Author Archives: Dan Lentell

EdFringe Talk: Grape Culture

Posted in *Written Interviews, EdFestivals 2024 by

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“For most of my life I have tried to control my perceptions of the past, the future, myself, other people – blindly believing that my anxiety about these things could somehow influence the outcome.”

WHO: Tony Nagy

WHAT: “A tragicomedy revealing grape culture, starring comedian and internet sensation Toni Nagy and performance artist Sarah Buckner. The show will undress the consciousness of domination without consent while stripping back the predatory and pervasive programming that is choking us all. The thrusting energy of the show is comedy – penetrated by dance, film, storytelling, clowning, stand up and skits. We can’t think our way out of trauma, we must feel our way through it. Toni and Sarah will pervert the pretty by unmasking the ugly truth that grape culture isn’t part of our culture, it is our culture.”

WHERE: theSpace @ Surgeons’ Hall – Grand Theatre (Venue 53) 

WHEN: 12:00 (60 min)

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Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

This is my very first Edinburgh fringe and I feel as excited and nervous as a virgin on prom night! I am anticipating the depth and meaning of the art this year, for so much of us have been spiraling down a toilet of despair. I have full faith that all these artists have worked tirelessly to alchemize the suffering of the world into healing, creative, imaginative, and absurd art. It is when we feel most desperate that we free ourselves from the bondage of the status quo. I am so interested in the transformation of vibration that will take place this august as the collective consciousness swirls into a creamy kaleidoscope of chaos.

What are the big things you’ve learned since 2023 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?

Surrender. I think for most of my life I have tried to control my perceptions of the past, the future, myself, other people – blindly believing that my anxiety about these things could somehow influence the outcome. I operated under a false ethos that the tighter I held on, the more I could influence the utter wild nature of the cosmos. This year I’ve learned to let go of my death grip on life and trust. I am slowly cultivating faith in divine timing and the greatest good of all.

Tell us about your show.

I have been a stand up comic for a many years, and have always wanted to do a show exploring grape culture, but didn’t think stand up was the medium. I wanted to really dive into the minutia of the subject, but in a way that was palatable and dare I say, funny? It wasn’t until I met Sarah Buckner and she told me about her thesis work where she had documented herself processing her sexual assaults in real time that I knew I had the right partner to explore this work. Sarah’s videos of her past self, including a clip where she confronts her boss that sexually assaulted her and quits her job, inspired me deeply. I knew Sarah’s past work was crucial for the context of the show. Making comedy about trauma is something that we have done for thousands of years, and I think if we are going to heal the culture of grape, we must learn to talk about it openly and in a variety of contexts, not just hushed voices behind closed doors. Sarah and I wrote the show together and got the privilege of performing it at the Hollywood Fringe this June. It is produced by Fringe Management and myself, and we hope to perform it for years to come in not only theater settings, but also Universities to help facilitate conversations around consent.

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

I love anything Natalie Palamides does, and I am sure her new show is going to be genius. I also just had the pleasure of seeing “My Mother Doesn’t Know I am Kinky,” at the Hollywood fringe and loved it!

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EdFringe Talk: A Fire Ignites

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“This is also my first time as a producer. It is an entirely different skill, and I’ve learned so much about the craft and how hard it is to put on a production, mainly because I’m doing it all by myself.”

WHO: Tara Tedjarati

WHAT: “A Fire Ignites tells the story of a brave teenage girl, Parisa, in modern-day Iran who sets her hijab on fire in public. Attacked by the morality police for her rebellion, she desires to free her country from oppression. Her best friend is exhausted from fighting and lives in fear of discrimination for her sexual orientation. Parisa’s mother fears for her daughter’s life and struggles to accept her daughter’s fate. A Fire Ignites is written, directed, and produced by Tara Tedjarati, starring Tara Tedjarati as a solo performer. This story is inspired by the brave young women in Iran.”

WHERE: theSpace @ Surgeons’ Hall – Theatre 2 (Venue 53) 

WHEN: 09:35 (30 min)

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Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

Yes, this is my first time at the Edinburgh Fringe. It’s so special not only because of its incredible opportunities but also because everyone who goes there adores the arts. It’s a thriving atmosphere and I’m so excited to be a part of it.

What are the big things you’ve learned since 2023 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?

I’ve been directing, acting, singing, and writing for many years, and I’ve combined all those skills in this production. This is also my first time as a producer. It is an entirely different skill, and I’ve learned so much about the craft and how hard it is to put on a production, mainly because I’m doing it all by myself. I’ve learned so much about business and running a team. Overall, I’ve learned to combine all my skills to create a production I’m incredibly proud of, focusing on a story that can have a significant social impact.

Tell us about your show.

This show is about brave young women in Iran. It follows 16-year-old Parisa, who lights her hijab on fire and chants “Death to the dictator,” after which the morality police punish her for her rebellion. Her best friend, who shelters her, is full of fear of punishment for her sexual orientation. Parisa’s mother, Yasaman, doesn’t want her daughter to demonstrate, and conflict emerges. Tara Tedjarati, who is of Iranian heritage, plays all three characters. She also wrote, directed, and produced this show. This production is premiering at the Fringe, and the goal is to bring it back to London and beyond.

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

They should watch “The Good Iranian”! It’s a comedy that will be a light-hearted relief after our show. People who are fans of Persian culture will enjoy this show as well as ours.

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EdFringe Talk: The Seas Are Rising: Stories of a Climate in Crisis

Posted in *Written Interviews, EdFestivals 2024 by

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“I also learned about vegan haggis which is nutritious and delicious!”

WHO: Dan Sheehan

WHAT: “A multimedia concert experience calling attention to the urgency of the climate crisis through original songs by American musician and songwriter Dan Sheehan. Songs telling stories of everyday people across the globe already facing raging wildfires, intensified hurricanes and devastating famine lead to a resounding finale inspiring audiences to take personal actions and to demand climate justice from world leaders. Sheehan has won multiple songwriter awards from the American PRS affiliate ASCAP and was named Songwriter of the Year at the 2019 Elephant Talk Indie Music Awards.”

WHERE: Paradise in Augustines – The Snug (Venue 117) 

WHEN: 19:20 (60 min)

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Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

This will be my third time organizing and performing a show at EdFringe. In 2019 and 2023, I organized a series called “3300 Miles: New Jersey to Edinburgh – a Transatlantic Songwriters Circle” which featured Songwriters from the USA and from Scotland.

Having found the overall energy of the Fringe to be very exciting, I am returning for 2024 with my solo music show The Seas Are Rising, a show that entertains and raises awareness about the urgency of the climate crisis. The Edinburgh Climate Change Institute is cross-promoting the show, which I’m very excited about!

I love that the Ed Fringe has so many attendees who are eager to see and hear new work and take a bit of a risk on shows that might not have heard of but which sound interesting. I think my show is definitely in that category!

My past Fringe experiences were very short since they were one-off nights that were part of UK tours I was on, so I did not get to see many other shows but being there for a week this year I look forward to taking in lots of theatre, music, comedy and more!

What are the big things you’ve learned since 2023 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?

I learned that most show attendees decide very late what they’re going to see, and not to fret about ticket sales as a performer as they will pick up by show time.

I also learned that the Fringe audience is the best!

I also learned about vegan haggis which is nutritious and delicious!

Tell us about your show.

The version of the show I’m doing at Ed Fringe is pretty much a one-person show performed by myself, BUT… I will be playing live guitar and vocals to recordings I’ve done with my band back in the United States, so they will be there in that form. I am the writer/producer/guitarist/bassist/main singer, although other voices will also be on the recordings such as soul singer Karmina Dai, a vocal harmony group called Born to Blend and also Amanda Brite who co-wrote one of the songs. The presence of these women help diminish any “toxic masculinity” that otherwise might come through! (just kidding)

We have done a full band/ensemble version of this in the United States, which includes a rock/soul band augmented by the singers mentioned above, by horns and violin, and also various world instruments depending on the song. Attendees will hear instruments such as the Brazilian cavaquinho and the Puerto Rican cuatro in the mix, for example.

The one man version premiering at Ed Fringe is a practical way to take an otherwise large production overseas, but also is an opportunity to do the show in a more intimate setting (the Snug at Paradise In Augustines). After Fringe we’ll do both versions of the show, but the solo/intimate version can be taken to community centers and other places that don’t have huge stages and budgets.

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

There are a few other shows about climate change that I am encouraging folks to attend.

One is Things We Will Miss by Square Product Theatre, also based in the U.S., at C-Arts Aquila studio. It features an interesting array of characters facing the impending climate crisis. Weeks 2 and 3.

Another is Freak Out!, about British communities losing their homes do to coastal erosion from Coin Tolls Collective, a UK-based company. This show runs through the entire festival at Pleasance Dome.

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EdFringe Talk: Things We Will Miss

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“The climate crisis creates so much anxiety for so many of us, and at times it feels truly overwhelming. But there IS hope and keeping that hope alive is what can create the change we need to alter the trajectory.”

WHO: Emily K. Harrison

WHAT: “A collage style devised work exploring the (potential) collapse of the Anthropocene, this personal meditation on the climate crisis explores the beauty and inevitability of impermanence. Born from the debris of late-stage capitalism, Things We Will Miss features performers in disparate roles, including an amateur astronomer, a park ranger, mythological prophet Cassandra, Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley, the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, and ultimately, themselves. Driven by image, light, and sound rather than linear narrative, it viscerally explores the grief and beauty, the horror and hope inherent in being alive in this very moment.”

WHERE: C ARTS | C venues | C aquila – studio (Venue 21) 

WHEN: 15:30 (75 min)

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Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

This is indeed my first time to Edinburgh! I’m thrilled to spend time in the city and to be part of the Fringe. I plan to take in as many shows as I reasonably can because it’s just so rare to be in a place and a moment in time when so much is available – the possibilities feel endless. I’m looking forward to checking out other venues and making connections with other artists and audience members from around the world.

I think an opportunity like this is what you make of it, yeah? I’ve previously produced/performed in other theatre/fringe festivals and it’s always such an incredible experience, so I’m really looking forward to experiencing the OG Fringe!

What are the big things you’ve learned since 2023 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?

I mean 2023 feels like it was just yesterday…

As far as our show is concerned, we developed most of it in 2023, and we staged a workshop production of it in Boulder, Colorado last summer, which was incredibly helpful. We got some great audience feedback and I learned to trust my instincts as a theatre-maker and director. I also learned (again) how wonderful it can be to bring people who have never met together to work on something that everyone in the room feels passionate about – what a beautiful experience building these communities in service of making something is! I also learned from my cast how incredibly important it is to focus on finding hope. The climate crisis creates so much anxiety for so many of us, and at times it feels truly overwhelming. But there IS hope and keeping that hope alive is what can create the change we need to alter the trajectory.

Tell us about your show.

The show is a devised piece, so we created it together (we being the performers, the designers, the management team – all of us). square product theatre developed and is producing the piece – we’re a Boulder, Colorado-based theatre company that primarily creates and produces new work. The structure of the show revolves in part around my role as a teacher navigating a swiftly changing world alongside my students, and grew out of a project I created with students as part of a class I was teaching in 2022 at Sewanee: The University of the South in Tennessee. From there I decided I was interested in developing the material into a longer piece and invited current and former students to collaborate. At it’s heart, the piece is a conversation between myself and former students from three separate institutions: Hamilton College in Clinton, New York (where I currently teach), Sewanee, and the University of Colorado Boulder.

We staged a workshop production in Boulder, Colorado last summer, but we’ve continued to develop the material so the version we’ll be bringing to Edinburgh is new. We don’t currently have active plans to take the piece anywhere after, but I’m personally very interested in the show having a life in the future! I think it’s a beautiful piece and I’d love to present it in other cities and festivals.

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

On the topic of climate change, audiences should also check Coin Toss Collective’s FREAK OUT, which is “a show about coastal erosion, community, and what we owe to each other,” Dan Sheehan’s THE SEAS ARE RISING, which is a song cycle that tells “stories of everyday people across the globe” dealing with the realities of the climate crisis, and Lîla Dance’s FAULT LINES, which “explores our environmental impact but asks what happens when we stand together with hope.” These three shows promise to be very different but lively and necessary explorations on this crucial subject matter.

For solo work, you can’t beat Flying Solo’s ELIZABETH I: IN HER OWN WORDS, featuring Tammy Meneghini as Elizabeth I. The piece immerses an audience in “the turbulent world if Queen Elizabeth I,” and I can say from having worked with her, and from having seen her perform in many works, that Tammy is an excellent actor who will do this show justice.

Finally, WaitDog’s PICASSO 2033, which explores the relationship between art and AI. The piece delves into the future of human creativity in an increasingly digitized/mechanized world, including an exploration of whether or not art still matters in times when “people are struggling to survive,” which I think will be of interest to a lot of people.

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EdFringe Talk: Italian Jazz Affair

Posted in *Written Interviews, EdFestivals 2024 by

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“Even though the quality of a show sometimes it’s not reflected in the commercial success, we need to focus on different kinds of success, like the reviews and feedback from the audience, for example.”

WHO: Anna Vanosi

WHAT: “Step into a musical odyssey with Anna Vanosi and her ensemble, where every note tells a story. From the cinematic allure of Morricone’s film scores to the timeless charm of Sinatra, journey through tasteful swing jazz and soul-stirring blues standards. Anna Vanosi’s magnetic presence infuses each song with character, lyricism and passion. ‘Vanosi’s voice is nectar’ (NorthWestEnd.com). ‘Eccentric, adorable, enchanting: A real-life Italian diva’ **** (BroadwayBaby.com). An unforgettable Fringe experience at the best jazz venue in town.”

WHERE: The Jazz Bar – Partially Seated (Venue 57) 

WHEN: 17:30 (60 min)

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Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

This is not my first time to Edinburgh, I’ve been performing at the famous Edinburgh Fringe Festival since my graduation from Napier University course Acting for Stage and Screen in 2017 and I’ve been performing ever since. I created and performed two cabaret solo-shows and since last year also a Music show. This year I’ve created a brand new music show for jazz and music lovers that want to discover Italian sounds and its connection with Jazz, titled “Italian Jazz Affair”.

What are the big things you’ve learned since 2023 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?

Every year there’s something to learn. I’m managing everything by myself and being a band leader on top of creator and manager of a show it’s very difficult, sometimes challenging and exhausting, but also very rewarding. Even though the quality of a show sometimes it’s not reflected in the commercial success, we need to focus on different kinds of success, like the reviews and feedback from the audience, for example.

Some people have sent me friendship requests or sent me personal messages to compliment me and my band and have been following ever since! It’s wonderful to get the chance to grow a fan base like that!

Tell us about your show.

I’m the creator, producer and singer of the show I’ve created which has been created also thanks to my awesome band members and the venue I’m performing in, The Jazz Bar, iconic jazz/blues/funk venue in Edinburgh. I’ve had the chance to perform there regularly since 2022 and I had a residency for almost a year, called “Sunday Sonata”. This allowed me to grow my jazz and blues repertoire and to insert, bit by bit, Italian songs in the midst of the American songbook. I’ve noticed how much the audience has been appreciating the Italian songs and so I’ve decided to bring this brand new show focusing on the Italian songs, soudtracks and sounds from my land and its connection to the American songbook.

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

I am a an actor as well as a singer and I love the Fringe for the opportunity to see brand new and very “fringe” shows that are very different from mainstream and commercial theatre shows performed in Edinburgh during the year.

I don’t have a specific recommendation for this year yet, but I’ll be studying the Fringe programme and I’ll make sure to see lots of solo-shows and storytelling because that’s what I like the most!

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EdFringe Talk: Serious Nonsense

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“This year I am later in the day and hopeful it’s going to make all the difference. I’m also going to be going for a wider variety of guest spots during the day too.”

WHO: Ben Macpherson

WHAT: “Funny, horrible and just a little bit naughty, purveyor of playful poetry, Ben Macpherson (BBC Radio 4, BBC Radio 2), returns to the Fringe with this perfect gateway into the afternoon through poems and stories for all ages. Delight at the awful adults, beastly brats and curious creatures from this verbal tour de force. Ben’s poetry easily sets itself among the likes of Roald Dahl, Spike Milligan and Hilaire Belloc with equal parts magic and mischief that will leave you chuckling long after its final rhyme. ‘Full of humour and drive’ (Michael Rosen). ‘Dizzyingly, dazzlingly brilliant’ (Brian Bilston).”

WHERE: PBH’s Free Fringe @ Burrito ‘n’ Shake – Downstairs Room (Venue 117) 

WHEN: 12:00 (60 min)

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Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

This is the second time Serious Nonsense has been at the Fringe and I’m so excited to be back again. Edinburgh is an amazing place to find new audiences and stretch yourself outside of your usual stomping grounds. If you are looking for shows it’s a chance to see things you’d never normally see and checkout different art forms – a mixture is best!

What are the big things you’ve learned since 2023 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?

In 2023 I learnt that how important show times were. I had a brilliant venue just off the Royal Mile but because it was so early I always seemed to be struggling for audiences. This year I am later in the day and hopeful it’s going to make all the difference. I’m also going to be going for a wider variety of guest spots during the day too.

Tell us about your show.

My show is Serious Nonsense, a poetry show for all ages that is equal parts, funny, playful and thoughtful. It build on last years show of the same name and is the perfect gate way to an afternoon at the fringe. If you enjoy the playfulness of Roald Dahl or the storytelling of Hillaire Belloc then this show will suit you to a tee. From horrible things happening to beastly brats, madcap monsters and awful adults, there is something for everyone at this event.

I’ve been lucky enough to be featured on BBC Radio2, 4 Extra and Local stations as well as share work at Lattitude festival and regional festivals around the country too. The audience have a great time, leaving with recurring rhymes caught in their brains. I’m the sole writer and performer so theres a fun tornado of running and performing the show that leads to a really personalised experience for everyone who comes along to see. If you don’t normally see poetry shows, then this show is the perfect gateway.

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

I’m going to recommend 2 shows! first off is the wonderful Half a String bring “Breathe” up to the Edinburgh Fringe – This is a family show that makes an epic saga out of an acorn as it grows. Truly amazing puppetry and senses of scale in a fringe time scale. You must not miss this especially if you have kids approaching double digits.

My other recommendation is another puppet show “Bills 44th” which I saw last year, taking a punt with my Mum when she visited. This is very much not a family show with a trippy journey into the life of Bill, a puppet, as he turns 44. The show brings together puppetry and clowning in a really vibrant way, that will have you laughing and sobbing in its run.

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EdFringe Talk: My Grandmother’s Eyepatch

Posted in *Written Interviews, EdFestivals 2024 by

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“No matter what else you’ve done as a touring company, there’s always the ‘yeah, but have you done Edinburgh?’ question.”

WHO: Julia VanderVeen

WHAT: “What happens when a lovable idiot holds a memorial service for a long-deceased family member? In this off-the-wall comedy, award-winning NYC-based clown Julia VanderVeen leads the audience through wild stages of grief as she attempts to honour her beloved grandmother. Winner: Best Solo Comedy and Best of the Fest, Orlando Fringe 2023; Best Solo Clown, EstroGenius Awards, Frigid Fringe NYC 2022; Production Award FESTN4 2024. ‘A masterclass in cringe comedy… Carol Burnett-esque’ (Orlando Weekly). ‘A solo tour-de-force’ (Hartford Courant). ‘Puts the fun in funeral’ (Orlando Sentinel).”

WHERE: ZOO Playground – Playground 1 (Venue 186) 

WHEN: 12:45 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

It is!! I’m so excited! Edinburgh is the big mama of fringes so no matter what else you’ve done as a touring company, there’s always the “yeah, but have you done Edinburgh?” question. I can’t wait to have my own stories to tell.

What are the big things you’ve learned since 2023 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?

My big goal of 2023 was to love myself more. I have always been super career focused. But by focusing on being gentler with myself and more accepting, I was shocked by how that also influenced my career in a good way.

If this question is meant to be about work or touring, I would say to enjoy the ride. Each big step in my career is a bit overwhelming because it’s new and I like to push and challenge myself, but I think it’s so important to stop and see the scenery. There is so much good stuff happening with the prep, the rehearsal, the excitement and then there will be so much good stuff happening when I’m actually there at the festival. I don’t want to miss any of it.

Tell us about your show.

I co-wrote my show with my mentor and clown teacher Aitor Basauri of Spymonkey, and then my second Director Isaac Kessler also helped write some of it as well. It is definitely a labor of love and has been a group effort, even though it is a solo show. Angelika Giatras is producing. She’s done a lot of music producing in the US, and is venturing into comedy and I have been so incredibly fortunate to have her.

The concept for the show started with a clown workshop I was doing with Aitor in Hawaii.

The first rough draft I performed of it was in Hartford, Connecticut in their inaugural fringe festival in 2019. The version I’m doing now I have been performing since 2022 and have toured to Orlando, Chicago, Atlanta, Toronto and Winnipeg.

Next up I have the Rochester clown festival at the end of September, and am very much hoping to tour some more this Fall.

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

My friend Kelly McCaughan is doing a naughty, irreverent show called “Catholic Guilt” that I can’t wait to see and my friend Amando Houser is doing a show called “Delia Delia the Flat Chested Witch,” and Amando is an incredibly talented performer. Also I can’t wait to see Natalie Palamides’ new show WEER. She’s like the queen clown in the US. I’ve only seen her perform once and only a little bit. I can’t wait to see the full thing.

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EdFringe Talk: Chris Weir: Well Flung

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“2023 was about the importance of stability for me, and – of course – figuring out what Padam Padam meant.”

WHO: Chris Weir

WHAT: “For his debut hour, Chris Weir (BBC Scotland, Leicester Square Theatre New Comedian of the Year finalist) leads us through his first ever holiday fling, set in the sunny cruising beaches of Gran Canaria. In this modern-day romcom, Chris navigates the grey areas and accelerated relationship of a five-day romance. He explores the ups and downs of sudden monogamy, romantic expectations, financial imbalances, inevitable fallouts, wandering eyes, gay romps – all to ask the question: is companionship worth it, or are we better off alone?”

WHERE: Gilded Balloon Patter House – Bothie (Venue 24) 

WHEN: 14:40 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

I grew up in Edinburgh so I’ve had the Fringe around me my whole life. I took this for granted when I was younger, frustrated by the crowds and slower buses every August. Since becoming a comedian, I’ve spent a couple Fringes just doing short spots on compilation shows, practicing material, and a couple of years ago I split an hour with another comedian for 2 weeks. This will be my first Fringe doing a full hour and a full run. So while it’s definitely not my first time, it feels like a new, exciting way to experience the month.

What are the big things you’ve learned since 2023 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?

2023 was about the importance of stability for me, and – of course – figuring out what Padam Padam meant. I’m still trying to find the balance between working life and doing comedy. My current solution is being very busy all the time and not having much of a social life. It’s a mixture of exciting and fun, and sometimes dark and exhausting – every day is a Barbenheimer for me.

Tell us about your show.

As a comedian, the “company” is very much a one man band. I wrote and produced this show – it’s all about the intricacies of a holiday fling I had so it felt like I should be the one to tell that story! The show will debut at Edinburgh, and in terms of future plans – we’ll see how it does! I’d love to tour it, it’s a very joyful, wild story and something I actually want to perform day after day.

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

Last year I saw Patti Harrison’s work in progress for My Huge Tits Huge Because They Are Infected NOT FAKE and it was everything I wanted it to be: insane and crying-with-laughter funny. She’s back with the finished show this year. One that I’m desperate to see but conflicts with my time slot is Gwyneth Goes Skiing, a comic dramatization of the Gwyneth Paltrow ski trial, where the audience is the jury. Please go see that and tell me how good it is!

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EdFringe Talk: Anu Vaidyanathan: Menagerie

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“It took a very long time to acknowledge how oversubscribed I already was as a mother to two young children, an immigrant and a self-reliant person.”

WHO: Anu Vaidyanathan

WHAT: “This is a show about Anu Vaidyanathan’s recent revelation – that shrouds have no pockets. Like Noah’s Ark taking the best pair of every species, this show unpicks the best of each season of life – work, marriage, having kids and then post-mortems them into a little menagerie. While pulling her own teeth out over frozen shoulders, diminishing bank accounts and sanity, Anu decants the things she carries with her when on the brink. If only to help her see life for what it is – a giant, unavoidable wedgie.”

WHERE: Gilded Balloon Patter House – The Penny (Venue 24) 

WHEN: 17:00 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

This is my third year and I am none the richer (I was going for the ‘sixpence none the richer’ situation). I am a comedian first and foremost but, I managed to take in a few theatre shows last year. I really enjoyed them and filed them away for later reference. What makes the Fringe special is that there is a variety of art forms one can witness – street theatre, clowning, spoken word. I think this festival is great because it brings to gather so many acts from so many countries so it is a month of great discovery, learning and assimilation. I have experienced this as a performer and producer and feel that if one can lean into the work, there is a lot to be gained. There are negative experiences too but, contextualising them becomes easier when you look at the distance you travel as an artist in those very small number of weeks/days/hours.

What are the big things you’ve learned since 2023 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?

Menagerie is a play that I wrote due to a traumatic incident I went through in 2022. It took a very long time to acknowledge how oversubscribed I already was as a mother to two young children, an immigrant and a self-reliant person. Since 2023, the only learning I have really cemented is to acknowledge the present moment and meet it well so that we can build towards anything small or big, personal or professional. I think we live in a world obsessed with discount coupons and the future. The first lesson I had to re-learn since the time I was an athlete is that there are no short cuts. I also invested more in creating spaces and time for myself, which is a hard lesson but a necessary one. It has made me more productive and partially saner to have done that.

Tell us about your show.

This is a one-woman show, written and performed by me. I dont have a lot of bells and whistles. I took a lot of inspiration from Simon Stephen’s ‘Seawall’ in terms of minimalism of staging and focus on the words, the pauses and the emotion we are trying to convey. One-person shows are very limiting in the number of devices one can use outside clever sound design and lighting and with very few resources those two things are hard to achieve. So, I took the road of discovery and play. I have been dying to write a theatre piece and this subject matter just did not work as a standup comedy hour. I would have preferred to have more characters but as someone intelligent said, plot requires budget. Besides the Fringe is supposed to be a place to flop, discover and re-write so, I remain curious about the process.

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

I am eager to see the entire program at Traverse and Summerhall. I watched the brilliant Hannah Maxwell there last year and thought their programming is brilliant. I would love to watch ‘One in a Chameleon’ by Narie Foster, 16 postcodes by Jessica Raegan, and 300 paintings by Sam Kissajukian.

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EdFringe Talk: Anu Vaidyanathan: BC:AD – Before Children, After Diapers

Posted in *Written Interviews, EdFestivals 2024 by

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“Work happens in the quiet hours. When there is no one around. When it is you and a piece of paper or when you are trying to devise work or sharpen lines.”

WHO: Anu Vaidyanathan

WHAT: “BC:AD (Before Children, After Diapers) is a stand-up comedy show and one mad, mommy’s take on how the definitions of words change before and during motherhood. Through a number of stories from before she had children and after she changed loads of diapers, survived the institution called marriage and then found herself amidst two short roommates who insist on calling her ‘mom’, Anu paints a peripatetic picture of the life and times of a comedian, filmmaker and sometime engineer who loves endurance sports, including parenting.”

WHERE: Gilded Balloon Patter House – The Penny (Venue 24) 

WHEN: 15:40 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

This will be my third year in Edinburgh. I came there for the first time in 2022. I had eight months of standup experience and a world-view bar none. I thought Scotland was sunny and that the Fringe had 4 venues and 400 artists. I was off by a few orders of magnitude! The Fringe is special to me because I learned very quickly what it means to be an artist and the role of the audience in our lives. It’s the audiences who make the Fringe so special. The festival is also great because of the variety of acts that converge from all parts of the world. I think this festival is a lot of work for those with more modest means. Being self-produced comes with a lot of weight but, it is also an opportunity to fast-track learning to tackle it all with grace and fortitude.

What are the big things you’ve learned since 2023 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?

Since 2023, the biggest learning for me is that the work happens in the quiet hours. When there is no one around. When it is you and a piece of paper or when you are trying to devise work or sharpen lines. That time needs to be protected. And non-negotiably so. I took three months off to write in the winter and also took the month of June to only write and re-write. I think that was a great change of pace as opposed to how I did things in 2022 and 2023 with a lot of previews and travel.

Tell us about your show.

BC:AD – Before Children, After Diapers, is my love-letter to motherhood and parents who see that children are alchemists. I don’t think I would have ventured into the arts if not for my kids. I wrote it because of many experiences through two pregnancies and thereon. We have no company to speak of. Just me and after three years, my intrepid production assistant, Saffy, who is a gem. This premiered in Edinburgh in 2022 and went on tour immediately afterward. I had no idea how live performances worked, caught and maintained momentum or what translated. I think the biggest learning was that when I am true to my voice, people do lean in and listen. I was really thrilled with this discovery. I am bringing it back this year following an offer of publication from Westland books. My brilliant editor Karthika, with whom I worked with at Harper Collins when writing my sports memoir, is someone I have been dying to work with again. So, when she said yes, I said ‘of course’. We will be touring this show in the UK, Europe and North America in the coming months.

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

I love the work-ethic of Ania Magliano, who is amongst the first comedians I ran into on my debut set in London as a standup comic. Her shows are funny and I learn a lot by watching her work. I have recently discovered the work of Chloe Petts, whom I also love. Her radio work is also very very funny and intelligent. I am also curious to see what Stuart McPherson, Jin Has Li, Catherine Bohart, Kiri Pritchard Mc-Lean, Paul Foot, Andrew O’Neill, Simon Munnery and Chloe Radcliffe are unto this year.

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