society at large and that we are holding each other to, and noticing how we can lift each other up so that we all grow huge.

The most fun bit of directing Tink is all the comedy. It feels when watching it that Tink has in-jokes with so many individuals in the audience. It feels at the end like you’ve been on a journey, laughing and crying with a friend. 

How did you first come up with the concept for Tink? 

Kat and Lizzy: We were having a conversation about our experiences growing up, about how we were as children and the various friendships we’ve had along the way, our relationships with our mums and families, and how they’ve shaped – either for better or for worse – how we are today. We were talking about why children are so fearless and confident and why those characteristics seem to fade away as we get older until we can actually end up shrinking ourselves just as we should be growing.

How have your own experiences played a role in creating Tink? 

Kat and Lizzy: The whole show is based on our own experiences growing up and when we were discussing these together, we realised we had a lot of similar moments and interactions but from various perspectives. A lot of these are the real life, small, subtle moments that only us as young girls and women would even be aware of and men wouldn’t even blink an eye at. But they can play a huge part in shaping who you become as a person.

What do you hope audiences take away from Tink? 

Kat and Lizzy: We’d love audiences to come away from watching Tink’s story acknowledging how that might have happened to them without them even realising and to reignite their own self-belief, which can so often get dimmed by the general challenges of day-to-day life. Basically, we want everyone to remember how awesome they are. That sometimes you have to protect and nurture the spark you have inside of you to make sure you are taking up space and being unashamedly YOU! 

How would you describe Tink in one word? 

Kat: “Therapy” (Haha! Well that was one audience member’s previous reaction, although that sounds a bit heavy. Joyful therapy! I guess that’s two words!) 

Tink will be performed at the Edinburgh Festival at 12.55pm in Underbelly Bristo Square (Clover) from 2nd – 20th August. To book, visit https://underbellyedinburgh.co.uk/events/event/tink 

Photo Credit: Michael Wharley