If you’re heading to Edinburgh this month…
Marcus is Alive is a captivating and hilarious one-man true-story show
To say Marcus Freed is unusual is an understatement, because Marcus J Freed is a true free spirit. A man of many talents, his theatre performance and writing skills are coming to the fore with his latest play Marcus is Alive – the true story of one remarkable year in his life when he had a hit-and-run car accident, a near-death experience, two emergency brain surgeries, six failed marriage proposals, and became involved with a psychic investigator and a wayward Rabbi.
The play, Marcus hastens to explain, is not a piece of cathartic writing.
“That year, 2017, was like no other,” Marcus said. “It was a truly unique year in my life, but at first I did not want to write about it until I felt I had faced, and come to terms, with everything that happened. It was only then that I felt ready to start writing and to share it with theatre audiences, and to tell them about this crazy time, because it is a great story.”
This is not Marcus’ first foray into the theatre world. He has written several other plays including his trilogy Solomon: King, Poet and Lover – a tale of one man and 700 wives; Elijah, First action Hero; and King David’s Greatest Hits -a tale of swords and slingshots and married women; and his work has been seen in 18 countries.
Born in Watford, but now residing primarily in California, Marcus is a talented musician whose music videos include The Hebrew Hamilton and Livin’ La Vida Kosher. He also wrote the trilogy of the Kosher Sutras books – a yoga guide to the Torah – and, if you notice a religious theme to some of his work, this is because, among other things, Marcus has semicha and is a rabbi. He combines this religious learning with his deep knowledge of yoga to show how yoga and Jewish prayer combine to create a cerebral and spiritual act.
In the play Marcus plays not only himself but also 36 other characters – the people he encountered during that fateful year. He says the play was challenging to write because it is a no-holds-barred account of his horrific experiences, but interspersed with humour and storytelling.
Marcus is Alive premiered at the Hollywood Fringe Festival where it was nominated for the Hit Play and Comic Drama Awards. Before heading to Edinburgh Marcus returned to his home turf to play at the Pump House in Watford, and the audience gave him a standing ovation at the end of the 60-minute long show.
Marcus is Alive playing until 24 August. edfringe.com
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