WHAT IS SELF-MADE?
SELF-MADE is a debut show from Edinburgh playwright, Isaac Allaway, co-authored between him and his 'previous self', Emma. The show invites you to be with this rare and intimate experience as Emma meets Isaac and the pair embark on an intimate, magical journey. They will be played by two different actors on stage to truly showcase the 'two souls' present in this experience.
We are a global, all-queer team bringing a fresh perspective to the worldâs limiting views on gender and we are so excited for you to see this show.
Please donate to support us in reaching our goal to put this on in the most powerful way possible at a time in history which is in urgent need of queer stories.
ABOUT THE SHOW
Emma and Isaac are perfect for each other. There's just one problemâŠthey live in the same body. Raw, intimate and poignantly funny, SELF-MADE is a joyous magical odyssey into trans identity and writing yourself into existence.
Emma has always had the sense something is missing. When she goes searching for answers, she uncovers a startling truth: she shares her body with another person. Isaac has waited his entire life to write himself into the physical world and finally his time has come. As Emma and Isaac start to make sense of their shared existence, a tender and unexpected love story blossoms. SELF-MADE is a stunning debut from a local trans playwright, examining the wonder and joy available to all of us when we embrace the emerging parts of ourselves with open arms.
SELF-MADE is a bold, joyous take on âall the worldâs a stageâ , blending queer identity, time travel, and self-authorship.
ABOUT THE PRODUCTION COMPANY:
The tagline of Joy-Full Productions is âQueer joy, centre stageâ. We live for joy and limitless self-expression in the queer community, and in light of distressing news in the U.S. and attempts to erase us, queer joy and visibility is needed now more urgently than ever.
ABOUT THE MOVEMENT
More than a play, SELF-MADE is a movement, spreading joy and freeing society from the rigid confines of gender at a pivotal moment in history. It offers a rare, intimate glimpse into a âtrans experience,â creating a gentle, playful space for empathy and connection. Moving through Emma and Isaacâs quests for identity and wholeness, the show invites audiences to see that these emotions are universal - all that differs is life experience.
At a time when âtransgenderâ dominates the news, SELF-MADE cuts through the noise with a fresh, deeply human perspective - one that places love and self-discovery before politics and labels. Through Emma and Isaacâs intertwined journeys toward connection and freedom, the show offers an invitation: not to argue, not to âunderstandâ, but to feel. It is a story that transcends division, building bridges at a moment in time the most powerful and dangerous people are trying to tear them down. In a festival that champions bold, paradigm-shifting storytelling, the Fringe is the only place this play could begin.
MEET THE TEAM:
Brought to you by emerging Leith theatre company, Joy-Full Productions Ltd, SELF-MADE has secured a global, all-queer production team.
PRODUCER/ACTRESS:
Produced by award-winning ex-Fringe producer/actress, Catherine Waller [she/her]. A Kiwi-American living in NYC. Trained in bouffon, graduate of Toi Whakaari: NZ Drama Conservatory. She produces both theatre and film that connects us to our shared darkness and humanity; (âBest Female Performerâ Hollywood Fringe, âBest of Amsterdam Fringeâ, âBest Interactive Showâ, âBest Physical Theater United Solo Festivalâ) Her acclaimed solo show, THE CREEPS, made its Off-Broadway debut at Playhouse 46 at St. Luke's in New York in 2023, following years of development and international tours, including Edinburgh Fringe 2016. As Charles Isherwood of the Wall Street Journal noted in his review, "Ms. Waller's shape-shifting performance is itself an eerie, unforgettable marvel." Following THE CREEPS she starred in LIFESTYLE, a devised political comedy show produced and developed by Academy Award Winner Adam McKay (Don't Look Up, The Big Short, Anchorman, Succession) and his company HyperObject Industries.
DIRECTOR:
Sarah Deller (they/them) is a Canadian queer, neurodivergent actor, director, writer, and scholar committed to making fresh, bold theatre telling stories of complex women and queer characters. As an actor, Deller has worked with major companies like Canadian Stage, Shakespeare by the Sea, and the Grand Theatre; and numerous acclaimed independent companies like ZUPPA, Ghost River Theatre, and Driftwood. Their previous plays include the short play The Ballad of Juggler Paul (2024), Optimistic: Elizabeth Holmes (2023) and COARSE: The BrontĂ«s (2021). COARSE is currently in development for a major Canadian and British tour. At the Fringe, Deller has presented their own work, and in 2024 was the associate director of Hamstrung (Pleasance), and Lee and the Black Hole (The Space). Deller explores various forms of oppression and resistance in their work. Dellerâs interest in collective collaboration and devising is a direct reflection of their political values and their belief in the power of play to create surprising and compelling audience experiences.
WRITER:
âBy dayâ, founder and writer Isaac is a Music Supervisor in trailers for film & TV (The Crown, The Witcher, The Gentlemen) and by night heâs a writer, musician, and all-round champion of radical freedom. This is Isaacâs debut show and heâs not holding back; this time in history is no time for half measures.
COMPOSER & MUSICIANS:
Multitasking Music Queer Creature, CĂ©lyne Baudino (they/them) writes for film, live performance, and contemporary classic composition. They love to create immersive music and sound experiences for the public by merging vocal, acoustic, and electronic sounds, using contemporary gestures and unusual timbre. In 2024, CĂ©lyne was a finalist for La Maison du Filmâs Label Compo and nominated for the Cannes Sync Awards. Recently, CĂ©lyne participated in the 3rd Character program at Ghent for the World Soundtrack Awards, Music Meets Film in Tallinn's Black Nights Film Festival and was The Talent Village's Composer for the Les Arcs Festival. With work on numerous short films and animation, CĂ©lyneâs score for Kill the Horse won Best Animated Short at the 2024 Shanghai International Film Festival. At the moment, they are finalizing the sound and musical creation for the interdisciplinary show "Elegy No. 5" for Idylle Production, which will premiere at the Forum Meyrin Theater in Geneva in March 2025.
Isaac & CĂ©lyne are working closely together to craft an unusual and magical score with self-imposed limitations; using one main instrument to craft the majority of the soundtrack, they will show through extended experimental techniques how one does not have to the one expected sound we should make just because weâre confined by a singular âbodyâ.
SELF-MADE will also feature music from the Canadian trans singer-songwriter, T. Thomason plus unreleased music from friend and collaborator, Dutch/British composer and artist, Tessa Rose Jackson.
CAMPAIGN ART:
Tiu Makkonen [she/they]: a photographer from Finland who has been living and working in Scotland for the past decade, balancing both fine art and commercial work mainly in the fields of event, performance and portraiture photography. Tiu is heavily invested in photographing underrepresented communities within Scotland, from grassroots LGBT+ activism to art festivals, underground parties to national calls for action.
REWARDS:
Weâve teamed up with the amazing folks at MADE BY COOPER (makers of the popular âtrans TARDISâ pin badges you may have spotted on David Tennant). Weâve co-created some exclusive designs for the show and the wider movement of spreading the JOY of transness.
The first 50 supporters pledging ÂŁ15 or more will receive a free âSELF-MADEâ enamel pin badge in queer/trans pride flag colours, once we hit our first target.
More exciting designs to come - watch this space!
We are also working with local queer organisations on perks and fundraising events with the community - stay tuned for updates.
