2011 Edinburgh Fringe

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Acclaimed American playwright Mark Harvey Levine brings the UK premiere of his hour of short plays, Cab Fare For The Common Man, to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in conjunction with exciting new theatre company CoLab Productions.

The hour of sparkling 10 minute shorts illuminate the difficulties we face in modern life, with humour intertwined with satirical incisions into the battle to stay true to oneself whilst surviving in this dog-eat-dog world. Described as a 'sublimely imagined seize the day sonata' (Chicago Sun Times) 'that cuts to the marrow of slacker existence' (Time Out Chicago), Cab Fare For The Common Man promises audiences an hour of humour-filled introspection at the The Space @ Jury's Inn.

Los Angeles-based Mark Harvey Levine, who specializes in short plays, has more than 600 productions to his name spanning Australia, Canada, South Africa, the UK and the US. In 2005, the Pausa Companhia of Brazil translated six of Mark's plays into Portuguese and created the evening Aperitivos which eventually culminated in a national tour of Brazil in 2007, including performances near the Amazon Rainforest to audiences new to theatre.

Shades swept the Annual Fifteen Minute Play Festival in New York, winning both the 'Best Play' (Judge's Award) and 'Audience Favorite' Award. Scripted won the Alan Minieri Award at the same festival a few years earlier. The Prodigal Cow won both 'Best Play' and 'Audience Favorite' at New York's Chester Horn Play Festival. The Rental won the Best Play Award from the Boston SuperSlam (the best of a year's worth of PlaySlams). His debut work in Cab Fare For The Common Man is expected to signal a fresh surge of interest in the UK among both audiences and venues alike.

The company behind the production, CoLab, are themselves an exciting collection of new comedic and theatrical talent, spearheaded by Emily Jenkins, Samantha Kissin and Suzy McClintock. Jenkins undertook training as a director at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts, with credits including Mojo Mickybo (Old Red Lion Theatre), Look at Me (Theatre 503), Just a Game (TheatroTechnis), Twilight of the Gods (The Gallery), Deal or No Deal and Losing It (The Old Red Lion), RE:Stacks (Theatre 503) and Jesus is Elvis (Camden Roundhouse). She spent much of last year as Assistant Dramaturg on The Glass Menagerie (Young Vic Theatre) and this year was shortlisted for The Regional Theatre Young Director Scheme. Emily's production of Mojo Mickybo has just been nominated for an Off West End Award 2011.

Sammy and Suzy are both graduates of LAMDA, with the former boasting credits in Quality Street (Finbrough), Civil Unrest (Old Vic Tunnels) Myth, Propaganda and Disaster in Nazi Germany and Contemporary America and Roberto Zucco (Contact Theatre), Modern Man (Players' Club, New York) and Fate (Lost Theatre). Sammy recently participated in the Old Vic's TS Eliot exchange where 50 up-and-coming British actors, directors, writers and producers go to New York for a week of showcases, castings and performances, supported by Kevin Spacey.

Prior to LAMDA, Suzy attended Cambridge University and performed as part of the Footlights Smokers alongside Jonny Sweet and Nick Mohammed. Subsequent credits include Volpone (Underbelly), The Kiss (Hospital Club and London Fringe) and An Ideal Husband (French Tour), whilst she has also filmed two shorts that are penciled in for release in September. Suzy has also voiced the character Hope on the American animation Time Avengers.

CoLab productions boast Old Vic New Voices and BAFTA winning producer Charlie Hanson (Ricky Gervias and Stephen Merchant's Extras, Life's Too Short) as mentors.

As part of the production, CoLab will also bring with them a mobile 'Incredibooth' to the Royal Mile, allowing passers-by to have their photo taken adorned with items from the dressing up box. Prizes will be provided each week for the most unexpected photos. With one of the sketches in the show looking at the modern knee jerk need to capture every moment on camera, there may even be some impromptu performances around the booth as well.