Author Archives: Dan Lentell

‘Alfie Moore’s, It’s a Fair Cop’ (Bedfringe, 23 July 2022)

Posted in 5*, Bedfringe 2022 by

“Alfie Moore has something to talk about, a rich vein of thought-provoking tragi-comic material that is worth hearing.”

Editorial Rating: 5 Stars (Outstanding)

The Radio 4 crowd are in en mass tonight. There are few cultural institutions which have done more to incubate and nursemaid emerging British talent than the airwave venue to be found at 92-95 FM and 198 LW. For a certain tribe in our society, those frequencies are as familiar as their own childhood telephone number. Frequency modulation and long wave. Those matter. The DAB digital radio, Freesat, Sky or Virgin Media addresses for Radio 4 do not. Shibboleths are crucial whether you’re trying to stop Ephraimites from crossing the River Jordan, or you’re trying to identify yourself with the last hold out of the Reithian mandate to inform, educate, and entertain. Alfie Moore’s, ‘It’s a Fair Cop’ is the latest in a long line of exquisitely produced audio content that has set the gold-pressed latinum standard since 30 September 1967.

We enter to find Bedfringe’s main stage rigged for standup which is appropriate because Alfie Moore is a standup comedian. What has set him apart from the anonymous herd of edgeless blethers and anxiety-including also rants is that for twenty years Moorse was an officer with Humberside Police, serving his communities to make them safer and stronger. In other words, Alfie Moore has something to talk about, a rich vein of thought-provoking tragi-comic material that is worth hearing.

I’m a Radio 4 baby with a Brian Redhead beard, I don’t like crowds so I’ve sneaked a solitary seat in the sort-of-but-not-entirely-closed-upstairs, extreme stage-right, opposite the Royal/Presidential Box. From my superb vantage point, I can see down onto Moore’s colour-coded show notes as well as his occasional kindly stern glances up in my direction which leaves me feeling that the very best course of action for me to take is to confess everything – I did it. I did go through a door clearly marked “no entry” to get here. I did see the sign. I do like feeling importanterer and betterer than everyone, even my own Radio 4 people.

The show notes steer the conversation, and it is a conversation, between Moore and his audience. Like his radio show, with its 1m+ listeners, the conversation focuses on the choices made each and every day by ordinary men and women wearing the Queen’s uniform. Would we get to the scene of a possible burglary with lights and sirens flashing? Knowing the suspect is possibly on the premises, would we wait for backup? How would we identify ourselves? What’s the actual crime here? BTW breaking and entering is an American import and not a British legal concept, Moore informs us, but he would say that, he’s with the Feds.

By curtain call, we’ve gained an insight into life on the beat told by a storyteller with a natural gift whose talent has been honed and sharpened in the cultural nursery equivalent of Kew Gardens. We leave knowing more (informed, tick); with a broader understanding of the context of what we’ve learned (educated, tick); and we’ve laughed – a lot – (entertained, tic). In the Disney+ adaptation of Alfie Moore’s, ‘It’s a Fair Cop’ we can imagine the bright-eyed ex-copper looking up at James Cromwell, the taciturn actor playing Lord Reith, who smiles down just as he did in the final scene of Babe. They share in the glory and the crowd’s adulation before Cromwell, as Reith whispers, “That’ll do pig. That’ll do.”

 

Reviewer: Dan Lentell

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‘Life Under The Sun’ (Bedfringe, 23 July 2022)

Posted in 4*, Bedfringe 2022 by

“Here is the man who has everything – limitless wine on tap and over 700 women to tap. He is fabulously wealthy, his country is at peace, his people are (for the most part) content. But what on Earth is the point of it all?”

Editorial Rating: 4 Stars (Nae Bad)

A person born in the 5th century BC could, theoretically, have met Socrates, The Buddha, Zoroaster, and a host of other top-shelf thinkers. Gore Vidal wrote a novel with that premise. His protagonist, a Persian ambassador, crosses the world, from Athens to China and back again, but takes no interest that part of the world inhabited by Solomon the Wise and his descendants. Rabbinic tradition holds that Ecclesiastes was written by the King in his auld age (in the 930s BC) and yet the presence in the text of many Persian loanwords, some scholars argue, points to a composition date no earlier than about 450 BCE. Was Soloman a precursor, or was he a contemporary, of the great minds Gore’s fictional ambassador encountered?

We enter to find a stage empty but for a tall chair. Stephen Bathurst – BA (Hons) Acting, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire – enters as a herald announcing the imminent arrival of King Solomon who is due to give a state of the nation address to his people. Bathurst exits and Solomon enters. He’s a less than impressive figure. Tired. Bored. Drunk. Slumped in his underwear. Here is the man who has everything – limitless wine on tap and over 700 women to tap. He is fabulously wealthy, his country is at peace, his people are (for the most part) content. But what on Earth is the point of it all? Life! Don’t talk to me about life!

What follows is an up close and personal meditation on Solomon – the man beneath the legend, the monarch behind the glamour. Bathurst’s delivery (despite the underpants paired with a hot pink feather boa) is anything but camp. This is not John Hurt’s Caligula in TV’s I, Claudius. Comic interactions with the audience, including a freshly hired and much put-upon Royal Cupbearer, push but never entirely break the magic. Here, laid bare, is one of history’s most recognisable individuals utterly lost, dwarfed firstly by his own accomplishments and then, in great auld age, put mercilessly into the total perspective vortex by the infinity of creation.

In the Q&A that follows this pacy and poignant monologue, Bathurst ponders on the high rates of depression and suicide in his adoptive Scandinavian homeland. How can people who have so much feel so empty? There is an answer. There is The Answer. But this is a show about the BIG question no single human being has ever entirely answered. Few works of visual art down the centuries can boast of matching Scripture’s vision of Solomon’s magnificent desolation as it is rendered in Holy prose. Bathurst’s startling and ambitious ‘Life Under The Sun’ is one of them.

 

Reviewer: Dan Lentell

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‘The Same Rain That Falls On Me’ (Bedfringe, 23 July 2022)

Posted in 5*, Bedfringe 2022 by

“As Alice, Ella McKeown is utterly believable. As the sorrow pours out of her, you want to leap out of your seat, bring her a hot chocolate – one with those little pink and white marshmallows – and tell her it’s all going to be OK.”

Editorial Rating: 5 Stars (Outstanding)

Life is short. The space between our first entrance and our final exit is horribly, unforgivably short. ‘The Same Rain That Falls On Me’ is Alice’s story of coming home from uni on the hottest day of the year to be present at her father’s death. Through the traffic, the climate change disruption, the stifling train, the stiff matriarch, the expecting brother and sister-in-law, and the very young niece oblivious to the slow-moving trauma engulfing an ordinary family.

Logan Jones’ monologue – first written for the York Theatre Royal’s Takeover Festival in 2019 – is a beat-by-beat chronicle of the end of life in the context of everything else carrying on as usual. The drama is subtle and understated. The staging is minimal, just a chair. The lighting changes are small enough to make you wonder if they are being made at all. Yet the overall effect is like being hit by a wave of raw, dramatic energy. Equal parts invigorating and enervating. As safeguarding professionals are forever saying – it’s the impact, not the incident.

As Alice, Ella McKeown is utterly believable. As the sorrow pours out of her, you want to leap out of your seat, bring her a hot chocolate – one with those little pink and white marshmallows – and tell her it’s all going to be OK. It’s an astonishing performance. Every stitch of canvas aligned perfectly to capture the domestic sturm und drang.

The most experienced and clued-up punters at any Fringe festival – and there are plenty in the audience today – will always check in with the venue staff for the inside tips as to what’s hot and what’s hotter. The consensus is in. Ricochet Theatre are THE company to watch.

Reviewer: Dan Lentell

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‘An Evening With The Two Toms’ (Bedfringe, 22 July 2022)

Posted in 5*, Bedfringe 2022 by

“It’s a tribute to the eclectic and far-reaching magnetism of the two Tom cats that so many people, from so many different walks of life, have beat a path to this gig.”

Editorial Rating: 5 Stars (Nae Bad)

One is the dapper chap whose viral hit stuck a banjolele chord with anyone who’s ever been mildly cheesed off by life, the universe, and/or everything. The other is an ivory tickler whose weekly Cockney Singalongs became a welcome refuge for a global audience in the darkest days of Lockdown. Together they are the Two Toms, Thomas Benjamin Wilde Esq. and Tom Carradine. Full disclosure, I’m a massive fan of both.

For only the second time in recorded history – this history is recorded on vinyl BTW – The Two Toms are appearing on the same stage in an act of collaborative sharing that would have the nation’s nursery school teachers dishing out ‘star of the day stickers’ like they were going out of fashion. It’s a game of three halves. One half is pure Carradine’s Cockney Singalong – replete with music hall favourites auld and new (‘ave a banana); One half is uncut Thomas Benjamin Wilde Esq. banging out his new cult classics and best-loved covers on a range of string instruments including one of the best set of vocal chords in the solar system; The final half is The Two Toms together, as perfectly balanced as a penny-farthing peddling away down the road of life.

I’m sitting between a much-respected American theatre-maker, in town on his way up to Edinburgh, and the bloke who does security at the Twinwood Vintage Festival – he’s the dude who’ll bounce you out for wearing 50s era buttons on the 40s three-piece, or having a nylon ribbon on your straw boater. It’s a tribute to the eclectic and far-reaching magnetism of the two Tom cats that so many people, from so many different walks of life, have beat a path to this gig. There is magic abroad in the air.

The show is still finding its feet. Gremlins make mischief with the slide projector (not that this crowd needs to be reminded of the lyrics), and there’s a hefty overrun which would have been ruinous at Edinburgh, where eye-watering fines per minute discourage acts from disrupting the festival-goers’ tight schedules. But the artistry is not a work in progress. It’s the product of those hundreds of hours which musicians must sow in private in order to reap the public rewards. The harvest is a fine one, with promises of truly magnificent vintages to come.

Reviewer: Dan Lentell

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Bedfringe 2021 Interview: The Geneva Convention of Human F**Ks

Posted in Bedfringe 2022 by

“I guess we have been too busy to actually realise what we have learnt from this year just yet.”

WHO: Charlie Whitworth: Writer and Director

WHAT: “The Geneva Convention of Human F**ks tells the story of three men as they go on their latest sex tour of Europe. Set just before COVID hits, we follow Michael, Liam and Peter as they describe the various brothels, prostitutes and more obscure sexual offerings that they encounter. In this time they tackle their ethics around various issues such as prostitution, #metoo, sex trafficking and even global warming.

Performed entirely by women performers, the show is a sometimes funny, sometimes groan-inducing exploration of toxic masculinity, sex tourism and the friendship between three men.
Written and Directed by company co-founder Charlie Whitworth, this shows launches Yet To Be with its mission to create original, punchy and entertaining work for audiences.”

WHERE: Quarry Theatre

WHEN: 26 July 2022 @ 21:15 (55mins)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Bedfringe?

This is my first time coming to Bedfringe but it is not the first time for Yet To Be’s co-founder Marina O’Shea. She has brought work here a few times and she is super excited about bringing our show “Geneva” to Bedfringe as she has had such great experiences at the festival in the past. As for me – I’m a complete newbie to the festival!

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

Well, Yet To Be have been on Exeter Northcott Theatre’s “Futures” programme this year which is an artist development programme. Marina and I are I guess what you would call “mid-career” but Yet To Be as a company is a baby and we want to make sure we get it right. We’ve been busy developing a new show for the Northcott called “Free Will & Other Myths” whilst we’ve been putting the finishing touches on the show we are taking to Bedfringe, Geneva… So I guess we have been too busy to actually realise what we have learnt from this year just yet.

Tell us about your show.

The Geneva Convention of Human F**ks tells the story of three men as they go on their latest sex tour of Europe. Set just before COVID hits, we follow Michael, Liam and Peter as they describe the various brothels, prostitutes and more obscure sexual offerings that they encounter. In this time they tackle their ethics around various issues such as prostitution, #metoo, sex trafficking and even global warming. Performed entirely by women performers, the show is a sometimes funny, sometimes groan-inducing exploration of toxic masculinity, sex tourism and the friendship between three men.

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

Well, I’m pretty sure these two shows are actually on BEFORE us but we reckon people should check out the two show by Ricochet Theatre on at Bedfringe called The Same Rain That Falls on Me & Intricate Rituals. Ricochet are lovely and we think you’d be fools to miss their shows.

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Bedfringe 2021 Interview: The First Broadcast: The Battle for the Beeb in 1922

Posted in Bedfringe 2022 by

“My first time at Bedfringe was in 1985/1955/2015/1885. My second time at Bedfringe will be 1922.”

WHO: Paul Kerensa: Writer/Performer/Creator/Dogsbody

WHAT: “It’s the centenary year of the BBC! By Christmas 1922, the British Broadcasting Company had 30,000 listeners but only four employees. Who were they?

In ‘The First Broadcast’, a new comic historical one-man ‘stand-up history’  show, comedian, writer and broadcaster Paul Kerensa brings to life two of the BBC’s forgotten pioneers – Arthur Burrows and Peter Eckersley.

Both worked for The Marconi Company, where they squabbled, mocked and generally disagreed about what this new radio thing should be. One has grand ideas of bringing opera to people’s homes via a small box in the corner. The other is the pre-Goon Goon, covering records in jam, creating the first radio quiz, and impersonating opera singers.

In this live one-man show, based on The British Broadcasting Century Podcast, Paul plays both men, bringing to life those early broadcasts and the rivalry that spawned an industry. Expect to be informed, educated, but above all entertained.”

WHERE: Quarry Theatre

WHEN: 31 July 2022 @ 16:00 (60mins)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Bedfringe?

I’ve been to Bedfringe once before, with Back to the Futon: a tribute show to Back to the Future. Why just do jokes when you can cling to cultural history, and spend far too much researching and re-enacting something incredibly difficult to bring to life? That’s what I did then with Back to the Future – that’s what I’m doing this time with the first BBC broadcasts. So my first time at Bedfringe was in 1985/1955/2015/1885. My second time at Bedfringe will be 1922. It’s a cracking festival full of lovely people. Honestly it’s the people that make the festival. The venues, the organisation, the shows themselves… all great, but it all flows from good old-fashioned decent people putting on something they believe in. (Alright, pipe down the strings, I’m going to start welling up. Clearly it’s been too long without festivals – I’m starting to get emotional.)

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

I’m always learning, with each performance. Part of the joy/curse of being a stand-up, is that everything is work-in-progress. This new show I’m doing is in theory a one-man play, but I found when writing it and previewing it, that I can’t finish it. If I were an actor (but then again, no…), I’d write, rehearse and finish a thing. But the stand-up in me says no! Far more fun to have some fun with it, learn the script, forget it again, play with it, try new things, change it a little each time. Festivals are a joy to have the chance to do this – don’t tell Leicester, but their festival is first in the calendar, in February, so every year, performers turn up there with half an idea on the back of a coaster. By Bedfringe though, we have a finished show. Well, unfinished. See above. I never finish anything. Not even a sentenc

Tell us about your show.

100 years ago, the BBC began. But not only that, 100 years ago, pre-BBC radio began too. Britain’s first regular broadcasting station had a wild Kenny Everett-style presenter who’d cover records in jam, impersonate opera singers, overrun the time allowed in the government licence… and he’d go on to become the BBC’s first Chief Engineer. So I’m recreating his broadcasts, and the first BBC broadcasts, and telling the tale of how it all came together. It’s a true tale I’ve been researching for years. I run a podcast on it (The British Broadcasting Century podcast) and I’m writing a novel about it (Auntie and Uncles, due out this autumn). But the live tour has been great to bring these forgotten voices to life.

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

23 July at the Quarry is packed with great performers I just love – Alfie Moore’s cop show, Kev Sutherland’s Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppet Theatre Co (he’s been doing it for years – his arms must be knackered), and Simon Munnery is just a marvel whose comedy deserves to be wrapped in cotton wool and stored in a museum. Head there exactly a week later and you get Max Fulham, a cracking ventriloquist who’s absolutely going places. Mitch Benn’s musical comedy is there that day too, as is the fab Juliette Burton, who’s always got something to say and a great attitude to say it. I’ve missed out a couple of dozen other great acts. Just go to all of it. You’re in for a treat.

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Bedfringe 2021 Interview: An Evening With The 2 Toms

Posted in Bedfringe 2022 by

“As well as being just round the corner from my house, Bedfringe has always been a great festival to be involved in. James and the team are an absolute joy to work with.”

WHO: Thomas Benjamin Wild Esq: Performer

WHAT: “Join viral star Thomas Benjamin Wild Esq. and London cabaret virtuoso Tom Carradine for an evening of sing-along-fun and musical humour! You can expect plenty of laughter, raucous audience participation and, if you’re lucky, they may even play a song or 2 together!”

WHERE: Quarry Theatre

WHEN: 22 July 2022 @ 19:00 (60mins)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Bedfringe?

This is my 3rd Bedfringe (Thomas B. Wild Esq) but it will be Tom Carradine’s first. I have not done a full show in the main theatre before (on other years I’ve performed in the garden or bar) so this will be my 1st time doing that. As well as being just round the corner from my house, Bedfringe has always been a great festival to be involved in. James and the team are an absolute joy to work with and make the whole experience very easy. There is always a diverse range of acts and the venue(s) are offer great facilities for producers, performers and punters alike.

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

Since my last visit to Bedfringe, I finally managed to finish my 2020 tour (I had lots of re-scheduled shows) and I managed to record a new album of original songs which came out just before Christmas. 2022 has been mostly focused on arranging shows and making connections with other artists. To be honest it’s been a bit of a whirlwind now that we’re able to play in front of actual audiences again and I haven’t really had time to think! I have got a lot better at recording music in my home studio (spare room) though! Tom Carradine has been continuing his online shows but has also been able get back to in person gigs (and has even found the time to record piano and accordion for some of my album tracks!) We’ve even been discussing the prospect of some international shows, if this all goes well!

Tell us about your show.

This will only be the 2nd time we’ve performed this show together! The best way of describing it is raucous, sing-along fun. Tom C’s part of the show consists of songs that everybody will know (and the lyrics will be on hand just in case) and my part half is perfect for after those interval drinks! The suggestion for us to combine forces came from GetYourCoatsOn’s very own Dan Lentell, so we hope he’s happy with himself (and he’d better write us a good review!)

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

I’m looking forward to so many acts this year! Of course, Dave Alnwick is always excellent as are Marcel Lucont and Luke Kempner, and I discovered the hilarious Shelf comedy online last year so I look forward to seeing them live. There is also the fabulous Coor Brow Obles on the garden stage again, as well as all the acts being put on for the Blender takeover. So much great stuff to see on my doorstep! I will have to try and convince Tom Carradine stick around for a bit!

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Bedfringe 2021 Interview: Max Fulham: “Is It Just Me?”

Posted in Bedfringe 2022 by

“To be in the lovely Quarry Theatre with a room full of people and sharing laughs was very special.”

WHO: Max Fulham: performer

WHAT: “When Max’s parents bought their nine-year-old son a puppet for Christmas they were not expecting him to become a full-time ventriloquist!

Returning after his successful show in 2021, Max Fulham brings his hilarious show combining stand-up and skilful ventriloquism to Bedfringe 2022. With television appearances including ITV’s ‘Game Of Talents’ and viral success on TikTok, Max brings the traditional art of ventriloquism bang up to date.”

WHERE: Quarry Theatre

WHEN: 30 July 2022 @ 14:00 (60mins)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Bedfringe?

This is my second time at BedFringe after performing there last year. I had a really great time and it was one of those magical shows that survived amongst pandemic chaos. To be in the lovely Quarry Theatre with a room full of people and sharing laughs was very special. Really looking forward to coming back this year with some brand new things and maybe a puppet debut or two. Oh did I mention I’m a ventriloquist? Should probably have given that context earlier otherwise you would have thought I’m just some guy with puppets… suppose I am that too though- but in a funny comedy way, not a lonely, are-they-replacements-for-real-friends kind of way!

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

It has been a busy year so far performing everywhere from comedy clubs to cruise ships! There was one week of gigging recently where I clocked up over 1500 miles in my car (which is more than the Proclaimers covered on foot). I’ve also been busy creating #content for social media too. It’s very fun firing out my silly videos into the internet for people to enjoy. This year I also performed my first solo show in London’s West End, but that’s just showing off now!

Tell us about your show.

My show is what happens when old-school variety meets modern-day stand-up. Some people switch off when they hear ventriloquism but cast your Summertime Special and creepy dummy thoughts aside and come along as I introduce you to my various puppet characters, including my own Grandad, and we will have a great laugh.

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

I wish I was around for more of the BedFringe!! There are so many good shows on! I would love to see Katie Pritchard with her show Disco Ball on 24th as I am yet to see her perform live but love the clips I have seen online. I’d also love to see The First Broadcast: The Battle for the Beeb in 1922 by the superb Paul Kerensa. And thirdly, because three is a neat number, I would definitely go and see ‘Charlie Russell Aims To Please’ as I am such a huge fan of Mischief Theatre’s work.

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Bedfringe 2021 Interview: Olaf Falafel: STOAT

Posted in Bedfringe 2022 by

“Did I mention I’m the three-year holder of the Edinburgh Festival Funniest Joke?”

WHO: Olaf Falafel: Star!

WHAT: “Olaf Falafel is the holder of ‘Dave’s Best Joke Of The Fringe’ but more importantly he is also the holder of ‘Person Whose Show Description You Are Currently Reading And Are Tempted To Book Tickets For’.”

WHERE: Quarry Theatre

WHEN: 22 July 2022 @ 20:00 (60mins)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Bedfringe?

It’s not, I think it may be my fourth. Bedfringe is always a really warm supportive crowd, perfect for when some of the stuff I’m trying might not necessarily be 100% yet. They’re a comedy-savvy crowd and I’m not just saying that to butter up my audience members!

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

I’ve been doing all sorts of stuff – making art videos for kids on YouTube, illustrating kids books, making comedy videos, writing children’s books – I’m like Little Britain’s Dennis Waterman (RIP)

Tell us about your show.

Well, it’s a mixture of stupid jokes, (did I mention I’m the three-year holder of the Edinburgh Festival Funniest Joke?), audience interaction, weird videos and a very loose thread running through it about my cat.

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

I’m actually going to be heading straight off for a quick holiday straight after my show but I’d love to have been able to catch Matt Winning’s Hot Mess. Matt is equal parts funny, talented and intelligent, his show is all about climate change and it is going to be really good.

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Bedfringe 2021 Interview: Chelsea Birkby: No More Mr Nice Chelsea

Posted in Bedfringe 2022 by

“As a comic, I love a fringe where you can feel that something is in town when you arrive!”

WHO: Chelsea Birkby

ROLE IN THE PRODUCTION: Star 😉

HAT: “Chelsea Birkby: No More Mr Nice Chelsea is the debut hour from “rising star” Ox in a Box, “one to watch” Funny Women and multi-competition finalist, Chelsea Birkby.

It’s about accepting the things about ourselves that aren’t so lovely, and includes the perks of having a breakdown in your early 20s.”

WHERE: Quarry Theatre

WHEN: 22 July 2022 @ 19:30 (55mins)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Bedfringe?

It’s my first time at Bedfringe. I’m excited as my sister and her family live in Bedfordshire and I’d visit all the time from Milton Keynes as a teen (fond memories of Bedford Nandos and Primark, huge to me at that age). The one-way system was overwhelming for me and my P plates after MK’s roundabouts. A great festival is one with a selection of acts from TV stars to up-and-comers, where you can see stand-up and sketch and clown and anything else. As a comic, I love a fringe where you can feel that something is in town when you arrive! And although the shows might be in studios and tucked away, you can feel something special is happening.

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

I don’t know if it’s the pandemic, being older or years of therapy but I’ve felt a real change in 2022. I care a little less what people think and I feel something new is blossoming: I feel more present, more resilient. And it’s changed the show, I previously wanted to do a show about sexual shame and philosophy but after the lockdowns (and a trip to clown school in Paris), this one is sillier and more honest. Also, I’ve really got into iced buns. That’s not part of the show but just, why are they so good, it’s so simple!

Tell us about your show.

No More Mr Nice Chelsea is an hour of stand-up where we’ll explore what it is to be ‘nice’ and when it’s time to stop. Looking at where being lovely comes from and the things polite people don’t talk about like sex, drugs and rock n roll (well, Nickelback). It’s a show for anyone who’s ever been afraid of their wild side and what happens when we hold it in…and let it out. Come if you say sorry too much, love philosophy and pop culture, and like your comedy playful and thoughtful. My first preview got this review from Oxford’s DailyInfo “Chelsea’s show crackled with energy and ambition…what was most admirable was the performer’s willingness to skirt easy laughs and handle more challenging subjects. It may just be April but it felt like we witnessed a potentially big hit when this show reaches its final destination…Brimming with talent, sure to go far.”

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

Bedfringe is teeming with incredible shows from brilliant artists. My advice is to go and see things you’ve never heard of as well as your faves. Personally, I can recommend Phil Green’s show (we’ve both been developing our shows with support from Soho Theatre), Shelf are fantastic and always have been, Louise Atkinson is one to watch, Katie Pritchard is one of the most joyful performers, I’ve seen every show Jacob Hawley has done and look up to him, Michael Akadiri’s debut is very exciting and my top recommendation is Eric Rushton’s first hour, there’s no one like him on the circuit, he’s brilliant.

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