Beth Beaden has taken some time away to talk to me about the upcoming show taking part in the Lambeth Fringe.
Name of show and Venue details:
Show name: Magic Alan
Venue: The Golden Goose Theatre, Camberwell
Date/time: 10th-11th October, 2025, 8.30pm
What was the inspiration behind your show?
Beth had been sitting on this one for a while. She used to work in events – anyone who works in events knows that the high-stakes/low-stakes environment of that world is fertile ground for comedy. She met a lot of fun characters through that experience, including a couple of magicians, who were all sort of waiting in the toolbox, as it were. One night we were discussing comedic scenarios as a company, and our talented Producers Natasha and Ben, and Beth (not a Producer), started riffing around the idea of an accidental Dr Faustus. She wrote the first draft of the show in a bit of a playwriting fever after that. (Think that’s the medical term).
How long has your production been in progress?
If we’re talking length, we’d probably say about four to four and a half metres. That’s around a hundred and seventy seven inches, give or take. But who’s counting anyway! We’ve had the script since March, but the show has grown so much since then. The team are incredibly detail-orientated when it comes to finding playfulness in every moment of this show; adding jokes, physical gags, and some wonderful character comedy. Our Director, Nicole, is a comedy genius. There’s no downtime in this show – it’s a high-energy, high-chaos romp from start to finish.
Where are you planning on taking the play next?
After premiering at the Lambeth Fringe, Three Fiends will be taking Magic Alan on the road (keep an eye on our Instagram for more details). Our company ethos is all about creativity and play, so there’s no doubt that Magic Alan will grow and change as it moves. Don’t miss out on being one of the first to catch the original show in London!
What would you like audiences to take away from your show
A stitch. From laughing, not from running or anything, or like, push ups. We won’t make you do push ups. We could, but we won’t. But we could. An awful lot of real affection and genuine joy has gone into bringing Magic Alan to life. We hope that audiences feel that too when they come and see the show!
What are you looking forward to most about performing your show?
Improved knee strength, cool bruises, finding out whether or not we’ve caught bird flu from the props. Hopefully some chuckles from the audience.
Why did you choose your particular Fringe venue?
We’re big fans of The Golden Goose Theatre. It’s the perfect space for the kind of lightly-immersive, intimate, high-energy atmosphere we want to create.
Which shows at the Fringe are you planning on watching?
So many! We’re comedy addicts, so we’ll be trying to catch as much comedy at the Fringe as possible. CatGPT, The Vampire Run, Willy Witches, and Boy Band are just a few of the shows we’re hoping to see.
Have you had any major hurdles to overcome to get this production on the stage?
- Finding a disturbed enough taxidermy pigeon.
- Working out how to set Alan on fire without killing him.
- Sourcing an acapella children’s hip hop group.
What other productions have you previously been involved with?
This is Three Fiends Theatre’s first show as a company. But there’s plenty more where that came from! If you like the sound of Magic Alan, we have good news for you: we have several other shows in the works for 2026, so keep an eye on our socials to find out more! If you want, you could set up a Google alert for the word ‘Alan’. This will enable you to access real-time updates on any web content related to people called Alan. Just a quick tip there for you.
Theatre, Art and Film Reviews 
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