Actor Sam Blythe is in two shows at the 2025 Edinburgh Fringe. In this interview with Paul Levy, he talks primarily about his solo show, a very personal version of Hamlet. Sam talks about how the show developed and also briefly refers to his performance in Animal Farm.
Sam Blythe: Method in My Madness (A One-Man Hamlet) at Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2025 is a one-hour solo performance exploring Shakespeare’s Hamlet. In this production, Blythe merges the character of Hamlet with the performer’s persona, portraying iconic scenes infused with spontaneous energy and emotional depth. The show is set in a confined space where Blythe uses minimal props, including clown noses and a Welsh-language voice that interrupts the performance, blending Shakespearean text with personal and cultural elements. This unique interpretation questions Hamlet’s madness and blurs the line between actor and character.
The performance runs from July 31 to August 24, 2025, at Assembly George Square Studios, Studio Four, with sessions typically lasting around 60 minutes. The style features physicality, vocal variation, and a fresh delivery of familiar Shakespearean language, inviting audiences into an intimate and experimental theatrical experience.
Animal Farm at Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2025 is a solo theatrical adaptation performed by Sam Blythe and directed by Olivier winner Guy Masterson. This production marks the 30th anniversary of the original acclaimed solo show, bringing a fresh energy and intensity to George Orwell’s allegorical classic. Blythe embodies every character on the farm from Napoleon and Snowball to Boxer, Clover, and the many other animals through a powerful, physical, and vocal performance. The show transforms the stage into Orwell’s vivid farmyard, exploring themes of revolution, power, and corruption that remain poignant today.
The performance runs from July 30 to August 24 at George Square Studio 4 and lasts about an hour. It features no additional cast, relying solely on Blythe’s skill to bring the story and its many creatures to life in an engaging and immersive way. The adaptation retains the original text’s structure and style, emphasizing the political and social commentary at the heart of the book.
