Edinburgh Fringe Chats (#10): Bill Schaumberg, THREE CHICKENS CONFRONT EXISTENCE

8 Jun

Conducted by Emmie for Theatre and Tonic

As anticipation builds for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2025, we’re catching up with a range of exciting creatives who are preparing to bring their work to the world’s largest arts festival this August. In this series, we delve into the stories behind the shows, the inspiration that drives the artists, and what audiences can expect.

Today, we’re joined by Writer and Director Bill Schaumberg to find out more about Three Chickens Confront Existence.

1. Can you begin by telling us about your show and what inspired it?

Our show follows three factory-farmed chickens as they passionately explore their comically impossible situation–awaiting their imminent trip to the broiler. They engage in debates, games, feuds and emotional experiments, in search of peace of mind and a greater sense of purpose. I came up with the initial concept years ago when I was going through my own period of (what felt like at the time) urgent existential and spiritual seeking. While at a party a friend of mine told me about a book he was reading on chicken factory farming and I instinctively blurted out “that’s the perfect setting for a tragicomic play about a “consciousness” attempting to find a glimmer of light and meaning in one of the most horrific environments imaginable! I was curious what it would take to say “yes” to life in an existence as bleak as this one. I promise you, despite the grim subject matter, it’s funny!

2. What made you want to bring this work to the Fringe this year?

I’ve always dreamed of taking a play to the Fringe, and something about extravagantly costumed chicken characters trapped in cages felt particularly fitting for the Fringe. We premiered it at last year’s festival (Ed Fringe 2024), where we played a sold-out run and received some fantastic press, which included a feature on the cover of the Sunday Scotsman. Fortunately, we were able to bring the show back this year, this time to a theatre twice the size as last year. We’re hoping this return to the Fringe will expose the play to a broader audience and help it find a life beyond Edinburgh.

3. How would you describe your show in three words?

Comedy, Catharsis, Confinement.

4. What do you hope audiences take away from watching your performance?

I hope audiences will find themselves surprised by how much they share in common with these chickens. At the end of the day, no matter what hand we’ve been dealt, we can’t escape the simple truth that we’re all going to die and we don’t know when. Unlike most of
us who have many seasoned methods for distracting ourselves from this unsettling truth, these characters are trapped and literally can’t look away from it. At this moment in time, it feels as important as ever to come together in person and have a shared cathartic experience where we can laugh wildly at our human situation, as presented by adorably feathered actors, and maybe cry a bit too.

5. What’s your top tip for surviving the Fringe?

I recommend having some type of daily routine or activity that is grounding and has nothing to do with the festival. Last year, the people we were staying with had a dog and they let me take her for daily walks, which I found so comforting.

6. Where and when can people see your show?

Performance Dates: 31st July–24th August 2025 (not 11th,18th), 17:20

Location: Underbelly Cowgate (Belly Button), 61 Cowgate, Edinburgh, EH1 1JX

Show Link: https://underbellyedinburgh.co.uk/event/3-chickens-confront-existence