With the Edinburgh Fringe fast coming up, I managed to grab a few moments with Connor Ratliff (The Marvelous Mrs Maisel, Orange is the New Black, and Dead Eyes), who’s performing in not one, not two, but THREE Star Wars-themed shows this year.
One of those shows is the very popular, and critically acclaimed The George Lucas Talk Show – which I cannot wait to go and see at this year’s Fringe!
B: Hi Connor! How are you feeling in the run-up to the Fringe?
Connor: Super stressed! Not about performing, just all the practical stuff. I’m worried about the million things that can go wrong and about how much debt I’ve accumulated. I can’t wait to start doing shows so I can hopefully have something to feel good about.
B: I really appreciate your honesty – I’m a worrier, myself, so I sympathise! You’ve got three shows running this year – that must take a hecka lot of organisation, and also stamina, am I right?
Connor: It’s a lot. But I figured if I’m going to fly across the ocean, it’s better to go all-in, right?
B: Right! What made you first come up with the idea of The George Lucas Talk Show?
Connor: I used to do a “George Lucas” character to amuse my friends, and then when I started doing comedy shows at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in New York, it occurred to me that he’s the least likely person to host a chat show. It was immediately fun to do, talking to people as “George.”
B: Can you give us any clue about some of the guests we can expect on the show at this year’s Fringe?
Connor: Truly, I leave that to our producer, Patrick, who books the guests. We’re still finalizing the line-ups and all of my attention has been focused on getting the play ready.
B: Is there anyone who hasn’t yet been on the show who you’d really love to feature?
Connor: I always like it when we have guests who seem like they have no obvious connection to the world of George Lucas, so it forces me to discover what the link is. One of my go-to examples for that on my wish list used to be Lizzo, but now she plays a character in The Mandalorian! Martin Short would be a dream guest. Another show we would love to do would be to have Mark Hamill on but never mention Star Wars, just talk about his work as a voice actor for animation and the legacy of the greatest voice actors of all time. I think it would be a great deep-dive episode of GLTS.
B: Hahah, I love the idea of Mark Hamill on the show! That would be utterly brilliant, and now I really want that to happen! Because I’m really curious… have you asked the real retired filmmaker George Lucas to appear on the show? Or would that cause some sort of inner dimensional implosion?
Connor: I would love it. We reached out when we did Sketchfest in San Francisco and got a very thoughtful response from his people. It wasn’t a form letter rejection, it really seemed like they considered it. What I would love about it is that the comedic possibilities are tremendous but I think we could also end up having a very substantial conversation that a journalist interviewing him might not get. In any case, the door is forever open to the real George to come on the show. Or to send us a video message!
B: The show’s been running since 2014 now, hasn’t it?
Connor: Yeah, our 10th anniversary is next year. Which is also when George turns 80 and Watto turns 25.
B: Hahahah! And he’s a very handsome young man, too. What are some of your favourite moments from the show so far – and do you think we can outdo that at this year’s Fringe?
Connor: It all blurs together but at a recent show Amy Irving kissed George mid-show and then we took the entire audience outside to walk a few blocks to all simultaneously cross Delancey Street in an homage to her 1988 movie, Crossing Delancey. We try to make each show feel different, so I’m hoping that all 4 of our Friday night talk shows at Fringe find their own weird, never-to-be-repeated rhythms.
B: Well, I’m really looking forward it, and also The Baron and the Junk Dealer! Another show with a Star Wars feel, it’s been described as ‘Waiting for Godot in Space’! What made you come up with the idea for this one, and what can we expect from the show? I read that this one and The George Lucas Talk Show are connected in a really fun way – so of course I had to arrange to see both! Can you tell us how they’re connected, or will I just have to wait to find out?
Connor: I thought it would be fun to see our versions of George and Watto do a play. But I didn’t want the joke to be, “oh, they’re bad at it.” I didn’t want it to feel like a spoof. When I first showed Griffin the script, he said that the central joke was that the play was actually good.
The names “George Lucas” and “Watto” are never mentioned in the text of the play, nor is there any direct reference to Star Wars. I wanted the play to be layered so it could mean different things to different people but still make some kind of weird sense to a person who just bought a ticket not knowing anything about it.
B: You don’t have to be a Star Wars fan to appreciate this one, am I right? But it does have violence and strong language, which are things I’m definitely a fan of, so I can’t wait!
Connor: I designed it for fans and non-fans alike, but that’s also true of The George Lucas Talk Show! Some of our biggest longtime fans have never seen a Star Wars movie.
B: Woah, that’s insane!
Connor: I think the play is more violent emotionally than physically. And there is more crude talk and profanity than you would find in any Star Wars film.
B: As a Star Wars fan, are there any shows or movies that you feel should be made at some point? Any stories, plots or characters you want to see explored more?
Connor: I don’t really have that kind of wish list. If I was given the opportunity to make an official Star Wars thing, I’d probably want to do a multi-cam sitcom that wasn’t a parody, just a genuine character-driven comedy that legitimately takes place in the same base reality as Star Wars.
Also, if I was in charge of Star Wars, I’d get back to putting a movie out every year in December. The Peter Jackson Tolkien movies were smart about this – you make your film series feel like a holiday tradition, and then you absolutely own the end-of-year holidays, movie-wise. I thought Disney had expertly co-opted this trick with Force Awakens, Rogue One and Last Jedi. Then they put out Solo in May and it didn’t do as well, when it clearly would’ve crushed if they had just waited until Xmas. Then they panicked and canceled almost all of their movie slate. They completely misdiagnosed the problem.
B: That’s pretty insightful – if only they’d had you around! Are you excited for Ahsoka, coming this August? I suppose you probably won’t have a chance to watch it until after Fringe, but are there any plot points you’re hoping they’ll dig into?
Connor: The trailer looks good, but I won’t have time to focus on it until September or maybe even later. And I have zero idea what to expect.
B: You’re a very busy man, it’s about to be Fringe where you have three shows, and you’re also hosting your podcast Dead Eyes, but I thought it’s worth asking: any other exciting projects in the works?
Connor: Yeah, a few things. I feel like I have about a half dozen or so projects on the backburner, and I’m just not sure which one will click first. I’m currently working on a documentary about a new kind of TV series I want to make called Connor Classic Movies. We’ve completed the first 20 minutes of the doc, which explains the idea for the show. We basically need someone to fund the rest of it, which will involve us actually making 2 full episodes of the show, just to prove that it’s possible, and that it’s a good idea. At the end of it, we’ll have a feature-length documentary about me trying to make this show, and also 2 full episodes of the show itself.
I’m gonna pass this around to the dozen or so people I think can help me make it, and if they all pass on it, I’ll crowdfund it or set up a Patreon to try and make it a reality. Maybe I’ll spend the rest of my life making one or two episodes a year, but I’m determined to make it happen.
B: It’ll happen, I’m certain of it. Thank you so much for your time, Connor, and good luck for the Fringe from everyone here at Geek Native – and I’ll see you next month with my Edinburgh Reviews hat on!
Connor: Thanks! See you then/there!
Connor Ratliff will present The George Lucas Talk Show at the Edinburgh Festival at Assembly George Square, 11.35pm on Friday 4th, 11th, 18th and 25th August – and he’ll star in The Baron and The Junk Dealer at Assembly Roxy, 5.55pm 2nd-24th August – not 15th).
If that wasn’t enough for you, Connor will also perform in George-Prov: An Improvised Theatrical Experience where “George Lucas” appears in the form of a digital avatar and delivers a one-person improv workshop like no other at Assembly Roxy, 5.55pm, 25nd – 28th August.
Booking links
You can find the booking links for all of Connor’s Edinburgh Fringe shows, below:
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