Allyson Stack Archives

We Went There?!

They say You Can’t Go Back Again, but with the help of a full house at Woodland Creatures, we proved them wrong, didn’t we?!

Thanks to our brilliant featured guests, Allyson Stack, Daniel Shand, and Elise Hadgraft, for helping us avoid the dreaded “difficult second album” syndrome. Thanks to our excellent volunteer performers. And thanks to our intrepid “Edith” and “Harry” for submitting to Jacques’ Big Two-Hander.

Thanks again to our co-Interrobanger Jacques Tsiantar for guiding Edith and Harry through our recurring bit, and for handling the sound desk. Thanks also to Ricky’s bandmates in Nerd Bait, Stephanie and Paul, for providing music at the last minute when Katharine Macfarlane couldn’t join us through illness. We’re really looking forward to having her for series 2! And thanks to our good pal, Tonsy for these awesome photos! And finally, thanks to the folks at Woodland Creatures for taking such good care of all of us.

...without a time machine, this time — Harry and Edith, happy we’re all going to get to do this AGAIN

Most of all, thanks to our audience for equaling the enthusiasm displayed at the INTERROBANG?! premiere!

As announced at the show, the next INTERROBANG?! is going to be a very special festive episode. Bring your loudest voices, your Christmas jumpers, and five minutes of your own material on… what?! Keep checking in here, and on our Twitter or Facebook for more details as they emerge. It’s going to be super-exciting, and we can’t wait to share it all with you!

Synchronise watches for 7pm on 9 Dec! — See you… SOON!

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The Interrobang Interrogation – Allyson Stack

The first of our featured guests for Interrobang – You Can’t Go Back Again, Allyson Stack, has taken a few minutes to complete The Interrobang Interrogation. Let’s find out more…

Well, this seems very civilized... — Allyson’s interrogation begins

Allyson Stack was educated at Yale, Arizona State and has a PhD from the University of Edinburgh. She is a former screenwriter and now teaches English Literature and Creative Writing at the University of Edinburgh. Her work has appeared in magazines and journals in the US and UK and she was nominated for a Pushcart Prize in 2012. Her acclaimed 2016 novel, Under the Heartless Blue is available from Freight Books.

And here’s how she answered our questions:

?!: The theme of Interrobang #2 is You Can’t Go Back Again. Is there anywhere you can’t go back again?

AS: BEING CHILDLESS—i.e., to never having been a mum.

?!: And where would you like to go for the first time?

AS: INDIA.

?!: What song would you like as your entry music? Or should we just choose something?

AS: JUST CHOOSE SOMETHING.

?!: Here’s what we’ve chosen. Maybe Allyson will let us know on 4th November why it is – or isn’t – appropriate…

?!: What are your favourite and least favourite words?

AS: CAN’T CHOOSE FAVOURITES. IT WOULD BE LIKE PICKING A FAVOURITE CHILD.

?!: Anything else you’d like to share with us?

…

Thanks a lot to Allyson for indulging Interrobang’s Interrogation. Come along to Interrobang – You Can’t Go Back Again on 4th November and find out whether whether we’ve picked the right tune!

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You Can’t Go Back Again?!

After a riotous First Time, and the great reception we received for our set at the Oxjam Festival, INTERROBANG?! is back again on 4th November with…

Eh? Oh. — ..INTERROBANG: You Can’t Go Back Again?! – Woodland Creatures, 7pm

As veterans of the first show will know, INTERROBANG?! is democratic spoken word & music and meritocratic prizes. It’s a land of exclamation and question making and all the nuances in between.

Interrobang 0.2 is four more invited and established writers and performers, as well as three audience members who have brought along 5 minutes of material and been pulled out of the hat. And the return of Novella Award Nominee JACQUES TSIANTAR and JACQUES’ BIG TWO-HANDER! They’ll all be entertaining us on the topic YOU CAN’T GO BACK AGAIN.

Disclaimer: he won't be there. — He’ll be there!

Your hosts Beth Cochrane and Ricky Monahan Brown feel honoured to be doing the honours for ALLYSON STACK, DANIEL SHAND, ELISE HADGRAFT, and KATHARINE MACFARLANE.

But we need you, too – after You Can’t Go Back Again, there will be only one more, extra-special, super-secret show in INTERROBANG?!’s preview season. And your participation and feedback will help us find out more about what, exactly, INTERROBANG?! is.

Disclaimer: he won't be there, either. — He’ll be there, too!

Connect with us here, on Twitter @InterrobangEdin, on Instagram, and on Facebook. And if you’re one of those millennial types who doesn’t carry cash, you can get your tickets for INTERROBANG: You Can’t Go Back Again?! on Eventbrite.

It’s gonna be like Elvis’s ’68 comeback special – you’ll want to say you were there!

A bunch of Interrobangers — OK. When Beth and Ricky come on, I need you to scream!

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