Hello Richard, so where are you from & where are you at, geographically
speaking?
Basically – North London – once lived in Sheffield and now in Lewes near Brighton.

When did you first find yourself getting into the dramatic arts?
During the summer holidays I joined the Junior Drama League but was too shy
to act so just did the tech stuff. However at University I joined the drama society and became one of their leading actors.

What for you makes a good piece of theatre?
A good story well told helps – but then I’ve seen great work that has little
story but was hair-raising and brilliant. So it has to touch the human condition somehow.

When did you first realise you could write for the stage?
I’ve never really thought about it – it’s just something I have occasionally done usually out of necessity – I’ve also written Kids books and worked as a Scriptwriter/script Doctor in the film industry for a bit.

Which playwrights have inspired you?
Shakespeare of course, Becket (love), Rattigan (great craftsman, really
underrated), Lopa De Vega, Durramat, Mamet, Miller.

When it comes to theatre, you are quite the polymath, but for you which are the most interesting & exciting aspects of the stage?
I just love the magic of theatre and the immediacy of it. I love working with scripts best of all I think.

You will be bringing Golem to Edinburgh this August, can you tell us about the play?
I’ve been mucking about with the Golem story for years. It’s one of the first monster stories – man screws around with nature to create something they hope will save them only for it to run amok – that sort of thing.

What compelled you to weave Judaism into the Frankenstein story?
Actually it’s much older than the Frankenstein story and an academic friend told me that it was the source material for Frankenstein. I also wanted to explore religious fanaticism and thought the Golem story was a good way in. Also I am Jewish so I understand it’s some of its rituals and beliefs from the inside (I think).

What emotive responses do you expect from your audience?
On a basic level, I want them to feel they have got their money’s worth. I
also hope that people will look at the things that they hold true in their lives and question them. I do believe that this version is really relevant to what is happening in the world today.

What does the rest of 2017 hold in store for Richard Waring?
Fun – got a couple of theatre sets to design and build, some teaching and I’ve got a few Golem bookings – including one in Spain!

You can catch Richard in Golem throughout the last week of the Fringe

Sweet Grassmarket : Aug 21-27(20:20)