Ten Questions: Ella Hickson, playwright

Published on Friday 17 July 2009 10:32

Ella Hickson's new work, Precious Little Talent debuts at the Fringe. She's 24 and lives in the city centre

1 What is your earliest memory of Edinburgh?

I first came to Edinburgh when I was about eight years old, it was during the Festival. My mum is an English teacher and has always been really into theatre and so the Festival made sense as a cheap family holiday. That's how long ago it was –the Festival was still cheap!

2 What are your memories of school?

I went to school at Guildford High School in Surrey. I didn't move to Scotland until I went to university. School was a very happy place for me. I was always hanging around the art room in lunch breaks and after school just playing, making things, painting things.

3 Where is your favourite place in Edinburgh and why?

It's a bit of a clich but Calton Hill's my best spot. I had my first date with my boyfriend up there, it was freezing but we sat and ate chips and drank wine through straws, pretty classy! It's a good place to sit and take a look at the world.

4 What are the best things about Edinburgh?

Edinburgh has an unbeatable skyline – all the spires and domes make for a dreamy yet impressive horizon.

5 What would you change about the city?

I wish they'd hurry up and get those trams built!

6 Describe a perfect Edinburgh day/night out.

It's all about waking up in the West End with a groggy head, buying the papers and heading out for a weekend morning coffee and a bit of cake.

7 Which sports interest you?

used to play a lot of netball but nowadays it's the gym or nothing.

8 What was your most embarrassing moment?

I'm big on confessing undying love or being horribly nasty about people when they're standing right behind me. It's like an inbuilt radar designed to ruin me. My first English teacher caught the most part of a poorly constructed tribute poem about him that I was reciting to my friends.

9 What is your greatest achievement?

I got a First in my degree last year. Great things, maybe even better things, have happened since, but that First was the product of 18 years of pretty hard graft – I'm chuffed it turned out well.

10 Sum up Edinburgh in three words.

Spires, skies, mist.