EdFringe Talk: Biscuit Barrel: The 69-Sketch Show

Posted in *Written Interviews, EdFestivals 2023 by

“There were some days where I would do five or six straight hours on the Royal Mile alone… dressed as a pizza. “

WHO: James Horscroft

WHAT: “‘An excellent comedy show’ **** (BroadwayBaby.com). 69 sketches in an hour – the speed of the internet put on a stage! The Fringe’s quintessential quick-fire sketch show returns. However, a bandit has broken into the production, stealing sound effects, characters, and even dialogue. ‘Best of the rest of the fest’ ***** (Scottish Daily Mail). ‘The hit rate of their sketches are high’ (List). ‘An A+ sketch show’ (Seagull.news). From sentient self-checkout machines to an awkward reunion for the iceberg and the Titanic, it’s all inside this Barrel. Featuring DazzReviews (YouTube).”

WHERE: Gilded Balloon Teviot – Sportsmans (Venue 14) 

WHEN: 15:40 (60 min)

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Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

This will be my fourth time participating. I have been taking Biscuit Barrel for full runs of the festival since 2018, and have been attending the festival since 2014. That first year single-handedly shaped the subsequent nine years of my life. I didn’t realise there was a place where someone like me could put their own show together and be part of something so huge.

There is nowhere else playing over 3,000 completely different productions at the same time. Each one made by people who genuinely care about what they are doing; it is too much effort for those who don’t. The festival carries with it a sense of infinite potential, whilst also celebrating the finite experience. You could see something that will end up on Broadway in six years. You could see a truly phenomenal show that then NEVER gets performed again. That is Fringe.

What are the big things you’ve learned since 2022 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?

Last year’s Fringe taught me that you cannot treat a month like it’s one long weekend. When you’re both advertiser and performer, you need to pace yourself. There was one week where half the group was ill, and I picked up the slack so they could rest before the show. Consequently, there were some days where I would do five or six straight hours on the Royal Mile alone… dressed as a pizza. I had some laughs, but I was working so hard on the street that, by the time the show was over, there was nothing left of me to enjoy the evening. In short, the thing I’ve learnt is to never do that again.

Tell us about your show.

We’ve made a show for terrible attention spans. Not only is it quickfire, but we’ve also loaded it with slapstick and physical comedy. It’s a format we’ve worked on since we began in 2016, but then TikTok’s explosion during the pandemic gave us a whole new audience and timeliness. Likewise with our co-writer Daryl Reader, whose YouTube channel (DazzReviews) recently surpassed 100 million views. Both in concept and experience, the group is unquestionably connected to that internet influence.

But why stop there? Why not also add a running storyline, where a police officer tries to stop a burglar who’s broken into the show? It’s a plot-point that has allowed a lot of creativity; the bandit could steal anything, from dialogue to even the audience.

The show’s written by myself and Daryl, with songs penned by Capriella Monique – a recognisable name to those familiar with the Bristol stand-up circuit. The three of us are also in the cast, joining Lily Maryon (Rose Bruford) and our newest member Harry Brown (Mountview). Directing, we have Holly Meechan, who has previously worked with the Tobacco Factory Theatre (Bristol), Bristol Academy of Drama, and London-based improv troupe Rhinoceros.

Before Edinburgh, we decided to do something a bit different with our Bristol preview. Whereas our comedy night runs at Bristol Improv Theatre, we previewed this show at a community space to raise money for Bristol Refugee Rights. We didn’t charge much for tickets, but still managed to raise over £200. We also took the show to Brighton Fringe, where we sold out a 180-seat theatre!

Following Fringe, we are going to pitch it for a London transfer. Daryl’s YouTube following is predominantly American, so we’ve been flirting with that idea as well.

What should your audience see at the festivals after they’ve seen your show?

The first Fringe shows that I ever saw were ‘And Now For Something Completely Improvised’ and ‘…And This Is My Friend Mr Laurel’ (clearly have a taste for the ‘Ands’), so I was delighted to see that they have BOTH been resurrected for this year. The former’s a fantastic long-form improv troupe, which has a similar anarchic flavour to us. The latter’s a heartfelt monologue from an elderly Stan Laurel, speaking to his beloved friend for the final time. Stan Laurel’s my greatest influence, and the reason why slapstick’s in our show at all.

There’s also a strong Bristolian flavour infiltrating Edinburgh this year. You’ve got two brilliant solo shows from Chelsea Birkby and Eva Bindeman. You also have two of Bristol’s comedy nights relocating for the month, with the boys from ‘IC3 Comedy’, as well as ‘White Bear Comedy Club’, brought to you by the awesome Mr Harry Allmark (also see him in ‘Murder She Didn’t Write’).

What’s exciting about this year is that our audience will get a different recommendation each day, as our villain/burglar keeps ‘stealing people from other shows’. We’ve got guests from shows of all genres, so it won’t just be comedy we’re plugging. Just another way to add a sense of fun, whilst effectively supporting twenty-six other shows in the process!

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