Interview: Snap the Arrow, Fringe 2026

Edinburgh-based production company Snap the Arrow returns to the Fringe this August with a diverse triple-bill that includes an industry-first: a UK-wide comedy tour staged exclusively in independent record shops. While their award-winning magic show Fake returns following its 2026 Prague Fringe success, the company is generating new buzz with Alastair Clark’s On the Record, hosted at Slow Progress Records & Coffee (8–30 August). The production forms part of a dedicated circuit for record store comedy, believed to be the first of its kind, offering a unique alternative to traditional club environments.

We sat down with producer Rhys Williamson to discuss the challenges of managing three distinct productions, Fake, Heist, and On the Record, and how the team navigates the unique pressures of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe on home turf.

Snap the Arrow is proudly Edinburgh-based. How does operating on home turf alter your approach to the Fringe compared to the thousands of acts travelling up for the month?

I think the real opportunity for us is being able to mobilise local knowledge and local networks. Having friends in the city means we have people who’ll come and see the show and become ambassadors for it. A show can’t live or die on that alone, but those first audiences can give you the momentum to get ahead. Both of Chris’ shows this year are about art and art crime, so we’ve also been able to reach out to local galleries and creative groups. That’s been a really nice way of connecting with people beyond the usual Fringe audience. Then there’s the practical side of it. You know the little alleys to cut through, where to find decent food late at night, and how to escape the crowds for a bit. Those are small things, but over the course of the Edinburgh Fringe they make a big difference.

We caught Fake last year and enjoyed the 2025 run. For anyone who saw it then, how has the show evolved over the last twelve months, and what will surprise returning audiences?

It’s a much tighter show now. Chris has a reputation for overrunning, but moving to Gilded Balloon meant we knew we had to tighten everything up. I don’t want people to think that means they’re getting less show. If anything, they’re getting more of the good bits. Over the last few months we’ve looked at every line and every transition and asked what it contributes. I think the pacing is much stronger because of that. The show has always been hugely inspired by Orson Welles’ F for Fake, with its quick cuts and fast editing, and we’ve tried to capture more of that spirit. The new opening throws you straight into the action. We’re also lucky to have a fantastic technical set-up at Gilded Balloon, so we’ve been able to get much more creative with lighting and sound. That’s probably what I’m most excited for returning audiences to experience.

You are adding Heist and On the Record to the roster this year. Balancing three distinct productions is a heavy undertaking. How do you physically and mentally switch gears between the different shows each day?

Ultimately, the three shows all have different demands. Chris wants to achieve different things with Fake than he does with Heist, and Alastair’s ambitions for On the Record are different again. I think it would be really difficult to try and do everything at once, which can sometimes be the temptation during the Fringe. One of the first questions I ask artists is, “What’s your audacious goal for this Fringe?” It might be ticket sales or donations. It might be reaching a certain percentage capacity, getting reviews, winning awards or finding a tour afterwards. Once you know what success looks like for that particular project, it’s much easier to make decisions about where your time and energy should go.

Heist implies a certain level of tension, risk, and misdirection. What sensory elements – lighting, sound, or audience interaction – have you built into the performance to put the crowd in that specific mindset?

I wouldn’t want to spoil too many of the surprises. What I can say is that, like all of Chris’ shows, the audience become an essential part of making everything work, often without even realising it. Watching that unfold from the tech box is going to be really exciting, although probably quite stressful at times. Working on a show about heists has also been great fun because there are so many tropes we can play with. There are twists, moments of suspense and musical references that audiences will recognise. Chris starts the show by playing guitar, which immediately creates a particular atmosphere before everything else begins.

On the Record is coming to Slow Progress Cafe and Records as part of what is essentially a UK-wide record shop comedy tour. Performing high-fidelity stand-up between the vinyl racks of independent shops is a unique circuit. How does the reality and crowd dynamic of these intimate retail spaces compare to a traditional comedy club environment?

It’s a very different audience with a very different set of expectations. People haven’t necessarily come because they’re stand-up fans. They’ve come because they love the shop and they’re part of that community. They might not be familiar with some of the techniques the show is playing with, and I quite like that. You’re also right there with everyone. There’s no distance between performer and audience. You can see every reaction, which makes it more intimate and sometimes a little more awkward, but that’s part of what makes it special. Performing a show about record shops inside the spaces that inspired it feels right. If you’re someone who loves independent record shops or vinyl culture, there’s something really satisfying about experiencing the show in that environment.

Chris is often the face on stage, but Rhys, you are deeply involved in the machinery of these shows. How does the creative dynamic between the two of you actually work when building a new concept from scratch?

It’s surprisingly difficult to know where a show actually begins. At any one time we’ve probably got half a dozen ideas we’d love to make, but the ones that happen tend to be the ones that connect with what’s going on in our lives or what we’re curious about at that moment. This year Heist felt like the right companion piece to Fake. They’re both about art crime, but they explore that world in completely different ways. A lot of our ideas begin with things we’ve seen. When we started working together back in 2014, we saw Red Bastard, and it completely changed the way we thought about theatre. Not because of the audience interaction, but because it made us ask a much bigger question: can a show genuinely change the way someone looks at their own life? That’s become part of the philosophy behind a lot of what we make. The initial idea for Heist came after seeing Werewolf in 2024. It’s an extraordinary piece of theatre. We didn’t want to make our own version of Werewolf; it simply gave us permission to think differently. We spent years throwing around ideas, sharing stories and following whatever fascinated us. By the time we arrived at the finished show, almost everything had changed. That’s usually how our work develops. It starts with a conversation rather than a plan.

August in the city centre can be relentless. When the Royal Mile gets overwhelming, where is your preferred local spot in Edinburgh, perhaps down by the water or away from the Old Town, to grab a quiet pint or just escape the noise?

For me it’s less about finding a particular pub and more about getting back into nature. I’m staying near Arthur’s Seat this year, so being able to go for a walk or a run before the city properly wakes up is really important. That’s something I’d do with my normal, much less stressful day job, and during the Fringe it becomes even more valuable. It’s very easy to lose your routines in August. Having somewhere that exists outside the Fringe, even if it’s only for an hour, helps remind you that there’s still a real city carrying on around all the madness.

If you had to recommend just one of the three shows to an Edinburgh local who only ventures into the Fringe madness once a year, which would it be and why?

I’d probably say Heist, simply because it’s the new shiny thing. Fake and On the Record are both returning shows, and I’m incredibly proud of what they’ve become. But I really enjoy that stage where you don’t quite know what a new piece is yet. Every audience teaches you something and every performance changes it a little. We were really conscious that Chris was doing two shows this year, so we wanted them to feel completely different. Fake is polished and slick because it’s had a year to evolve. Heist is much more frenetic and fluid, which feels right for a show about pulling off an impossible theft. Ask me again at the end of August and I’ll probably give you a different answer, because I suspect Heist will have become a different show by then.

How to Catch Snap the Arrow at Edinburgh Fringe 2026

If you want to catch any of Snap the Arrow’s roster this August, booking details and venue schedules are listed below:

• Fake
  • Venue: Gilded Balloon Teviot (The Den)
  • Dates & Times: 5–31 August (not 17 August) at 1:40pm (13:40)
  • Tickets & Details: Gilded Balloon Box Office or EdFringe Listing
• Heist: How to Steal a Masterpiece
  • Venue: The Voodoo Rooms (Speakeasy)
  • Dates & Times: 8–30 August (not 17 August) daily at 6:45pm
  • Tickets & Details: EdFringe Listing
• Alastair Clark: On the Record
  • Venue: Slow Progress Records & Coffee (Blackfriars Street)
  • Dates & Times: 8–30 August
  • Tickets & Details: EdFringe Listing