Interview: Midge Lema Bean vs. The Robots
Photo Credit: Marie Buck
Midge Lema is a writer, performer, and producer based in Los Angeles, and the creative writer behind Bean vs. The Robots, a musical theatre solo show bringing the story of a lonely space traveller and her memories to life.
Ticket link: https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/bean-vs-the-robots-a-solo-show-musical
Venue: Theatre 2 at theSpace @ Surgeons' Hall
When: 7th - 29th August (not performing on 16th and 23rd.)
Could you tell us a bit about yourself and what the show is all about?
My name is Midge Lema, and I am a writer, performer, and producer based in Los Angeles. I have always adored theatre and live performance. I have been a part of theatrical productions throughout the U.S., and internationally at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Fringe World Perth in Australia, and the International Shakespeare Festival in Germany. I also worked at Disney for over a decade in several roles, including as a writer, an on-camera host, and Manager of Creative Brand & Development in the digital space.
Bean vs. The Robots is a weird little musical comedy with sad little songs, in which space travellers get to board Bean’s spaceship for exactly 50 minutes. The space travellers will find out that Bean has been flying her spaceship for so long that she lost all of her memories from Earth, except memories that involve robots. Bean will take the space travellers on a ride, perform her favourite songs for them, and maybe even cast them as characters. But even Bean won’t be prepared for the memories that pop up along the way. Bean vs. The Robots is directed by Riley Rose Critchlow and produced by Alison Zatta and Riley Rose Critchlow.
You’re coming all the way from the USA, what made you want to perform at the Fringe?
When I was a teenager, I was very lucky to experience the Edinburgh Festival Fringe as a performer in the American High School Theatre Festival. To see the brilliant chaos that is Fringe as a young person was absolutely life-changing. I loved the rush of loading our show in and out and running to see other shows. I’ve been chasing that feeling ever since. Many years later, I joined This Bridge Theatre Company, and we put on four shows at the Fringe. It was like coming home to my favourite place. It’s always been a dream to bring one of my solo shows to the Fringe, and when I started working on Bean vs. The Robots, I had a very strong feeling that this was the show I wanted to do it with. And I can’t wait to bring Bean’s spaceship to Edinburgh!
What was the biggest challenge of creating and rehearsing a solo musical where it's just you on stage against 'the robots'?
I’ve always found that the most challenging part of creating solo theatre is the beginning stages, when you’re building a new world—one that perhaps involves a spaceship and robots. The next challenge is testing out the material in front of an audience. With solo shows, and especially with live music, you really have to be willing to fail in order to know what works. I’ve spent countless hours at my keyboard, both my laptop and the musical instrument. Working with my director Riley Rose Critchlow, we have focused on bringing the audience into the story and leaving room for the show to evolve. The songs are intentionally playful and scrappy, and some bits may be improvised. This means that every show will be a little different, depending on the audience and the day, which is an incredibly exciting challenge to have!
How did you go about writing the music for the show, and is there a favourite song of yours that audiences always react to?
I created a variety show called Space Stories in Los Angeles a few years ago for the purpose of writing new music and trying out new work. Every month I would write a new song, many that did not make it into the current version of Bean vs. The Robots. It was a good way to write, because it took the pressure off making anything perfect or “show ready”. I learned that I have the most fun with music when I hit a wrong key or two, belt out a note without fear, or change up the lyrics last minute. It’s that scrappy energy that I hope audiences feel when they see Bean vs. The Robots. I seem to get the most reaction from a song called “Space Vampires Are Sad” which is about literal and metaphorical vampires in space. I love singing it because it’s very weird and funny, but also has a deeply sad undertone that sneaks in.
What do you hope audiences take away from the show after the final curtain drops?
I hope audiences walk away from Bean vs. The Robots feeling inspired to be a weird little space traveller out in the world. I hope they always feel welcome on my spaceship if they need to ponder grief in a sci-fi way. I hope they come back to see me again.
If you could describe the show in only three words to make people eager to see it, what would they be?
Weird little spaceship
