“Be bright, be excellent – and remember, nobody asked you to do this!”
WHO: Richard Stirling
WHAT: “Peter Mandelson, the Machiavelli of our times. His rise and fall, rise and rise and fall – and beyond? In nothing but his own words.”
WHERE: Ivy Studio at Greenside @ George Street (Venue 236)
WHEN: 10:30 (50 min)
MORE: Click Here!
Is this your first time to Edinburgh?
I was last at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2022, in Cecil Beaton’s Diaries, about the famous photographer and designer (and caustic wit). After Edinburgh, this went to London and Off Broadway. So I know how the Fringe can act as a brilliant launchpad. And for me, the potential for discovery is what makes a great Festival, and this is one quality Edinburgh is never without.
What are the big things you’ve learned since 2025 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?
Lessons reaffirmed, rather than learned, are what I have valued in the last year. Be bright, be excellent – and remember, nobody asked you to do this!
In other words, have fun. There is everything to play for.
Tell us about your show.
Mandy: Prince of Darkness goes in close on the Machiavelli of our times.
He has been part of the national psyche for over three scandalous decades.
Why did people always come back for more?
This is Mandy in his own words. Often appalling, frequently wickedly funny.
They say the devil has the best tunes.
What should your audience see at the festivals after they’ve seen your show?
After Party (Traverse). Excellent actors. Great co-pro house, Belgrade Coventry. And a cast of top-rank Scottish actors like Alison Peebles in it.
Ginger Johnson: Show Pony (WIP) (Shedinburgh). Funny! Ginger is always transgressive, in every way, with a sense of humour which bounces off the walls.
Wrap Party (Greenside George Street). In the same venue as me, so an easy hike. Looks like a real laugh, especially if you have been on film sets.
The Bloody Ballad of Bette Davis (Assembly Roxy). With a title like that, rude not to. And this looks a lot more imaginative than most horror-movie spoofs.
LIKE WHAT YOU JUST READ? FOLLOW US ON TWITTER! OR SIGN UP TO OUR MAILING LIST!
INTERESTED IN BEING INTERVIEWED TOO? CLICK HERE!
Get Your Coats On 