by Ed Fortune
Dan Collins is a musician, storyteller, performer and lifelong fan of science fiction. He’s also the genius behind DUNE! The Musical, which is coming to the Edinburgh Fringe this year following its excellent debut at this year’s CYMERA Festival, Scotland’s most exciting science fiction, fantasy and horror festival. We caught up with Dan to find out more about the show.
STARBURST: How would you pitch Dune! The Musical to someone who’s only heard of the movie?
Dan Collins: Dune! The Musical retells the story of the 1965 sci-fi epic by Frank Herbert. My show takes all the action and themes of the novel and distils them into one hour of musical storytelling. There are references to both David Lynch and Denis Villeneuve’s movies, and I even pay tribute to the Syfy channel miniseries – the best version, by the way -, but my show is not a parody. Make no mistake; you will laugh, but you may well cry too, it’s a challenging experience. Dune! The Musical features fifteen original songs that borrow from a range of influences and take the audience on a journey across the stars and deeper into themselves. It’s a trip!
Why a musical?
It started as a joke; all you have to do to make a musical is add an exclamation mark to a proper noun, for example, Oklahoma! and Oliver! I came up with the quip Dune! The Musical [accompanied by jazz hands] on a quiet afternoon whilst working a retail job, made me chuckle, so I wrote down some lyrics on a notepad. The song was daft and featured an interaction between the young protagonist Paul and his father, Duke Leto. It occurred to me that I could do a lot of exposition in a relatively brief piece without the info dump getting boring. Soon another song came to me, and another, and another. Before long, I had half a dozen songs that offered a basic form of the original idea. By this point, I had started reading the book a second time, taking notes as well as singing them.
How does one man with a guitar fit into the world of Dune?
In the show, I’ll be playing the role of Gurney Halleck; a fan-favourite character first introduced to readers as a troubadour-warrior. Gurney is a friend of the powerful Atreides family, who employ him for his unwavering loyalty and knife-fighting prowess but most of all for his singing and playing of the baliset, an instrument which fits the description of a Baroque Guitar. Incidentally, the baliset is first mentioned on page one! Thus far, Hollywood adaptations of Dune have presented Gurney Halleck as quite a stern figure like Patrick Stewart and Josh Brolin, but I read him as playful and funny, attributes he uses to deflect from the tragic past that haunts him. Gurney is present for much of the story of Dune, and in fact, the other characters in the novel frequently reference his in-universe musical works. I felt compelled to explore his perspective, and the more I played the more it worked.
Surely if you play with rhythm, you’ll attract the worm?
This was always a concern. The last thing we need is a sandworm showing up. Thankfully Scotland is damp enough to keep them away! They’re not awfully keen on water after all 😉
Why this show and why now?
There is an urgency to the creativity I experience; some things just have to be done. Simply put, the book spoke to me. Here is a story about facing fear, overcoming the odds and subverting expectations. Dune has inspired countless artists through the years by challenging them to wake up, question authority and think for themselves. I’d like to quote T.E. Lawrence, one of the real-world inspirations for the book;
“All men dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake up in the day to find it was vanity, but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dreams with open eyes to make it possible.”
What is the appeal of the Edinburgh Fringe?
There’s nothing like it. I moved to Edinburgh in 2005, and at the age of 18 had never heard of the Edinburgh Fringe or festival. Over the years, I’ve got to know it as a busker, as a spectator and reviewer, and as a friend to actors, comedians and FOH. It’s always a blast! The city transforms for 3 weeks and becomes a fulcrum upon which the art world turns. The Edinburgh Fringe is a very open-minded festival, and over the years, I have seen some incredible performances in venues that range from castles to closets. Anything is possible at the Edinburgh Fringe!
Really, the entire book in one hour? How?
Yes, the whole book! In total, my show has just over 5000 words, including song lyrics. During the writing process, I had to make choices to omit certain subplots or scenes, as all adaptations do. There were some songs that didn’t make the final edit, even songs that I consider to be among my favourites. I had to be strict; unless they serve the plot, they have no place in the show! It was a challenge to work the story down into meaningful chunks without losing the essence. The secret to this feat lies in the magical ability of music to warp our perception of time and emotion.
Why theatre? What does theatre bring to this story that other formats don’t?
Previous adaptations of Dune have tried to project the scale of Dune’s universe onto the silver screen with big effects, big stars and big budgets. Theatre is about bringing fire down from the mountain, taking the divine and making it human; it’s here at eye level that you and I can make a connection and share this story with all its pathos and absurdity. In the cinema, we sit back; my audience leans forward .
What other sci-fi stories do you really like?
I’m a long-time fan of the Hyperion cantos by Dan Simmons, particularly the first two books in the series. The scale of Simmons’ world-building and vision astounded me the first time I read it, and I enjoy the conclusion of the narrative so much that I’m currently listening to it again on audible. I also really like the classic sci-fi writer Arthur C. Clarke whose work straddles the scientific and the supernatural with expert precision; go read The Star.
There are thousands of shows at the fringe. Why should STARBURST readers seek this out?
If you’re a fan of Dune, you will love Dune! The Musical. It was written for you, and in fact, the more you know about the franchise, the more you’ll get from my show!
If you don’t know Dune that well, you will love Dune! The Musical. It was written to be accessible and enjoyable for everyone open to the experience!
Early audiences have loved the show, and after debuting it at the Cymera Science Fiction Festival, we’ve already been invited back next year. The songs will ring in your head for days, maybe weeks after and best of all; it’s part of the PBH Free Fringe, so you pay by donation.
Why wait for Villeneuve’s sequel? Come to Dune! The Musical and experience the story for yourself.
What was the hardest part to do?
I wrote the songs before the narration, and after settling on the tracklist, I started writing the speech that fills the gaps between the tunes. At this point, I was painfully aware of how much time remained to play with, and I calculated a words-per-minute goal to make sure all the key information was included in the allotted time. As they say, the value is in the edit, not the draft!
What’s your next project?
A little part of me wants to skip to book 4 of the Dune series, God Emperor of Dune, in the hope that James McAvoy will reprise his role as Leto II and join me on stage. I also like the idea of Cube! The Musical, but unfortunately, as far as I can tell, that film doesn’t have an oven-ready bard character for me to hijack. Whatever comes next, I’m open to the challenge, I feel I’ve learned so much with this project, and I can’t wait to see what’s around the corner!
Where can we see the show?
Dune! The Musical is playing from August 5th -27th – there are no shows on Monday and Tuesday, and Saturday 12th – at Slow Progress Records & Coffee at 53 Blackfriar’s Street. It’s right in the centre of Edinburgh, just off the Royal Mile, and the couple who run it are wonderful people!
