My Festival: Jo Mango

A Giant on the Bridge is a fantastic genre-hopping gig as well as a spell-binding piece of theatre - so you get multiple artforms in one! - and it draws on the real-life experiences of hundreds of people whose viewpoints are usually hidden. It’s truly unlike anything else you’ll see at the Fringe, with performances from five of Scotland’s best songwriters and performers in folk, indie, hip hop and pop. And it’s on in the morning too, so you could have experienced both music and theatre all before lunch time!

What will we learn from your show that we didn’t know before?

You’ll learn about the hidden heartbeat of a prison-homecoming experience from five very different perspectives. You’ll learn a bit about how crafting songs is done, and how people use creativity to cope with difficult situations. You’ll find out what happened when the giant crossed the bridge. And, not to forget -what does happen if you press the “F***-It” button?!?

Who or what was the biggest inspiration for your show?

The show was entirely inspired by the hundreds of people we worked with who have experience with the criminal justice system – some in prison awaiting release, their families on the other side, some workers in the system who try and support these transitions, some who have been harmed by crime, the songwriters and artists who attempt to use their craft to help - their fortitude, wisdom, their long-suffering and above all, their humanity, under a very complex and difficult system.

What’s the best review you’ve ever had, and the worst?

My favourite review is also probably the worst review I’ve ever had, so those are probably sort of one and the same thing! The Daily Mail once wrote that my show had “too many songs about monkeys”. I can promise, hand on heart, that there are no songs about monkeys in A Giant on the Bridge.

Who or what are you most excited about seeing this year?

Friends of the show are involved in Dear Billy, which we will definitely be hopping along to after ours is finished. The other Made in Scotland showcases will be brilliant too – like Stumped, a mini opera about mythology and deforestation.

What are the best and worst things that have happened to you at a festival?

In Edinburgh, a dog once chewed through the power cables on stage while I was playing. And at a festival in Japan a massive spider slowly inched its way down onto the stage via a long thread positioned directly above my head. I moved out of its direct line of descent, but it then landed on the stage, started running amok and climbed up my trouser leg while I tried to play the guitar. Also at a festival though, I got to play my songs while hundreds of people released floating lanterns up into the endless dusky night sky. That was incredibly beautiful.

What’s the first thing you do in the morning and the last thing you do at night?

The last thing I do at night is faff about with my pillow - it’s just never comfy enough! The first thing I do in the morning is fend off a small three year-old who wants to strangle me with attempted cuddles.

A Giant on the Bridge, Assembly Roxy, 10.40am, until 18 August