Author Archives: Dan Lentell

EdFringe Talk: Chelsea Birkby: No More Mr Nice Chelsea

Posted in *Written Interviews, EdFestivals 2022 by

“This is my first Edinburgh taking a solo show and it feels SO different, like it’s more pressure than taking a split bill with a friend.”

WHO: Chelsea Birkby

WHAT: “Highly anticipated debut from this ‘one to watch’ (FunnyWomen.com), ‘rising star’ (OxInABox.co.uk) and multi-competition finalist. She was ‘innocent’ (Oxford Mail) and ‘adorable’ (MumbleComedy.net) but in this thought-provoking and playful show, she explores the things that aren’t so lovely: sex, drugs and rock’n’roll.”

WHERE: Just the Tonic at The Caves – Just the Spare Room (Venue 88) 

WHEN: 15:40 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

This is my first Edinburgh taking a solo show and it feels SO different, like it’s more pressure than taking a split bill with a friend. Stressing about a comedy show is odd. Last week I was truly spiralling thinking “wow now these Mr Blobby jokes are too close together. I might have to separate them or cut them. Especially already having two MILF jokes I’m pushing it. This is a disaster”. I don’t remember this part of The Artist’s Way.

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is iconic for a reason, the biggest and best! Being in Edinburgh in August feels electric. I’m booking a batch of tickets today and I’ve got maybe 100 shows in my faves, and that’s just people I’ve heard of. I can’t wait to see what everyone’s been cooking up the last three years, laugh my socks off and visit Mosque Kitchen a truly alarming amount.

What are the big things you’ve learned since 2019 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?

In the pandemic, I claimed the big lesson I’d learned was to make space to enjoy things. After all that time alone, I was excited to go back to things, but I didn’t want to lose the peace of having time to be present. Anyway, that quickly went in the bin. So probs being flat out in Edi.

Taking a show specifically? Jamie D’Souza and I did a really fun split-bill and I learned: a fun title really helps draw people in, you shouldn’t say “or whatever” after a bucket speech otherwise people won’t feel the pressure to give and I’m wearing less PVC because although it’s waterproof (a plus for Edinburgh), it’s also noisy including when on stage.

Tell us about your show.

No More Mr Nice Chelsea is the stand-up show for YOU if you:
Have ever said “I just don’t get angry”
Get shy saying “sex”
When you drink you do it right, getting slizzered
Agree the Xtina, Britney, Madonna kiss at the VMAs was a defining moment of the last century.
Like to rock out (I’m talked Nickelback, Avril Lavigne, Busted)
Are a silly billy
Like french post-war philosophy
Cry but like to party
Wear pleather

I wrote it! And I am thankful to every audience who helped steer it by laughing and all my friends in comedy who’ve workshopped it with me. Soho Theatre Labs have helped develop the show too.

My last preview will be in my flat with my friends and family, like when you’re 9 and you’ve written a play in your room and make everyone watch it.

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

I am very excited to see Crizards: Cowboys, having seen them do shorter spots. I loved Will Rowlands’s 2019 solo show which was off-beat and stunning and one of my faves that year, and Eddy Hare is always hilarious. They’re a low-energy double act and best friends and this time they’re cowboys and there are songs and hats!

I can’t go and see Eric Rushton: I Had a Dream and You Were All In It because we clash (time-wise, not politically as far as I know).I love his act, it’s so unusual. It’s thoughtful and yet a little laddy, he’s so sincere but playful. And I’ve seen him trying some jokes for the show in like clubs at the weekend and wow they’re about some heavy stuff sometimes but people are cracking up and they just shine! So you have to go for me and tell me what I’m missing out on.

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EdFringe Talk: Pierre Novellie: Why Can’t I Just Enjoy Things?

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“Even in a global pandemic, no one ever really quits comedy.”

WHO: Pierre Novellie

WHAT: “Before the plague and WW3 I was a chortling, apple-cheeked blacksmith and now I am a scowling wretch in a tattered cloak. The show is observational comedy for people who think they don’t like observational comedy. A mixture of high-brow and low-brow references from five-star receiving, award-winning, hit-podcasting, Frank Skinner-supporting Pierre Novellie.”

WHERE: Monkey Barrel Comedy – Monkey Barrel 1 (Venue 515) 

WHEN: 18:10 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

It’s my 12th Edinburgh Fringe and my seventh solo hour of stand up. I have almost lived a year of summers inside the Fringe and my only year off since I was 18 was the covid year. It’s huge and mind-bending and amazing but also lonely and expensive and stressful.

What are the big things you’ve learned since 2019 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?

The amount of effort expended on getting a show ready for the fringe is equivalent to writing a full novel, a one hour pilot script and several pitches, minimum. Even in a global pandemic, no one ever really quits comedy. Some opportunities will never come back so they are best embraced when they appear.

Tell us about your show.

I’m a stand up comedian so I wrote it and I’m in it. My producer is the great writer/producer Katie Storey. I’ve been previewing it and fiddling it for months and months and ideally it will do a London run and maybe some one-night performances around the country, who knows.

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

You should see Jess Fostekew, Glenn Moore, Garrett Millerick, Sara Barron, Alex Kealy – screw it, anyone st Monkey Barrel.

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Bedfringe 2022 Interview: Infants

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“Getting it back on stage was hard – really hard – there were some real logistical (not to mention mental) barriers to embarking on a process we had already been through once, with a kind of anxiety-driven paranoia that having been halted already it could so easily hit problems again.”

WHO: James Lark: Writer/performer

WHAT: “James Lark’s (Tony Blair the Musical, The Snow Spider) new musical promises tantrums and disasters, naughty words and naughty characters but after a single calamitous day, we can’t guarantee that everyone will be coming back to school tomorrow…

Class 3 are on the brink of disaster: tactile Drew is a safeguarding hazard, Chloe’s obsession with Ryan threatens her friendship with queen bee Kaylee, and a noxious misunderstanding threatens the career of teacher Mr Finch. It’s just as well mobile phones aren’t allowed in school – the parents couldn’t possibly find out, could they?”

WHERE: Quarry Theatre

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Bedfringe?

This is the first time I’ve had my own show at Bedfringe, though when I lived in Bedford (many, many years ago) I was a regular in the audience and saw some incredible shows. I was once – even more many years ago – a frequent visitor to the Edinburgh Fringe, both as performer and spectator (and of course the two things go hand in hand, as I think it’s very much the point of festivals to be able to experience and soak up other people’s work at the same time as developing your own) – so at a time when my career and the other complexities of Being A Grown Up were starting to make spending a whole month in Edinburgh kinda impractical, it was brilliant to discover I lived in a place that had its own opportunity to see a lot of the people who were heading up to Edinburgh themselves. And Bedfringe has a great atmosphere because it’s fuelled by genuine enthusiasm for the shows they have on – the people running it are probably the most enthusiastic audience members of all, in fact – and it’s hardly surprising, I mean look at the range and calibre of the stuff they’re featuring.

What are the big things you’ve learned since 2021 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?

It has been a funny couple of years. And I don’t mean funny in a way that I got to laugh at much. ‘Infants’ was meant to get its premiere in 2020, and things were pretty well advanced (cast ready, rehearsals underway, posters printed) when a global pandemic reared its ugly head. So instead of putting on my exciting new musical I found myself spending intense days working online and long evenings gardening; on the one hand a frustrating time, and it was certainly annoying to have the brakes put on my musical when everything had been going so well. On the other hand, giving a piece of theatre more room to develop can be a positive thing, as was the case here – we did an online preview, we tried out sections at outdoor events, and we had the time to get some aspects of the production much more into shape. Getting it back on stage was hard – really hard – there were some real logistical (not to mention mental) barriers to embarking on a process we had already been through once, with a kind of anxiety-driven paranoia that having been halted already it could so easily hit problems again. We had to recast some of the roles, half of the original cast having (perfectly naturally) moved on abd become unavailable. But what a rewarding process it has been, and to be honest it is a more polished, more brilliant show for the extra time it has taken us to get here.

Tell us about your show.

‘Infants’ tells the story of a single day in the lives of a class of seven-year-olds: bossy Kaylee and her best friend Chloe, sensitive Ryan, clumsy Liam, tactile Drew and sulky Jenny. But it’s not just about the children – we also meet their parents and their teachers, who become embroiled in a potential bullying situation and a misunderstanding involving a mop, all of which leads to a cataclysmic confrontation that will leave a substantial mark on all of the characters involved. It’s a comedy, with plenty of wordplay and physicality, not to mention moments of pure farce, but without giving too much away there’s a bittersweet element to what happens – with each rewrite the comedy in the show became darker, perhaps because the more I invested in the characters, the more the consequences of what was thrown at them felt genuinely painful. Also, the childishness we were exploring was being echoed in some of the highest public offices in the country, and a story about infantile behaviour getting out of hand and turning into a hunt for a scapegoat does seem… well, topical.

Featuring no fewer than 19 characters, the whole thing is performed by just six actors – so it’s something of a tour de force for the performers involved (not to mention a calorie-busting workout). And obviously, it’s all set to music, which veers from childlike simplicity for younger characters to some pretty sophisticated material for the adults. There are some old-fashioned toe-tapping tunes in there (you WILL come out with them stuck in your head), but also some really exciting moments of ensemble singing when all the different characters and storylines come together – so if you like the melodic invention of William Finn, or the wit and complexity of Sondheim, there’ll be plenty here to satisfy you.

I can also guarantee that you’ll laugh. A lot.

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

You must must must go and see ‘The Same Rain That Falls On Me’, a brilliant, funny, sad and vital monologue written by Logan Jones and performed by Ella McKeown (23 July, 12pm) – it packs so much into its 35 minutes and will leave you reeling. Matthew Gouldesbrough’s five star OffComm award-winning play Elegy (30 and 31 July, 4.30pm) looks too be another theatrical experience not to miss. I’m a huge silent cinema fan and seeing films with live musical accompaniment is one of life’s great pleasures, so Bela Lugosi’s ‘White Zombie’ with a new original score written and performed by Jason Frederick looks like an absolute treat (25 July, 7pm). And any opportunity to see Simon Munnery (23 July, 9pm) should be seized.

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EdFringe Talk: Are You Being Murdered?

Posted in *Written Interviews, EdFestivals 2022 by

“Like many people I’ve realised how cluttered my life is with “things” and how much better I feel getting rid of many of them that I don’t need.”

WHO: Arthur Bostrom

WHAT: “World premiere of a new murder mystery starring Arthur Bostrom (‘Allo ‘Allo!) set in the golden age of BBC sitcoms, from the acclaimed Father Brown writer David Semple. A supporting artist’s job is to be invisible, inscrutable, and not to pull focus from the stars… and Jamie Button does his best to follow these rules, until he witnesses a murder on the set of a popular sitcom. Extra turns detective, stepping into the limelight. As events unravel and the culprit fears detection by this amateur sleuth, could it be that Jamie has spoken his last ‘rhubarb’?”

WHERE: Pleasance at EICC – Cromdale Theatre (Venue 150) 

WHEN: Varies (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

This will be my third time as a performer. I appeared on the Fringe in 1975 and 1976 as part of Durham University’s Edinburgh Fringe Theatre Company. I performed in revues, plays and a one man show “Des Esseintes”, the experience of which made me decide to become a professional actor. So Edinburgh Fringe was very much my launchpad. I’ve been back several time as a show watcher.

What’s special about EdFringe for me is the excitement. It’s huge event where you can see so many different types of artistic expression. I always come away inspired. I believe EdFringe has grown and grown precisely because of this mix. You can see the greats, such as Sir Ian McKellen, and next door maybe someone who’s just starting. It’s unmatched anywhere else in the world I believe.

What are the big things you’ve learned since 2019 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?

I’ve had a long time to think and mull during the pandemic years when, for the most part, I couldn’t work as an actor. Before 2020 I had been wondering if I still wanted to be an actor, after 42 years. During that time I realised I still did. I’ve realised the things and people I’m grateful are in my life. Also I’ve finally learned that great lesson to control things that are within my power to change for the better, and stop mourning things that I cannot do anything about: Brexit, the pandemic, governments, people’ behaviours etc. A long list. I’ve learned I can’t hang on to every one of my friends. Some have left my life, appropriately. Like many people I’ve realised how cluttered my life is with “things” and how much better I feel getting rid of many of them that I don’t need. If I ever did need them. This is a “work in progress”. I’m away working on this play, living out of a suitcase for weeks. All I’m missing from home are some paintings I love. There.

Tell us about your show.

“Are You Being Murdered?” is a one man play acted by me, written by David Semple, and produced by Seabright Productions. It’s set in the 1970s and features me playing the character of Jamie Button, a supporting artist on the famous BBC Comedy “Are You Being Served?” It’s an affectionate, funny story from that time, with also a touch of Marple and Poirot thrown in as I also solve a murder. It came about as I had appeared as a guest on the BBC series “Father Brown”, an episode written by David Semple, the writer of this show. We had met briefly on location six years ago, and in June 2021 he emailed me literally out of the blue to inform me that he had written me a one man show. At no point had he contacted me before. Later that day, he sent what was the 4th draft, I loved it, wanted to do it, and here we are doing it- through extraordinary synchronistic paths .David Semple had suggested Seabright Productions, and I found that that Tom O’Connell was now a co-producer there – I had had a very happy association with him in 2016 on a touring play and he was very happy to take on this play. Such warm and enthusiastic connections . We are premiering it at five performances at the Devonshire Park Theatre, Eastbourne, from July 28th – 31st before heading up to the EICC in Edinburgh. We are hoping to tour the production in the rest of 2022 and into 2023 as there is interest from UK venues.

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

I’d like to plug the show Megalith, by Mechanimal, which features a friend and super all round actor Charles Sandford. You can find it at Zoo August 5 -28. It’ll be physical, exciting and thought-provoking I know.

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EdFringe Talk: Afghanistan Is Not Funny by Henry Naylor

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“I think I probably started coming here back in the 1830s when George IV was still King.”

WHO: Henry Naylor: Writer/Performer/Co-Producer

WHAT: “In 2002, whilst researching a comedy, triple-Fringe First winner Henry Naylor and two-time Scottish Press Photographer of the Year Sam Maynard, went to the Afghan war zone. An extraordinary tale ensued in which they were threatened by a war criminal, captured by the Mujahideen and nearly blown up by the Taliban. Performed by Naylor himself, the show takes us back to the start of the modern Afghan tragedy. It comes direct from the Adelaide Fringe, where it won twelve five-star reviews and two major awards. European Premiere.”

WHERE: Gilded Balloon Teviot – Dining Room (Venue 14) 

WHEN: 16:00 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

Aag. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve been to the Edinburgh fringe; I think I probably started coming here back in the 1830s when George IV was still King. No, seriously, this is probably my 20th year. I started out doing comedy sketch shows with my buddy Andy Parsons; but in more recent years have been a playwright. I’ve certainly done seven plays in the last eight fringes.

I tend to do the same venue every year, at the same time-slot – so people know where to find me! (The Gilded Balloon Teviot Dining Room at 4pm). I know the room well and know how to make it work. It’s also nice to keep returning to the same space: like coming home.

Every year feels different, depending on how your show is going down. On those magic years when your show is a hit, there’s nothing better on Earth.

What are the big things you’ve learned since 2019 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?

I think for many artists, we’ve been stuck in our houses, unable to socialise, and it’s forced us to be introspective. I expect there to be a lot more shows this year where the performers are mining themselves. Digging deep into their characters.

So I guess the work will be more introspective than usual… but that can produce interesting Art. If creatives have mined themselves honestly, they could have tapped a greater profoundity.

Also, many of us have been spending two years to come up with the shows. That’s a lot of time in the development of an artist. Expect quite a few artists to have taken dramatic twists in their style. I’m anticipating surprises from the more established acts this year.

For my part I have returned to performing. I’ve only performed in one show in the last 15 years at the Fringe. This year I’m doing my first-ever solo show. And I’m loving it.

Tell us about your show.

My show is called Afghanistan Is Not Funny. For an hour, I tell the story of my, and my brilliantly talented photographer friend Sam Maynard’s, trip to Afghanistan straight after the war in 2002.

We were researching a play I was writing for the Fringe at the time, called Finding Bin Laden. We were completely naïve. We turned up in a war zone taking photos and meeting all sorts of Afghans, refugees, landmine-victims, warlords, soldiers, Ex-Talibanis.,, We nearly got killed a couple of times, we narrowly missed a landmine, we were threatened with execution by a war criminal… we were even kidnapped by the mujahedin… And we have the photographic evidence of Sam’s brilliant photographic slides to back up the story.

I’m excited about it; previews at the Adelaide and Hollywood Fringes went well. We won a Best Theatre award at Adelaide, and Best International Act at Hollywood fringe. So it should be good!

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

Torch Theatre’s multi-award winning show called Grav is returning to the Fringe. It’s about Welsh rugby legend Ray Gravell, and was a big hit a few years ago. You don’t have to be a rugby fan to enjoy it, though, and the actor Gareth Bale, is a real talent. Should be great.

Torch Theatre is doing its version of one of my plays ‘Angel.’ The show won the Fringe First back in 2016, and I’m told that theirs is an excellent production. The actress Yasemin Özdemir is meant to be extraordinary in it. I’d love to be able to see it – but the show’s on at 4pm – which is the same time as me!

Stand-up Marcus Birdman will be doing a show about how he had a stroke. He’s always a really interesting performer anyway, but I think his subject matter this year will be particularly challenging and interesting.

There’s a show called The Gods, The Gods, The Gods at Assembly which should be good; the team behind it have consistently produced interesting work.

And finally, one of my good friends, Mike Blaha is performing his first ever Edinburgh show. It’s a spoof academic lecture called, “Spanking The Monkey: The Etymology of Onanistic Euphemisms.” He’s a very eloquent and intelligent guy – so heaven knows what he’s come up with!!

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EdFringe Talk: Ange Lavoipierre: I’ve Got 99 Problems and Here’s an Exhaustive List of Them

Posted in *Written Interviews, Bedfringe 2022 by

“I moonlight as the cello accompanist for Australian improv duo BearPack.”

WHO: Ange Lavoipierre

WHAT: “99 problems. 50 minutes. One woman. One spider suit. 30 seconds per problem. An insufficient number of solutions. If you currently have, or have ever had problems, the new show from award-winning comedian and journalist Ange Lavoipierre is absolutely for you. This frantic yet beguiling display of self-pity is the holiday from your own problems you’ve been waiting for.”

WHERE: Underbelly, George Square – The Wee Coo (Venue 300) 

WHEN: 16:20 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

Whenever anyone asks me what Edinburgh Fringe is like, I tell them it’s the most fun you can have as an adult, and I stand by that, although long haul flights from Australia are certainly a close second.

This is my second time bringing my own show to Edinburgh, but my millionth performing there, because I moonlight as the cello accompanist for Australian improv duo BearPack (Steen Raskopoulos & Carlo Ritchie). I found I was even funnier when I talked, so my 2022 show is primarily talking.

The best thing about it really is the genuine sense of chaos and possibility. You can meet just about anyone, see some truly wild shows you never imagined would exist, and you get to do it all in a deeply beautiful (haunted) city.

What are the big things you’ve learned since 2019 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?

My main takeaway from 2019 was to never flyer anywhere near birds, because they will do an enormous shit(s) on you. I also learned to say yes to everything, talk to everyone, and to be very good at wrapping up a conversation. I’ve nailed the first two, but am yet to master the third. And birds are literally everywhere, so maybe the real lesson is to never flyer at all.

Honestly though the festival can feel overwhelming as a performer, and success is an abstract concept in that environment, so I have decided that the way to approach it is to fully enjoy whatever good things happen in a day, because in the words of Mary Oliver, joy is not made to be a crumb.

Tell us about your show.

I like to think that my niche is comedy-horror. I wrote the show at a time when I thought spiders were following me, and ostensibly, it’s an hour-long attempt to work out why that’s happening. Really though I knew the notion of being followed by a pack of organised, interventionist spiders was insane even at the time it was happening, so it’s actually a show about the crazy things we let ourselves believe.

I’ve been performing this show on the Australian festival circuit for 6 months, and my Edinburgh season, produced by RBM, is its last stop.

Easily the dumbest part is the spider strip tease, and the cleverest part is the song I wrote about small dicks. Or is it the other way around?

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

Sam Cambell’s shows are a kind of magic trick where you laugh the whole time and then you walk out and you can’t remember a single thing that happened because it was too weird. Real moonbeam on the sand stuff. Julia Masli is a pure and charming clown who is totally magnetic to watch. Garry Starr is a fucking idiot (see him). Tom Walker is a deeply strange man who has thought of things that no-one else ever would, and all of them are funny. Viggo Venn is a very tall Norwegian clown, and honestly I don’t think he knows how not to make you laugh. Dreamgun do the world’s funniest film reads, and their shows are always a joy. They also have very nice Irish accents. New Zealander Eli Matthewson is instantly loveable, and that feeling will only increase over an hour of watching his stand up. And Joz Norris’ character Mr Fruit Salad was the hardest I laughed in 2019. I can’t wait to see what exquisitely half arsed character he invents this time to exceed it.

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EdFringe Talk: SK Shlomo: Breathe: The Play That Becomes a Rave

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“Coming out as non-binary is not as scary as I thought it would be.”

WHO: SK Shlomo

WHAT: “In aid of the suicide charity CALM, and sound-tracked live with songs from his upcoming second album, the acclaimed beatboxer is back with Breathe: a breathtakingly theatrical display of bravery and virtuosic performance, recreating the impromptu rave in his living room that not only saved his life but transformed a sleepy village community.”

WHERE: Pleasance Dome – QueenDome (Venue 117) 

WHEN: 19:00 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

This will be my 9th Fringe – I think! I have a love hate thing going on with Edinburgh – it’s simultaneously the most amazing, inspiring and magical place in the world, and also the most overwhelming and exhausting… but I cannot wait to get back up there and feel part of the biggest show on Earth.

What are the big things you’ve learned since 2019 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?

I learned that I have severe ADHD, I’m entitled to German citizenship, coming out as non-binary is not as scary as I thought it would be, and – if you work hard enough – you totally can create a play that becomes a rave and premiere it at the Royal Albert Hall.

Tell us about your show.

So I have two shows this year, 12.05pm is my “Beatbox Adventure For Kids” empowering the next generation of superstar beatboxers (and their grownups) to stop caring what other people think and just be their true shiny noisy selves

Then 7pm is my offie-nominated solo-show “BREATHE: The Play That Becomes A Rave” which tells my story of becoming isolated and suicidal, and how a bunch of strangers saved my life by throwing the greatest rave of all time… in my village living room!

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

So every night my play that becomes a rave is 70 minutes long, but not gonna lie, you’re likely to leave wanting more. SO on Fridays we have an EXTRA late night offering that starts at midnight called BREATHE: THE CLUBNIGHT. I’m doing an extended DJ set alongside party games and vibes galore and I’m almost more excited for that than the main show! Also, go check out the incredible Abandoman – an Irish freestyle rapping genius who weaves an entire narrative from nonsense the crowd throws at him, it is just joyous and I laugh so much it actually hurts.

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EdFringe Talk: Kiri Pritchard-McLean: Home Truths

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“Since about 2014 I’ve stayed in the same bedroom in the same flat too. It’s sort of my August bedroom.”

WHO: Kiri Pritchard – McLean

WHAT: “Kiri Pritchard-McLean is back and a lot has happened over the last few years. She’s moved back to her home island of Anglesey and gotten some rescue chickens. You can expect jokes about skinny jeans, learning Welsh and white supremacy – something for everyone.”

WHERE: Monkey Barrel Comedy – Monkey Barrel 3 (Venue 515) 

WHEN: 19:05 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

I’ve been coming up to the fringe since 2010. I came up to take part in the semi-finals of SYTYF and dear reader, that’s as far as I got. I came back in subsequent years and worked as a Producer which was so useful. I got to see who were the best venues to work with, what made an act a pleasure to work with from the production perspective and which PRs had the biggest cocaine problem.

Since about 2014 I’ve stayed in the same bedroom in the same flat too. It’s sort of my August bedroom. Every year I discover something new that I love there – usually a new charity shop. I can’t wait to see what I can buy to stop me from crying this year!

What are the big things you’ve learned since 2019 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?

This is a big question! The big answer is; community is everything. I learned that from online gigs, insta lives, podcasts and socially distanced swims in the sea. I’d like to think I’ve absorbed a bit of that but in reality I just think I throw more parties and as life lessons go, that isn’t bad.

Tell us about your show.

Home Truths is written by me and directed by the lad who’s directed all my other stand up shows, Adam Drake. People might recognise Adam as the sweaty one from Goose or the one who is both red headed AND a man in Tarot, I recognise him as the person who takes all the topics I want to talk about, hundreds and hundreds of jokes and jostles them into coherent hours of comedy. I’ve toured this show this Spring but I think it’s getting a big old rewrite and perspective shift ahead of the fringe that I’m simultaneously terrified and excited about. After the fringe I’ll trot back out on tour again which I can’t wait for.

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

There’s so many acts I’m excited about seeing this year. I’ll be watching Tarot every night from the tech box which means as a writer/director I have to work extra hard on the show because I don’t want to cringe or yawn my way through 28 hours of something it was my job to make better. Luckily for me I think it’s the funniest hour of sketch I’ve ever been involved in – weirdly that sentence just made me yawn and cringe. I can’t wait to see Chloe Petts, Sikisa, Sophie Duker, Sofie Hagen, Jessica Fostekew and I suppose I should say a man for balance but I can’t think of any I want to hear talk right now.

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EdFringe Talk: Jamie MacDonald: Reasonably Adjusted

Posted in *Written Interviews, EdFestivals 2022 by

“I’ve learned that in global pandemics stand up comedians are definitely not key workers. I’ve not absorbed this fully yet or I’d have retrained as a nurse.”

WHO: Jamie MacDonald

WHAT: “The New York Times – America’s “Daily Record” – asked: what’s the worst that could happen to you? Blindness won! Jamie’s not sure it’s that bad. The star of Life on the Blink (BBC Radio 4) and Blind Ambition (BBC Two) once hated his eyes, then he accepted them and nowadays he loves them (he had the same journey with olives). Emotionally detached psycho or just blind happy? Plus if everyone hates blindness why do they listen to audiobooks?”

WHERE: Gilded Balloon Teviot – Sportsmans (Venue 14) 

WHEN: 19:45 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

Nope this is my 7th show at the Fringe. The fringe is unique in that it’s like the hunger games for performers. All year round Stand-up is a collegic profession full of great and wonderful people from all walks of life. But in August when there are 5 billion brilliant shows and a finite number of punters and your show is the best!the gloves are off!

What are the big things you’ve learned since 2019 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?

I’ve learned that in global pandemics stand up comedians are definitely not key workers. I’ve not absorbed this fully yet or I’d have retrained as a nurse.

Tell us about your show.

Basically the New York times ran a poll asking people to vote for the worst thing that could ever happen to you. Blind came number 1! Smashed it! Now given that blind people can’t read the flipping paper this is rigged. Plus as a blind guy I don’t think my disability is as bad as all that. This idea that blindness must be a continual drag on my existence is bollocks! Disability and happiness are not mutually exclusive – although they were when at high school I was made to be Glasgow’s only visually impaired hurdler. The show is being jointly produced by Andrew Roach talent and Gag Reflex. No idea where it’s going next. Will have to see how it does in August.

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

There is a tonne of great shows to see this year. Go see these guys: Larry Dean; Liam Farrelly; Jo Caulfield; Lou Sanders.

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EdFringe Talk: Aaron Simmonds: Hot Wheels

Posted in *Written Interviews, EdFestivals 2022 by

“Gary Oldman is 2 weeks younger than Gary Newman and the word bed looks like a bed when written down. I haven’t been able to absorb anything else as my mind was blown by both of these facts.”

WHO: Aaron Simmonds: Performer

WHAT: “Aaron gained a nickname based solely on being in a wheelchair. Understandably this upset him as there is much more to him than his disability. Annoyingly though it’s actually a really cool nickname. Discover the positive side of being disabled, from having a blue badge to sex in disabled toilets, meeting “Jesus” and everything in-between.”

WHERE: Pleasance Courtyard – Bunker Three (Venue 33) 

WHEN: 15:20 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

No, it’s not my first time at the festival. I’ve been coming to The Fringe every year (except 20 and 21 for obvious reasons) since 2014 when I was calling myself a comedian despite only doing 3 gigs before coming up. I absolutely love it. It’s my favourite place in the world. Despite Edinburgh being 80% uphill and being a wheelchair user, it’s still my favourite time of year. I think the thing I love most is it is the culmination of a years (2 or 3 in some cases) work. After seeing comedians doing little bits and pieces throughout the year, seeing it as a whole show is incredible.

What are the big things you’ve learned since 2019 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?

Gary Oldman is 2 weeks younger than Gary Newman and the word bed looks like a bed when written down. I haven’t been able to absorb anything else as my mind was blown by both of these facts.

Tell us about your show.

So Hot Wheels started as an identity crisis after a one night stand, about my disability, and has ended up into a show that I am incredibly proud of. As we all know the main formula for comedy is: Tragedy + Time = Comedy. With this show however it was more: Crisis + Time x Sex in a Disabled Toilet = Comedy.

The show was written by me, with the help of my director Kevin Shepherd, and produced by Gag Reflex in association with Andrew Roach Talent. Both Gag Reflex and Andrew are my agents (for different things) and I worked with Kev in 2019 so it was all very straight forward in terms of the collaboration on the show and has been a huge part of why everything has gone so smoothly (so far.)

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

As much as you possibly can! Some of the best shows I have seen so far include: Katie Pritchard (6pm pleasance) Sarah Mills (2.05pm Pleasance) Adele Cliff (3.40 Tron) Alice Fraser (9.15 Gilded Balloon) and Glen Moore, not only does he have one of the funniest shows I have seen, he almost certainly has the single greatest pun title of all time. Glenn Moore: Will You Still Need Me, Will You Still Feed Me, Glenn I’m Sixty Moore. (4.20 Pleasance) Oh and I haven’t seen her show yet, but I think Sophie Duker is just amazing at everything and you should go see her.

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