Category Archives: EdFestivals 2022

All our coverage from the 2022 festivals.

EdFringe Talk: Eme Essien: Flat Shoes In The Club

Posted in *Written Interviews, EdFestivals 2022 by

“Having gone to the Fringe for many years prior to now performing, I have a sense of what audiences expect, what keeps them engaged and what can really stand out in a sea of posters that get lost amongst the noise.”

WHO: Eme Essien

WHAT: “Ever wondered what takes a girl so long to get ready on a night out? It’s Saturday night, the big girls’ night out and this girl is trying to get ready on time. Unfortunately, people won’t stop interrupting her. Delve into her world as she figures out what to wear, how to do her hair and what to do when she gets there. Uncensored, dishevelled and sincere, this is the internal conflict of a woman trying to achieve modern ideals and aspirations, in an hour of character comedy from award winner Eme Essien.”

WHERE: Underbelly, Bristo Square – Buttercup (Venue 302) 

WHEN: 15:45 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

I have been going to the Fringe for years as an audience member. It is an experience like no other and I love the experience. There are a lot of shows to filter through and the experience can be quite overwhelming, particularly as I am a solo traveller. I think that what is so unique about Ed Fringe is the mix of seasoned artists and performers and newcomers who are showcasing new material and everything in between. All this within walking distance (mostly) and every year, I found a gem that would get me super fired up and eager to showcase my own work. I really love how engaged the audiences are and for the most part, they are truly willing you to succeed and ready to be entertained.

Having gone to the Fringe for many years prior to now performing, I have a sense of what audiences expect, what keeps them engaged and what can really stand out in a sea of posters that get lost amongst the noise.

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

Wheeew that was a year for me! It was a lot. I had so many unexpected things thrown my way around the time of my solo sketch show, ‘You’re Definitely invited.’ I really came out of it feeling so empowered battling through my anxiety condition and learning not to take myself so seriously. I am a classic overthinker and perfectionist and so letting those habits go and just doing, trying, experimenting has been a joy this time around.

Tell us about your show.

‘Flat Shoes in the Club??’ is a comedy theatre show watching this “Girl” get ready for this big night out. There is dance and music and a lot of high energy but also a real sense of intimacy in that you are watching a young woman in her private space with all her thoughts uncensored. Told through the voice of a young Black woman, it’s a bit silly, a bit deep and just generally upbeat.

The show is written and completely self-produced by me. I did an earlier work in progress back in 2016 and so this is it all fleshed out. I hope to tour it after Edinburgh and have some plans for some screen content as well!

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

Go and see “Soulful Magic” by Magical Bones @ The Assembly. The show is going to be sick! He is an extraordinary talent and engaging Magician with great Hip Hop flair. He is also my brother and did not pay me to say this!

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EdFringe Talk: Hiya Dolly!

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“The state of Louisiana has provided much of the funding for the play’s production in Edinburgh – not the most obvious guess one might make about who would back a play about Dolly the Sheep, but it underlines the universality of the goal of bridging art and science.”

WHO: Vince LiCata: Writer

WHAT: “The true story of how a cute, attention-seeking lamb became the most famous sheep in history – the world’s first cloned mammal. Lab created and born at the Roslin Institute outside Edinburgh, Dolly lived the good life. A worldwide celebrity who never left her farm. Mother to six lovely lambs. She changed biology forever and irrevocably changed the lives of all her human parents. Who were they? How did they do it? Where are they now? Come find out how to clone a sheep in this new play laced with ‘Dollified’ Scottish tunes and plenty of woolly humour.”

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

WHEN: 20:00 (70 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

I’ve been to the Fringe 6 times before. I’ve always been impressed by the quality of the theatre work. The Fringe seems like many different worlds/realities simultaneously overlapping, which is what makes it so exciting. Only a small portion of it is real theatre by any expanded definition of that word, but having it alongside the acrobatics and the camp and the stand up comedy and the performance art is dizzyingly exciting. The DIY aesthetic of Fringe theatre shows I find especially attractive. I’ve always liked “work in progress” more than a full polished show- it’s the theatrical risk taking that is thrilling. One reason I deliberately mixed up so many different theatrical styles in HIYA DOLLY! – like placing real cell biology alongside comic parody songs – was to take a bunch of theatrical risks and to hopefully make something that no one has really seen before.

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

A big thing I learned from the pandemic is that science literacy in the general public is so bad that a virus that was stoppable by two months of mask wearing instead went on for years and killed many millions totally needlessly. Why won’t people learn a little science? Especially politicians? Are they afraid of it? Are they afraid that it steals away some of their personal agency? I teach science and am haunted by this question. Another reason I wrote HIYA DOLLY! was to do an experiment – to ask: would people enjoy learning about the process of nucleus transfer if you made it into a musical with a talking sheep? If we don’t get a higher percentage of the human population to at least “like” science and try to follow its findings, then our planet is truly in it’s third act – and it’s not going to have a happy ending.

Tell us about your show.

HIYA DOLLY! is a next play in a series of plays that ask the question: how much science can you cram into a play and still have it be a play – an entertaining, dramatic, comedic, engaging story with real characters who solve real, but scientific problems? The state of Louisiana has provided much of the funding for the play’s production in Edinburgh – not the most obvious guess one might make about who would back a play about Dolly the Sheep, but it underlines the universality of the goal of bridging art and science. That’s a goal that spans across countries and cultures and art forms and languages – in this instance spanning from the swamps of Louisiana to the moors of Scotland with the goal of telling the scientific and human story of the making of Dolly the Sheep.

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

Hiya Dolly! is being produced by Andy Jordan. He is also presenting Leaving Vietnam in the same venue- a gripping solo play by the award-winning actor-playwright Richard Vergette. It links the disillusion and frustration of veterans with Trump’s rise to become US president. Andy says Richard is an excellent storyteller and master of surprise revelations.

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EdFringe Talk: Leaving Vietnam

Posted in *Written Interviews, EdFestivals 2022 by

“I like to think that the experiences of the last two years has made people a little more willing to celebrate each other’s work and treat other companies and performers as colleagues rather than competitors.”

WHO: Richard Vergette

WHAT: “When Jimmy Vanderberg leaves the Ford factory in Detroit and volunteers to serve in Vietnam, he wants to prove himself a man. But after the war, Jimmy returns to a country more humiliated than grateful and feels abandoned by those he served. Years later, Jimmy decides to “Make America Great Again” but a chance visit by the son of a fallen comrade forces him to doubt his convictions. A gripping solo play by award-winning actor/playwright Richard Vergette. ‘An excellent storyteller… master of surprise revelations. A complex and demanding play that is a pleasure to watch’ (BritishTheatre.com).”

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

WHEN: 19:05 (65 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

I am something of a seasoned fringe veteran! However, this is my first fringe as a performer/writer for more than 20 years. I first came to the fringe in 1984, hiring a slot from the old Wilkie House in Cowgate – that later became The Gilded Balloon. I did a one man show called The Pedagogue by James Saunders. It was reviewed by the great Haydn Murphy, an Edinburgh based Irish poet who was reviewing for The Scotsman that year. We met up in Bannerman’s bar afterwards and drank a few pints and smoked a pack of Embassy Regals! I’ve wanted to come back for some time but not until I’d found the right project.

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

Since 2019 I’ve been through a lot personally and professionally. I retired as a teacher so I could devote more time to writing – but not necessarily performing. My Mum died last year and my wife is recovering from a serious illness. The lesson for me was ‘If you feel passionate about something, don’t hang around for anyone to give you permission – seize the day!’ I like to think that the experiences of the last two years has made people a little more willing to celebrate each other’s work and treat other companies and performers as colleagues rather than competitors. Edinburgh can feel bloody lonely if you’re in a one person show that’s not doing well but I’ve had some great exchanges on Twitter with writers and performers at the same venue. We’ve all promised to support each other’s work. For me the big lesson from the pandemic is to find the joy in each other’s work and try to help each other out.

Tell us about your show.

I wrote the show. It’s a one man show so the great thing is I don’t have to wait for the cast to turn up to rehearsals. I watched the 10 part series (written and produced by Ken Burns) The Vietnam War. It was probably the most devastating and brilliant documentary series I’ve watched. I came to the end of it and said out loud ‘There’s a play here’. So I watched it all over again with a notebook in front of me. When I retired from teaching my class have me a notebook with a printed front page which read “Don’t stop writing”. The notes I took, literally filled the book. But I didn’t just want to write a play about the past. It seemed to me that there was a real link between the bitterness, anger and pain experienced by many of the US veterans and the sense of dislocation and abandonment that Trump tapped into during his 2016 election campaign. My character, Jimmy, is a car worker from Michigan. He developed over time but there were a number of specifics that led to me choosing a car worker from Michigan. Before he became Defense Secretary in 1964, Robert MacNamara had been President of the Ford Motor Company. Also Michigan was a Rust Belt state that had been Democrat for many years but voted for Trump in 2016.

Being a one man show, there is a great opportunity to develop a relationship with the audience. Jimmy sometimes jokes with them but also uses them as a confessional. He’s a man troubled by his past and anxious to be absolved from it. Whilst he’s a man who often says and does the wrong thing, he’s worthy of our respect. I’m so excited to be playing him and telling his story.

I’m very fortunate in having a great friend, Andy Jordan, who’s a producer. In 2019 I ‘pitched’ this idea to him and amazingly, he went for it! Andy Jordan Productions is a a great company to work with and I’m eternally grateful to all of the team. Without them I suspect I’d be performing in a garden shed somewhere in Morningside! I also have another great friend, Andy Pearson, the director, who I’ve known since – well actually since we did an Edinburgh show together!: The Little Rats in George Square Theatre for The National Youth Music Theatre. We’ve been friends ever since and worked together frequently.

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

Andy Jordan is directing Hiya Dolly! in the Grand Theatre (venue 53) every day at 20.00. Its the extraordinary but true story of Dolly the Sheep – the world’s first cloned mammal who was created and born at the Roslin Institute just outside Edinburgh. Andy tells me that as well as telling you all about Dolly, unusually it its tells you a bit about the science of cloning. It also has several live Scottish folk tunes which give a fresh twist and plenty of woolly humour.

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EdFringe Talk: Luke Rollason: Bowerbird

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“I’ve been building this show with audiences since May 2021, including a stop at the reduced Edinburgh Fringe last year. My last pre-Fringe stop was at Buxton Fringe, where I was nominated for Best Comedy Show and won the award for Originality.”

WHO: Luke Rollason

WHAT: “Welcome to the great indoors. This ‘gut-bustingly funny’ **** (List) bird-brained boy has been hoarding his best show yet and he’s finally ready to give it away to a good home. Like visiting IKEA on acid, this is a psychedelic domestic breakdown that will make you totally rethink your mundane little life. Star of the upcoming Disney+ series Extraordinary. As seen on Channel 4’s viral series The B@IT.”

WHERE: Monkey Barrel Comedy (The Hive) – Hive 2 (Venue 313) 

WHEN: 12:30 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

My very first trip to Edinburgh was nine years ago, terrifyingly, although I’ve only been doing comedy shows here since 2017. I wasted a good few years doing terrible devised theatre pieces, which is the best training in the world. Nothing will make you appreciate doing a comedy show than doing a fair few runs of Sarah Kane’s 4.48 Psychosis. So don’t be angry at all those student productions slaughtering the classics with physical theatre. They’re comedians in training.

Weirdly, because of the long hiatus between now and the last “proper” Fringe, this feels like doing a solo show in Edinburgh for the first time again. I really don’t feel like I know how it works, or what the rules are, or what it’s going to be like for me. The unpredictable is both the best and the worst thing about the Fringe.

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

In 2019 I was doing a terrifyingly high-concept hour about the internet and its effect on our brain chemistry – but as a mime show. It was insanely ambitious, with the most complicated tech I’ve ever worked with run off a 2006 Powerpoint Slideshow. It was a solo show with a cast of three other performers, and I got delivered in an Amazon box at the start of every show. Sometimes we were waiting ages for an audience member to come and open that front door. I had a loop pedal going of the audience’s own laughter, and a live feed to a webcam. The show was kind of devouring itself, live onstage.

I was trying to make a comment about how precious live performance is and how technology can distract us from living in the present. But I think you make a better argument by just, you know, making a more enjoyable live experience. This show is a bright-orange dayglo denial of all the darkness outside the door – it’s a celebratory ode to the great indoors, and is filled with all the stupid stuff I did with the objects I was trapped with for the last few years. Deciding early on that I wasn’t going to create the kind of limitations I gave myself in 2019 really helped me slowly shape this show as opportunities for live performance waxed and waned post-pandemic.

Tell us about your show.

The show is called Luke Rollason: Bowerbird, and it’s like a psychedelic tour of an IKEA. It’s Toy Story for people who own too much furniture, featuring an armchair singing the lost loves that left behind their bum imprints, abandoned utensils with uncertain parenthood, and the sordid spooning going on in your cutlery drawer.

I’ve been building this show with audiences since May 2021, including a stop at the reduced Edinburgh Fringe last year. My last pre-Fringe stop was at Buxton Fringe, where I was nominated for Best Comedy Show and won the award for Originality.

I’ve got the most lovely and supportive team in Objectively Funny (a production company run by comedians) who have nursed this show through real ups and downs, including breaking my hand which was a NIGHTMARE for a mime artist. I am now bimanual once again.

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

After my show, my audience should go watch The Lovely Boys. Joe Kent-Walters and Mikey Bligh-Smith are two Northern lads doing some of the most bizarre and creative comedy on the scene. Joe recently won the Chortle Student Comedy Award, and Mikey has a secret little cameo in my show. Performing with him in previews has been such a joy – he’s a fantastic talent.

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EdFringe Talk: James Barr: Straight Jokes

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“I’ve already printed a spelling mistake on all of my posters. There goes the best poster award!”

WHO: James Barr

WHAT: “People keep telling James he’s “too gay”. Straight Jokes is his fabulous reply. An out-of-control hour of jokes from the utterly hilarious, nearly national treasure. James roasts his ex-employers and navigates the exhausting admin of finally accepting who you are. A battle cry to be yourself. The gay half of hit comedy podcast A Gay and A NonGay, which has had over 5 million listens, and co-host of The Hits Radio Breakfast Show. The award-winning ginger returns to Edinburgh after his five-star 2019 debut, Thirst Trap”

WHERE: Underbelly, Bristo Square – Daisy (Venue 302) 

WHEN: 20:45 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

This is my second Edinburgh Fringe and I’m absolutely buzzing. The intersectionality of performers, stories and audiences make Edinburgh Fringe the most prestigious festival in the world. I used to come to the fringe as a tourist every year, desperate to perform! I’m so proud to be coming back.

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

Probably not. I’ve already printed a spelling mistake on all of my posters. There goes the best poster award! I am getting up super early for my breakfast show on Hits Radio every day throughout the fringe, so I think I’ll definitely be prioritizing naps and avoiding wine!

Tell us about your show.

I’ve been performing at loads of open mic and new material nights in both London and New York to write my new hour- it’s the result of over 10 months of writing and I am enormously excited to premiere it in Edinburgh. My director is comedy performer, producer and writer Chris Gau (The Free Association, Borderline, Screen Grab).

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

I’m really excited to see Grace Campbell’s new show- her tiktok makes me die! Jen Ives: Peak Trans is definitely one to watch! There’s so much nonsense about our trans family in both the press and problematic comedians’ Netflix specials- it will be completely refreshing to see a trans comedian tell their own jokes.

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EdFringe Talk: Collision

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“A few weeks to relax and recover is always necessary after August finishes.”

WHO: Jesse Scott

WHAT: “B-boy meets Bendy boy. Hip-hop and Hula Hooper. Pop, lock and adagio. Collision is a cross-pollination of contemporary circus and street dance, teaming together two Brisbane powerhouses, Casus Creations and Mad Dance House. Casus Creations is a pioneer contemporary arts company known for ground-breaking acrobatics and physical poetry with a reputation as a leader in the contemporary circus on the world stage. Mad Dance House is mover and shaker in the urban and street dance international scene, responsible for some of Australia’s most charismatic and celebrated street dancers. Collision is an explosion for your senses!”

WHERE: Assembly George Square Gardens – Piccolo (Venue 3) 

WHEN: 14:55 (60 min)

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Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

This will be my ninth time at Edinburgh fringe and I’m still as excited as I was the first time I came, there’s always something new to discover and old friends to reconnect with. The fringe is a furious and fast paced month were selling your show is the name of the game. A few weeks to relax and recover is always necessary after August finishes.

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

The world has certainly changed since 2019 we as a company are definitely trying to bring joy and connection to the stage more than ever. The biggest lesson I’ve learned has been solidifying the idea that art is important to uplift and engage humanity.

Tell us about your show.

Collision brings together three incredible Street dances and three incredible circus performers. The show was directed by Natano Fa’anana, codirected by myself and Lachlan McAulay and produced by the incredible cluster arts. Collision has add four seasons and we come to Edinburgh having always sold out every show we have performed. We can’t wait to continue the success and show the world this energetic and joyous show.

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

I would highly recommend seeing Casting off and Zoe by a good catch playing at the Roxy.

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EdFringe Talk: Chris Gethard: A Father and the Sun

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“The show deals a lot with the idea of redefining fatherhood, manhood, masculinity, all via the responsibility of raising the next generation.”

WHO: Chris Gethard

WHAT: “The ‘New York comedy institution’ (New York Times) and host of the Beautiful/Anonymous podcast makes a much-anticipated return to Edinburgh following a six-year absence. Join Chris (The Chris Gethard Show, Parks and Recreation, The Office) as he follows up his universally critically acclaimed 2016 residency with a brand-new stand-up hour.”

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

WHEN: 18:00 (60 min)

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Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

I performed as part of Edinburgh Fringe back in 2016. The festival blew me away. It was difficult, overwhelming, and daunting – but it was also thrilling to be around so many artists trying things, experimenting, and challenging themselves. I knew then that there was no better place in the world to try out risky material and to get it as good as possible.

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

Mostly, these past few years have just been a firm reminder to be grateful that I get to do this. Making things and connecting with people – it’s a good life. I’m lucky to live it. I’ve always known that. These past three years have made it that much clearer.

Tell us about your show.

I wrote the show. It started out as stand up material, but the more I wrote about what it’s been like to become a father in 2022, the more I started considering what it must have been like for my dad to be a father in 1980. A lot of things started to make more sense. A lot of stories I’d forgotten came back, and I went back and filled in the blanks on those. The show deals a lot with the idea of redefining fatherhood, manhood, masculinity, all via the responsibility of raising the next generation. I’ve been touring the show around the states for a while and I’m glad that Broken Robot and So Comedy are helping to mount it at the Gilded Balloon.

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

My friend Anthony DeVito has a fantastic show about finding out who his deceased dad was in life. It’s incredible and hilarious.

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EdFringe Talk: Sammy Obeid

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“New York City is next, but I’ll leave my soul in Edinburgh for the right price.”

WHO: Sammy Obeid

WHAT: “A hell of a lot can happen in the time you await the results of a pregnancy test. This is the story of a woman staring down the barrel of motherhood, torn between her own ambivalence… and an uncontrollable urge to push. Award-winning Popelei burst out of isolation and onto your screens with their darkly comic theatre production, reimagined for film. Blistering honesty, exhilarating choreography, and one extremely knocked-up performer.”

WHERE: Gilded Balloon Teviot – Sportsmans (Venue 14) 

WHEN: 22:45 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

This is my first time performing in Edinburgh! I’ve been here once when I was 13 years old (not sure what the conversion rate for American years to UK years is sorry, but 13 American). I’ve heard so many great things!

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

Don’t trust the government! Joking, I love the government if they are listening. In 2020 my show came out on Netflix called 100 Humans, where we did experiments on people (check it out really interesting stuff) and one thing I learned is that a man’s dancing ability is unrelated to his sperm count. Cheers!

Tell us about your show.

I wrote it! Perhaps a few joints as my writer’s assistants (it’s legal in California, relax!). Very fortunate to have teamed up with Gilded Balloon to present my one human experience: SAMMY OBEID THEM. A mix of stand up and obeying the demands of the live crowd. New York City is next, but I’ll leave my soul in Edinburgh for the right price.

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

My dear friends from LA Tehran and Leah Lamarr have amazing shows, go check them out. Also my pal from NYC Wyatt Feegrado’s show: Platonic Love Triangle.

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EdFringe Talk: Lost Voice Guy: Cerebral LOLsy

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“You get the chance to see something incredible, something shockingly bad and something you would never usually go to watch, all in the space of a few hours. I draw the line at those annoying Silent Discos that roam the streets of Edinburgh though…..”

WHO: Lost Voice Guy

WHAT: “Following a sell-out UK tour, Lost Voice Guy returns to Edinburgh with his brand-new show. The Britain’s Got Talent winner and star of Ability (BBC Radio 4) and Christmas Comedy Club with Lost Voice Guy (ITV), pokes fun at his life living as a disabled person in a post-apocalyptic world with his new Geordie accent. From the highs of meeting 50% of The Chuckle Brothers to the lows of being called ‘him off The X Factor’. ***** (Metro).”

WHERE: Gilded Balloon at the Museum – Auditorium (Venue 64) 

WHEN: 18:30 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

My first full run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival was back in 2013, and I remember it well. Let’s face it, it’s hard to forget when you burn yourself out so much that you end up in hospital with pneumonia. And that’s exactly what happened to me. Not that it put me off though. In fact, it just gave me material for my next show in 2014. Thankfully, I’ve never been back to the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary since, because I learned a very hard lesson on the importance of pacing yourself. So, you could say I’ve developed as much as the Fringe has over the years. One of the main changes I’ve noticed over the years is the variety of entertainment that the Fringe has to offer. There certainly seems to be something for every taste these days. I mean some of it is absolute rubbish, but that is what makes the Fringe great. You get the chance to see something incredible, something shockingly bad and something you would never usually go to watch, all in the space of a few hours. I draw the line at those annoying Silent Discos that roam the streets of Edinburgh though…..

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

I’m not sure if I’ve changed the way that I work. I’m very stuck in my ways. It’s been a really hard time for most people, obviously. My creativity has really suffered during lockdown, to be honest. It’s pretty hard to get inspired when you’re stuck inside all day. I’ve still had the opportunity to write my Radio 4 sitcom, called Ability, and I really enjoyed doing that. It gave me my creative spark back, and I loved having fun with it again. Hopefully that’ll spur me on to be more creative this year. I just feel lucky that I had a really busy year in 2019, which has helped massively in the last year. I don’t know what I would have done otherwise. At least, it’s given me a good opportunity to write my Edinburgh show.

Tell us about your show.

My show is called ‘Cerebral LOLsy’. And yes, I did take the rest of the week off work after thinking of that title. The show is t’s basically a look back at my life since i won BGT and all the random stuff that’s happened since. And that includes dancing with Paul from The Chuckle Brothers at the Royal Variety Performance after show (which was definitely a career highlight!)

There’s plenty of other stories. People always seem to get my name wrong as well. The main reason that I chose a stage name was so I would stand out from the crowd of all the other new comedians, when I was just starting out. I thought it would make me more memorable. But you’d be surprised at the many variations of that name that i have called. People have called me all sorts. From no voice boy, to misplaced voice man, to the guy with no voice.

And then, of course, there’s been the trolls on the internet. For example, one tweet that I received said, “well done on finding the easiest way to do comedy. You can just write stuff on your laptop, and get that to remember it and say it for you.” Of course, he is right. Can you imagine how hard my life would be, if I could actually talk? It just doesn’t bear thinking about. I’d have to remember how to say words, remember how to form sentences, remember all my jokes. Clearly by choosing to be disabled, I have taken the easy way out. And, for that, I’m truly sorry!

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

I started doing comedy at the same time as Lauren Pattison, who is another Geordie comedian who has done really well for herself. So we’ve always really supported each other, which is nice. I’m very proud of what she has achieved since we both started, and it’s great to see her being so successful. I’d recommend checking her out at the Monkey Barrel.

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EdFringe Talk: My Leonard Cohen: Up Close and Personal

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“The show is in a constant state of evolution, and gets better all the time. This is the 4th time to the Edinburgh Fringe, and fans come back, time and time again. Stewart always has a few surprises up his sleeve.”

WHO: Sandy Bruns: Producer

WHAT: “Stewart D’Arrietta shares the poetry, stories and insights of the great Leonard Cohen with songs such as Tower of Song, Dance Me to the End of Love, First We Take Manhattan and Bird on a Wire. The stirring interpretations delight seasoned fans and expose Cohen’s music to new generations. Beneath the roaring bluster and cyclonic musicality, the sinewy strands of romance weave poignant and compelling stories of life, love, lust and loss – this performer’s favourite themes. Rave reviews from Fringe 2016, 2017 and 2019, and with new songs added for 2022.”

WHERE: Assembly Rooms – Ballroom (Venue 20) 

WHEN: 18:10 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

There’s no place we’d rather be in the world in August than Edinburgh. The city is abuzz with colour,  vitality and creativity. This is our 7th time to the Edinburgh Fringe. You know what they say, ‘If at first you don’t succeed; try, try again’. Just joking; Stewart D’Arrietta is a Fringe Favourite, whatever show he presents. We love coming back, year after year. There’s been so much demand for us to bring back ‘My Leonard Cohen’, so here we are. We catch up with mates from all over the world from previous Fringes. We are like a bunch of ‘carnies’.

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

Be adaptable! Things can change at any given moment.

Tell us about your show.

Stewart D’Arrietta wrote the show in 2013 and it premiered in Melbourne, Australia. Since then it has performed all over Australia and the UK. The show is in a constant state of evolution, and gets better all the time. This is the 4th time to the Edinburgh Fringe, and fans come back, time and time again. Stewart always has a few surprises up his sleeve.

Next year we will tour Ireland, Finland, Germany, Czech Republic, England, Wales and Australia.. And who knows? Maybe Edinburgh Fringe again!

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

Chris Dugdale- Ethermind (Illusionist). He’s performed for the Queen! (His show is right next door to us, and we see his audience reactions. Amazed! blown away…)

Jimeoin- The Craic! (different hilarity every show)

In The Name Of The Son (a serious Belfast play- everything we’ve seen by this director is first rate)

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