We are Hassan Govia and Chiedza Rwodzi, two London based artists and co-founders of Unshaded Arts.
About Unshaded Arts
Unshaded Arts is a theatre company that was co-founded following our graduation from Mountview, with the aim to shine a light on universal stories driven by marginalised voices. Established in 2018, we have so far produced four full-length plays: Boujie (Drayton Arms Theatre), Bigot (Camden People’s Theatre), Because (The Cockpit) and Strangers and Revelations (Kenya International Theatre Festival), as well as two editions of our new-writing event Universal (Omnibus Theatre).
We have recently started growing our YouTube channel to document our journey as a theatre company, detailing our past and present projects. Subscribe to learn more about us and our work - we will be creating content about our Edinburgh experience so it is a great way to keep abreast of our progress!
About Because and Strangers and Revelations
Because, written and performed by Hassan Govia, premiered at The Cockpit for the Camden Fringe Festival 2024. It is a solo show that explores the long-term impact of bullying, engaging with issues of mortality, masculinity, privilege, and (undiagnosed) mental illness. It centres on a thirtysomething British Caribbean male named Jade who, after receiving some shocking news, spirals into an existential crisis owing to the resurfacing of some painful childhood memories.
Strangers and Revelations, written by Chiedza Rwodzi, began as a short play that was staged for our inaugural Universal event in 2022 before being developed into a one-act play that was first performed at the Kenya International Theatre Festival (KITFest) in 2024. It sees two Zimbabweans based in London, Zodwa and Malcolm, meeting for their first date in unusual circumstances. They flirtatiously connect over shared cultural experiences and their frustrations about the UK dating scene, before things take a darker turn when they reveal more about themselves than they bargained for.
Both plays have been programmed at theSpaceUK for the entire festival run, with Because playing in the Triplex Studio and Strangers and Revelations at Surgeons Hall (Theatre 3).
Why are we bringing these shows to Edinburgh?
Both plays are befitting for our company mission as they provide untapped perspectives within universal narratives fronted by characters that are not usually spotlighted in such stories, particularly within a British context and considering the nuances that each play engages with. For Because, it is the mental health of millennial men of colour and how this can be negatively impacted by experiences of bullying, while Strangers explores mythology, religion, trauma, and the (romantic) dynamics between men and women, specifically through a Southern African lens.
Having self-produced work primarily on the London fringe theatre circuit for nearly seven years, Edinburgh serves as our biggest showcase opportunity to date, especially with regards to an international audience. We are proud to be making our festival debut with these pieces, that each have the potential to bring something new (and necessary) to both the Edinburgh landscape and British theatre at large.
Success at the festival could be paramount in realising our long term goals for each of these shows, which include securing (global) touring opportunities as well as transfers to London SOLT (affiliate) venues. The fact that Edinburgh in August serves as an industry hub means that we will have access to programmers and commissioners like never before, which could hugely benefit the future life of both productions.
However, in order to capitalise on this, we need to produce the highest quality work possible and ensure it stands out amongst the 3000+ shows that will feature at the festival. In order to do that, we have to find a way to meet the upfront financial demands that are consequently incurred, which leads us to…
Costs
Let’s rip the band aid off: Edinburgh is expensive. VERY expensive. And the numbers are rising every year. We probably didn't need to tell you that. Not to mention we are bringing two shows, which effectively doubles our outgoings.
The costliest components of our budget include:
- Venue hire: £7890
£4200 (Triplex) + £3690 (Surgeon’s Hall) - Accommodation: £6400
This is an average of what we have been quoted for accommodation that houses the three actors who will be performing throughout our festival run, as well as our creative team. The most expensive quote we have had so far has totalled £8000, in line with accommodation costs rising by 300% post-pandemic - PR: £5500
This pertains to both shows being priced at £2750 each
This totals to just shy of £20,000, and is not inclusive of the funds needed to pay our creative team, the additional actor we will be working with, alongside print marketing costs (posters / flyers etc) which are a must for the Fringe, and more. Note that we have not budgeted salaries for ourselves as writers, producers and actors of our respective plays, and yet we're still looking at the equivalent of a house deposit...
Ouch.
You can learn more about rising Fringe costs from this article.
We are self-funding where possible and are one of the recipients of the 2025 Keep it Fringe Fund (£2500) for Because which we are absolutely thrilled about, but this only settles a small fraction of our budget.
Taking all of this into account, our crowdfunder target has been set specifically to cover the maximum we have been quoted for accommodation. Anything extra we are gifted will go towards our other financial commitments (and believe us, there are many), so every little really does help.
Personal risk
A project like this obviously comes with a degree of risk to ourselves as pioneers of our work. We ultimately have the most to lose by taking this gamble, including our own money that we have already invested, not to mention that there are no guarantees about what we will achieve at the festival regardless of the hard work we put in. This is understandable - it is a choice we are making at the end of the day.
However, we do believe this is a risk worth taking. We are passionate about bringing something new to Edinburgh audiences (given that it is our festival debut), and doing our part to pave the way for companies that come up behind us in the same way that companies like Talawa and Nouveau Riche have done before us. The bigger the risk, the bigger the reward...
Your support
is crucial for our success and will not go unnoticed. We simply cannot do this on our own. As well as our everlasting gratitude, we are offering some fun incentives for donations received. Please note that in order to claim (any of) these, you will need to select the specific incentive rather than inputting a custom amount. But you are not wired to this and welcome to donate anything you wish – all donations received regardless of the amount will result in you being a named supporter in our programme, unless you advise that you wish to remain anonymous. If you are not in a position to donate - or even if you are - it would help us greatly and be equally impactful for you to share our page with your networks, especially those who may be in a position to and are passionate about supporting the arts.
Why our presence is essential at the Fringe
We are a duo made up of global majority and working class artists. It is no secret that our demographics are mostly in danger of being priced out of a festival with longstanding barriers which pre-date the most recent festival challenges. That 2025 marks our festival debut despite the length of time we have been creating theatre speaks to the difficulties of even considering a Fringe run in years past. In spite of this, we are determined to be a success story for this year’s edition and hope you will be willing to support us in achieving that goal.
Thank you for your consideration, and your vital part in contributing to our EdFringe2025 journey. Subscribe to our YouTube channel and follow our other social media platforms to find out how we get on!