EDINBURGH FRINGE 2024
Interview
DAN
HAZELWOOD
ASCENSION
Bedlam Theatre - Bedlam Theatre
THEATRE / LGBTQ+ / HISTORY
Aug 3-11, 13-18, 20-26: TICKETS
AUG 3, 2024
Dan Hazelwood adapts the haunting diary entries of 18th century sailor Leendert Hasenbosch for the stage. Marooned on Ascension Island for the crime of sodomy, Lee must tame the island's unforgiving terrain, along with the demons that followed him ashore. As the odds of his survival steadily decline, he struggles to find a balance between his faith and his romantic desires, all the while spiralling into recklessness and desperation. Using Lee's diary as a guide, Ascension tells a heart-rending story of queer identity from centuries ago that can be felt just as keenly today.
Hello Dan, lovely to talk with you between shows, how have your previews been going?
Hiya, previews have been great thank you, and we are so happy to have officially started our performances at Edinburgh Fringe 2024. We are really enjoying sharing this story with the lovely audiences we have had so far.
Reading some of the audiences reviews has been incredible, did you imagine Ascension would connect with a fringe audience the way it has?
I've always felt that Leendert's story has a lot of relatability for modern audiences even though it is set almost 300 years ago, but I am being consistently overwhelmed by the positive reactions to my play, from audiences as well as in the rehearsal rooms. There is something very special as a writer, hearing people speak about this play and it's characters as things that really do exist, when they once existed as just a seed in my head. It is very flattering and I'm having the best time.
What does it mean to you to have Ascension at Edinburgh Fringe and Bedlam theatre?
I've been addicted to Edinburgh Fringe since my first visit here in 2017. For me, there's no other place like it. Performing here is a massive privilege, and I wouldn't have been able to do it without a range of invaluable support, so it means so much to me that I'm able to be here sharing Ascension. I've also been fortunate to work alongside an incredibly talented creative team, including the brilliant actor Conor Mainwaring, all of whom have played essential roles in bringing this show from vision to execution.
I'm also so pleased to be performing at Bedlam Theatre. It's a beautiful space with great seating, great sightlines, and a really nice atmosphere. I was told last week it's basically the Olivier of Edinburgh; there's no bad seats! Being a converted church, it also lends itself well to the religious themes of Ascension.
How did you discover Leendert Hasenbosch' diaries and what was it about his terrible ordeal that inspired you to adapt his story into a play?
I first found out about Leendert's story on a late night Wikipedia deep dive into historical castaways. I was particularly drawn to Lee's story, as he was exiled due to his sexuality. As a queer person myself, if I were alive at the same time, I might have been subject to the same fate as him, or worse. Similarly, if Lee had been alive today, his life would have been very different, and I was interested to explore this idea.
I bought a book which contained Lee's diaries and the background of his life, and upon reading them I felt there was a story in there to be told as a play. I'm so thankful to the work of Michael Koolbergen and Alex Ritsema, without whose research this play would have been impossible to create.
What Leendert Hasenbosch went through is unimaginable cruel, how did you manage to find the humour in such a dark and heartbreaking story?
I think when telling the story of somebody's life, there is always room for a little humour. We all experience ups and downs in our lives, and the queer community have always found room to laugh through less than ideal circumstances, and find joy in the corners we have historically been allowed to inhabit.
"I think being both playwright and actor in the rehearsal room can be difficult, but it's important to compartmentalise."
What was the biggest challenge you faced adapting this story into a play and bringing it to the stage?
One of the big challenges while adapting Lee's story has been finding a balance between my own original writing, and his diary entries, which are in the play as they were written. I have often felt throughout this process that Leendert and I are co-writers of this play, and that I also take on the role of editor and curator of the play as a whole.
It's been an interesting challenge for me, finding parallels between his and my own writing. The two run throughout the play concurrently and finding moments of cohesion while still telling a story that is relatable to modern audiences has been a puzzle, and a puzzle I've really enjoyed figuring out! It's also worth acknowledging that Leendert originally wrote his diaries in Dutch and sometimes things can get a little lost in translation, and as the original diaries are now lost, we have to rely on these translations.
Had you always intended on playing "Lee" and how did you balance your role as playwright with that of actor?
It has always been my intention to play Lee, yes. Partly because I genuinely want to as an actor, but also because the acting industry at the moment is very difficult without an established platform, and creating your own work is a great way to get to play these meatier roles. I also feel a kinship with Leendert, and feel in an unusual way that it is my responsibility to play him, having written the play on his life.
I think being both playwright and actor in the rehearsal room can be difficult, but it's important to compartmentalise. I had to put total trust in my director, Max Lindsay. He knows what works and what doesn't, and we had a lot of conversations about edits and cuts. It was really useful as the writer in the room to not be too precious about my writing, and allow other people to have an opinion, while still maintaining the heart of the story as the writer.
Reading up on Leendert Hasenbosch story I found that the treatment he went through was a pretty standard punishment for gay men accused of sodomy in the 18th Century, yet the wider LGBTQ+ community isn't focusing much time/effort on exploring these real, lived, lives and experiences. What can the community do to showcase more gay history?
Yes, what happened to Leendert was just one of many persecutions of queer people throughout history. He was lucky in some ways that he was given a chance to live, by being marooned with basic provisions, rather than thrown overboard like they might have done with others.
So much of queer history is lost, as queer people had to keep their communications and identities a secret. I am reminded of a love letter from one man to another in the 1930s, which we have access to only because it was found during a raid on a gay men's gathering and entered into official records as evidence of criminal activity.
I think that archival projects are really useful in the preservation of queer stories in history. By creating and supporting dedicated LGBTQ+ archives, we can collect and preserve historical documents, photographs, and personal stories. Without previous researchers painstakingly trawling through 18th century historical records, I wouldn't have had the groundwork to start my play based on Leendert's life. It's important for people to have access to these kinds of records, so that when somebody like me comes along, we can write plays and adapt these stories and give them the exposure they deserve.
What would you say has been the most valuable thing you've taken from this whole project and how much will this influence your future approach to theatre?
Writing this play has really taught me the value of a strong structure. Having a clear framework to guide the narrative while allowing room for emotional and thematic exploration has been invaluable. This lesson will certainly influence my future projects, as I now have a deeper appreciation for the balance between structure and creative freedom in storytelling.
And finally, what would you like your audiences to take away from Ascension?
Ascension is a modern play with a historical setting. I'd like people to leave with an interest in the human stories of people who lived in the past, and a curiosity for how external influences changed the way they were able to live their lives, and how they continue to influence the way we view the world today. Thanks for having me today!