In our latest Edinburgh Fringe interview ahead of the 2026 season we speak to Katie Gaven who is the writer and director of 00:45:00. ”Five people walk into a room, and only one will make it out alive. 00:45:00 is an experiment that plays out in real time through the lens of a scientist pursuing an answer to the philosophical question: is one person’s life more valuable than another’s and how can anyone make that decision? This story is about daring those who sit back and watch to do something and exploring what happens when they do.”
How would you describe your show to someone discovering it for the first time at the Fringe?
Five people walk into a room, and 45 minutes later, only one of them will make it out alive.
DUN DUN DUUUN!!
Audiences can expect a gripping, immersive story that challenges them to examine passivity and engage in actionable change!
What moment, idea or frustration first sparked this show into existence?
Imagine you’re standing in front of a lever connecting two train tracks. A trolley comes barreling down the track where five people are working. The other track has one worker standing all alone. Do you intervene and pull the lever to send the trolley down the track with one person, killing the lone worker, but saving the other five, or do you do nothing?
This hypothetical situation is called the trolley problem! My friend and I were discussing this ethical dilemma when I had the idea of creating a high stakes experiment that encouraged its participants and observers to make a life or death decision, and live with the consequences of their choice afterwards.
How has the show evolved from its earliest idea to what audiences will see now?
During my first draft, I really focused on the head scientist, Dr. Wilison, more than any of the participants. After receiving some audience feedback from our first production, I spent a lot of time really fleshing out all of the characters and focused on specifically developing the participants and their relationships! I think that the version we’re taking to Fringe is a much stronger and well-rounded group of characters to root for and be invested in. I really can’t wait to share this new version of the play with our Fringe audiences!
What makes Edinburgh Fringe the right place for this show right now?
I think this show belongs at the Edinburgh Fringe because so much of the work that comes to the festival is experimental in nature, which creates such a great environment to feed off of, and to challenge the audiences in. The Fringe festival is one of the biggest hubs of artistry in the world, and I believe artists have the unique ability of exercising empathy to an extreme extent, so who better to unpack this story of ethics than theatre people!
What does bringing this particular show to the Fringe represent for you personally?
It represents so much! This is my first full-length play that’s been produced, which really means a lot to me. I just graduated from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts with a BFA in Acting, so this also represents the beginning of my transition into the professional industry! I was so fortunate to find out in March that my play was being sent to the Edinburgh Fringe by the amazing Thomas S. Kenan Institute for the Arts, and I’ve been learning so much through this process. The challenges of everything happening so quickly, writing a new draft, finding venues, arranging travel, doing publicity, and designing the advertising has been insane but incredibly rewarding. This has been a whole new experience and a huge learning opportunity for me which I’m extremely grateful for!
What has been the most unexpectedly challenging part of getting this show to Edinburgh?
Quite a lot of things have been unexpectedly challenging haha – Since I didn’t know that my play would be going to the Fringe until late March, trying to find a venue was extremely difficult, and I did wind up having to book two separate venues for each of our performance weeks, so adapting the play to work in two completely different configurations has been challenging. Still, it’s been so amazing to be thrown into the deep-end and just learn so much through this experience! Now, I just can’t wait to be at the Fringe in two weeks!!
If audiences leave the venue holding onto one thing, what do you hope it is?
I’m really hoping to inspire actionable activism in the place of passivity for our audiences! I think most of us can be guilty of disengaging and being passive bystanders on a daily basis (whether that be through disregarding harmful videos on our “for you” pages, or watching corrupt politicians pass elitist and fearmongering legislation), but I believe we can challenge this by confronting these individuals and their actions head on, and by speaking out and intervening, rather than accepting desensitization.
I wrote this play because I’m still unsure how to actually create change, but I do believe that the first step is recognizing that you want to get involved, and engaging in conversations to figure out how. My hope is that this play inspires discussions that I can contribute to, and also learn from. We really hope that people can come to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and join in our efforts!
How do you think performing this show during a Fringe run will shape it?
I think that having such a diverse audience of artists and theatre enthusiasts means the conversation and feedback we get will be very thoughtful and come from so many differing perspectives. I think this will end up being extremely helpful in figuring out what works and what doesn’t, to inform the changes I end up making for any future productions.
Who do you hope this show finds at the Fringe?
EVERYONE!
00:45:00 is a study of ethics and morality that is most relevant and effective when it’s able to reach audiences made up of people with vastly differing experiences and opinions. Audience participation is such an important element of our show, so the play is really influenced by the people who watch it. We are beyond excited to bring our show to the Fringe, one of the biggest hubs of artistry in the world, and are hoping that we’ll be able to connect with all kinds of audiences and expand the scope of our social experiment in a much broader way.
In conclusion… come see our show! We would love to have you there.
Finally, if this show came with a warning label, what would it say?
“No easy way out, no clean hands.”
00:45:00 runs at The Edinburgh Festival Fringe from 17th – 28th August 2026 (except 23rd).