Category Archives: EdFestivals 2023

EdFringe Talk: Benjamin Alborough: Absolute Monopoly

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“2024 will be the year of Age of Empires II: The Conquerors Expansion (you can play as the Aztecs).”

WHO: Benjamin Alborough

WHAT: “Monopoly is a terrible game. It ruins friendships and destroys families. This interactive extravaganza will update it for the modern world to make a game that’s more competitive, more aggressive and will destroy even more families. Join comedian Benjamin Alborough as he attempts to improve Monopoly in this chaotic, interactive gameshow where audience members compete against each other and the host, with the audience physically becoming the game board. The show combines role playing, physical challenges and psychological intimidation to make something that, if not the best board game in the world, is at least short.”

WHERE: Assembly George Square – The Crate (Venue 8) 

WHEN: 17:50 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

I have been to Edinburgh more times than I can count (10). I keep coming back because it allows me to divide my year up consistently with the academic calendar. For the first 18 years of my life the year ends on Aug 31st and starts on Sept 1st and I have no desire to disrupt this system, regardless of how poorly it works for me.

I love Edinburgh and I love the Edinburgh Fringe. For me it is a great excuse to get an LNER train up the East Coast.

What are the big things you’ve learned since 2022 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?

2022 was the year of TikTok. Proud to announce that 2023 will be the year of Age of Empires II. Discover all the latest talent from the comfort of your own LAN party setup. Crusaders are attacking your trade routes? A great opportunity to hand out some flyers.

2024 will be the year of Age of Empires II: The Conquerors Expansion (you can play as the Aztecs).

Tell us about your show.

My show is called Absolute Monopoly and it is the end result of a lifetime of frustration and anger with other players, all of whom have become my greatest enemies. I set about to rectify this through the only medium I know how; live comedy. Also there are psychological challenges and milk.
The show has toured for the past 18 months; it’s played the Brighton Spiegeltent, at the Weirdos Weekend in Leicester, Cambridge Fringe, 2Northdown, Museum of Comedy – and with the hand of incredible director Cara Compass we’ve really shaped it into something good, which must be reassuring if you’re reading this.

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

I’m promoting a series of Alternative Lates at Bedlam with Ellie BW this year and we’ve had the great privilege of being able to book some of our favourite comedians in the world.

All of these shows are at 00:30 – Fringe days end at 4am so when a show says it’s on on the 4th Aug that’s on the calendar date 5th Aug. They’re listed in the programme under the umbrella “Bedlam Late”.

4th Aug – Mystika Glamoor’s Birthday Bonanza (Celebratory drag cabaret)
5th Aug – Late Night with Terry Wogan (Chat show hosted by Ol’ Tel interviewing fake celebrities)
10th Aug – Midlands Child Syndrome (Midlands themed comedy night by Lorna Rose Treen)
11th Aug – The Glang Show (Sean Morley hosts the world’s most prestigious anti-competition)
12th Aug – Hot Rubber (Scalextric themed comedy night)
15th Aug – Sam Nicoresti: Cancel Anti Wokeflake Snow Culture (2022 Fringe hit show)
16th Aug – Sam Nicoresti’s Bedtime (Sam’s sleepy show)
17th Aug – Fools Moon (Clowning cabaret)
18th Aug – Comedy Done Quick (World’s premiere speedrunning themed comedy night)
19th Aug – Boyz Nite (Trans masc cabaret hosted by Cerys Bradley)
27th Aug – Liebenspiel’s Edinburgh Comedy Awards Show

Bedlam Theatre, 11B Bristo Pl. Come check them out!

Shows that I don’t have a hand in that I’m really excited about:

Luke McQueen and Mark Silcox: Songs With My Father: I saw a work in progress of this at Machynlleth festival and it had me in tears. Mark Silcox is a genius and I can’t wait to see how they’ve changed it since then.

How To Radiate Sexual Allure: Two of the most incredible unique performers in the UK, Phil Jarvis and Barnaby J Thompson, unite to tell the story of a cannibalistic murderer who has a foot for a face. It’s a comedy. This is probably the most “something different” show on at the Fringe this year.

Batsu!: I’m a big fan of Japanese gameshows and this two hour long late night epic promises to bring them all to life. Really interested to see how they do it.

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EdFringe Talk: Double Goer

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“If things are feeling a bit much, you have to move your body.”

WHO: Sarah Foster-Sproull

WHAT: “Double Goer (the English translation of doppelgänger) is a surreal and physically gruelling new dance work, chronicling the birth, battle and transcendence of two strikingly similar women. Throughout this 50-minute dance, women battle for supremacy through acts of competition, labour, agility and stamina in a terrain of intricately haphazard sculptures. Watch as two powerhouse dancers exert their physical effort, hustle and feminist wile in an effort to decimate each other (and themselves) for your entertainment. This show has been programmed by Dance Base in collaboration with Assembly.”

WHERE: Assembly @ Dance Base – Assembly @ Dance Base (Venue 22) 

WHEN: 14:25 (50 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

It is our first time to EdFringe, but not to Edinburgh. We’ve been 2 times already! I’ve got deep family ancestry in Scotland so it feels like coming home.

What makes EdFringe a great festival is the sheer amount of energy, shows, and people, and just the range of performances. This location is a bug for creativity, and the city just has the most magical architecture.

What are the big things you’ve learned since 2022 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?

1. Always label your boxes when moving house, and label numbers on the boxes because things go missing, they really do, best to be organised.

2. Always eat meal before going out and drinking wine. Look, I’m definitely still working on this.

3. Trust your instincts – if someone seems a little bit dodgy, they probably are.

4. If things are feeling a bit much, you have to move your body. For me, I need to get back to studio and just get working.

Tell us about your show.

This is the world premiere of Double Goer. This show has been made with the unique and epic talents of performers Tamsyn Russell and Rose Philpott, and myself, Sarah Foster-Sproull as choreographer, and is produced by Madison Cronin. Double Goer is about the life cycle of two women/twins/Doppelgängers who compete with each other for your attention over 50 kickass-minutes of dancing.

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

‘Hysterical’ by Carrie Rudzinski and Olivia Hall! Our fellow Kiwi friends. They are epic feminist artists who tackle real world issues. ‘Hysterical’ is an 80-minute poetry theatre show exploring the myth that women are too emotional by confronting body politics, systemic sexism, and weeping uncontrollably in the supermarket. The show has toured New Zealand with great success, so it is a must-see as well!

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EdFringe Talk: The Dreams of You: A Volunteer Sleep Study

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“We also learned which of us could talk their way onto Noah’s Ark as the third giraffe after spending so much time pitching our show.”

WHO: Jackson Viccora

WHAT: “One lucky audience member will see their dreams analysed onstage, thanks to October Brian’s patented Sleep-to-Sketch Technology. Will it be you? In this sketch-comedy show, four scientists guide you through a full sleep cycle, uncovering personal truths about the dreamer and themselves along the way. Hailing from Chicago, USA to make their Edinburgh Festival Fringe debut, October Brian Sketch Comedy features Katherine Coates (NPR’s Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me!, Reductress), John O’Neill (Opener for Nikki Glaser), Michael Salles Holtzman (Annoyance Theatre) and Jackson Viccora (Edinburgh Festival Fringe alum).”

WHERE: Greenside @ Infirmary Street – Mint Studio (Venue 236) 

WHEN: 16:10 (55 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

For 3 out of the 4 of us, it’s the first time to Fringe — although it’s been a BHAG of ours for years (BHAG = big, hairy, audacious goal). And Jackson performed as a 14 year old, so that doesn’t really count.

To us, EdFringe gets as close as possible to the pure, unadulterated ideal of a performer’s paradise. You spend a month roaming around this incredible city and nearly everyone you pass is either a fellow artist or fellow art-lover or both. You prioritize the potential, hypothetical magic of attending an incredible show over sleep, hygiene, nutrition, the whole kit and caboodle. It’s exhausting and exhilarating and excruciating and exceptional all at once.

What are the big things you’ve learned since 2022 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?

It sounds obvious, but we’ve learned to write the show that is meaningful and evocative to us — and that the audience will come along with you when they see your connection to the work. We too often get mired in attempts to appeal to a broad demographic or make a point that resonates far and wide. But the more you create and consume as an audience member, the more you realize that the shows that strike a chord the deepest are those with a relatively narrow, passion-fueled point of view.

We also learned which of us could talk their way onto Noah’s Ark as the third giraffe after spending so much time pitching our show.

Tell us about your show.

The Dreams of You: A Volunteer Sleep Study is a sketch comedy show all about your dreams, as we follow 4 sleep scientists using their proprietary sleep-to-sketch technology to analyse the dreams of a single audience volunteer across an entire sleep cycle, from light to deep to REM.

The show was conceived, written, edited, directed, performed, edited again, directed, performed many more times, edited, and produced by all four members of October Brian Sketch Comedy: Katherine Coates, John O’Neill, Michael Holtzman, and Jackson Viccora. We have been performing together for over a decade since meeting at university, and most recently previewed the production across various theaters around Chicago, IL, USA — and plan to continue touring the show after our return from Edinburgh!

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

We have to give love to other sketch comedy folks, so:

My Last 2 Brain Cells (these two do so much in 60 minutes you wouldn’t believe it, enough energy to keep you going the rest of the night)

Mr. Sister (we don’t actually know them but their content is incredible and we imagine their show is too)

Hello, Hi (same reason ^^)

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EdFringe Talk: Insomniac’s Fable

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“Wowzers, it’s like a month on a fairground ride.”

WHO: Emma Lister

WHAT: “Insomniac’s Fable is a delicate love story with a Hitchcockian glint in its eye. It invites its audience into a surreal dreamscape with evocative images and choreography by some of the world’s most original artists. Its premise of ‘boy meets dream girl’ marries traditional ballet storytelling with contemporary circus – but asks what would happen if this dream girl grabbed hold of the narrative, subverting what was expected? This unique merging of juggling and dance will confound your expectations of what physical theatre can be.”

WHERE: Summerhall – Cairns Lecture Theatre (Venue 26) 

WHEN: 11:00 (50 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

No. Everyone involved in the show has been to at least one Fringe before. In terms of mounting my own work here, I’m grateful for that experience because, wowzers, it’s like a month on a fairground ride. With pop-up bars. And not always much sleep. I know to pace everyone, and to prioritise keeping the stress levels low, especially in that first week. I look forward to the second week when we can go see some other shows (and pop-up bars).

What are the big things you’ve learned since 2022 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?

That people are not interested in washing their hands for two rounds of ‘Happy Birthday’ unless they think there’s a deadly virus making the rounds.

Tell us about your show.

Our show is a mix of dance, contemporary circus, big visuals and subtle film references. I made it with my husband Sakari Männistö in 2016/17–we premiered it in Finland and it’s had two outings in the UK so far…we’d love to perform it more! It’s a big reason we’ve pushed to get it to Fringe. It’s frustrating to have a well reviewed show that’s basically up and ready but not enough performance opportunities.

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

We’re being presented by From Start To Finnish, which showcases a handful of Finnish and Nordic theatre at Fringe. It’s always well curated and even before they took us in, in past years I’ve always kept an eye on what they bring to Edinburgh.

In the From Start to Finnish showcase I’m especially looking forward to Racehorse Company’s show Chevalier–it’s an homage to circus horses and the silent movie era. It’s actually a family show, but that company always does really original, slightly outrageous stuff, which is what Fringe is all about. I’ll be taking my son for sure!

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EdFringe Talk: Tomorrow’s Child

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“For audiences in 2023, it’s a retro-futuristic world that is full of a symphony of gadgets, buttons, motors, and machinery – a world of SOUND unlike our silent contemporary digital world.”

WHO: Eric Rose

WHAT: “An out of body experience! Tomorrow’s Child is an immersive, multi-layered sonic adventure based on Ray Bradbury’s compelling sci-fi short story. In the imagined retro-future of 1988, new parents Polly and Peter confront the reality that their baby has been born into an alternate dimension. Will they accept the interstellar divide between parents and child? This celebrated production from Canada’s Ghost River Theatre crafts a landscape of sound for blindfolded audiences that is ‘the audio equivalent of a five-star dinner’ (Stephen Hunt, Calgary Herald). Adapted by Matthew Waddell, Eric Rose, and David van Belle.”

WHERE: Assembly Checkpoint – Assembly Checkpoint (Venue 322) 

WHEN: 11:40 (70 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

This is my second time to Edinburgh; I attended Ed Fringe in 2022. Ed Fringe is a wild fun house of all things live performance and there is really every kind of performance you can imagine happening all at once! I mean, where else but at Ed Fringe can you watch a clown show in the morning, a musical at noon, a serious political drama for a matinee, an experimental show about bananas during supper, a dance show in a bar for dessert, a mind-blowing physical theatre piece to start the evening, an unthinkable circus spectacle to sail into a late evening, and to top it all off, a laugh-out-loud stand-up set. Wild.

What are the big things you’ve learned since 2022 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?

My big piece of advice for first time attendees is to plan and prebook half of your available shows before landing and then let the rest of your shows fall into place once your feet are on the ground.

Tell us about your show.

Tomorrow’s Child is an immersive, blindfolded listening experience akin to a high octane radio play!

Bradbury is one of the world’s literary sci-fi giants and he’s at his classic best with Tomorrow’s Child (also published as The Shape of Things in 1948). Bradbury wrote Tomorrow’s Child coming out of WWII, imagining the future world of 1988. For audiences in 2023, it’s a retro-futuristic world that is full of a symphony of gadgets, buttons, motors, and machinery – a world of SOUND unlike our silent contemporary digital world. It posed some fun and unique challenges to myself and co -sound designer and director Matthew Waddell… for example, conceptualizing the sounds of a baby in the fourth dimension who appears to everyone as a blue pyramid. These lush audio challenges were a fantastic starting point for a wild audio-only piece of immersive theatre.

We premiered Tomorrow’s Child in 2014 at our home venue in Calgary. It has since gone on to tour across Canada and win several awards. We hope to build a tour for Tomorrow’s Child out of our run in Edinburgh. Right after the Fringe, Ghost River Theatre will be going into post-production for a new Cli-fi (Climate-change Science Fiction) streaming series, So Dark The Sky.

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

Our fellow Canadian devisor Sarah Deller’s new solo show Optimistic: Elizabeth Holmes at ZOO Southside – Studio, which examines the gap between appearance and reality with this infamous fraudster. Sarah was back home recently in Calgary and spent some time in our theatre rehearsing Optimistic. Sarah is a brilliant artist and I recommend everyone go see it.

Our artists coming to Edinburgh are stoked to see a bunch of shows – top of our list right now is Jazz Emu whose music and comedy is sharp-witted, smart, and utterly hilarious. An opportunity to be moved, surprised, and laugh yourself hoarse. Also, Avital Ash: her brand of deeply personal comedy has come to be refined over the years with poignant observations about relationships, love, and charming self-deprecation. This new show appears to be the culmination of her work thus far and we’re looking forward to it. And Lawrence Chaney, the winner of Drag Race UK. His show Overweight and OVER IT appears to be a personal look at what it’s like to live in a fuller sized body while working in an industy where this kind of body is outside what may be considered the ‘norm.’

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EdFringe Talk: Charlie Vero-Martin: Picnic

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“After the pandemic I wanted to make a big, fun, silly sketch show full of characters and puppets and joy – so I did!”

WHO: Charlie Vero-Martin

WHAT: “The planet is melting and life’s spinning out of control. Can Charlie save it with a nice picnic? Sneaky salamanders, sexy fishies and passive-aggressive pinecones try to distract her attempts to put the world right. Just beware, this summer ritual might turn into a one-woman Wicker Man… Get ready for big laughs from Scottish comedian Charlie Vero-Martin (BBC Radio 4, BBC Scotland, Sketch Off finalist 2023) in her seriously joyful sketch show full of characters, puppets and surprises. ‘Jam-packed with laughter… charming, hilarious and beautiful. An absolute must-see’ **** (EdFestMag.com).”

WHERE: Underbelly, Cowgate – Delhi Belly (Venue 61) 

WHEN: 18:55 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

First off, I’m from Edinburgh so I’ve been quite a lot! But in terms of the Fringe, I’ve taken three solo shows and done runs with my previous improv groups, Glitch – The Improvised Puppet Show and Blind Mirth. However, this is my first time taking a show since 2019. I’m making up for lost time though by doing two shows! I’ll be doing a play called Super at Pleasance Courtyard at 13:45 and my own comedy show, Picnic, at Underbelly Cowgate at 18:55. Plus a few other guest spots and gigs with nights like ACMS. So busy busy…

What are the big things you’ve learned since 2022 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?

It’s been really nice taking the time to develop this show. Pre-pandemic there was a feeling that you should bash out a new show every year. In a way, I really liked the push to create new work and experiment but taking longer on this show has allowed me to work with new people and experiment in other ways.

Tell us about your show.

After the pandemic I wanted to make a big, fun, silly sketch show full of characters and puppets and joy – so I did! But I realised a lot of that was born out of my panic about the world feeling out of my control: lockdowns, climate crisis, being in my 30s, housing crisis… so in the show I decide to take matters into my own hands as a result. Let’s just say this picnic turns into a bit of a Midsommar ritual.

I’ve done work-in-progresses at VAULT fest, Glasgow and Leicester comedy festivals but really happy to be bringing it home to Edinburgh. This is also my first time working with a director. I met Kat Cade when she was with her sketch group Kitten Killers years ago but was reintroduced through the Soho Theatre and it’s been a match made in heaven. The show also involves a cameo from Daniella Finch who I met while studying Clown at Gaulier last year. She’s hilarious even though she says nothing.

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

There’s a really fun looking show on right after me in the same venue called Robo Bingo by Fox Dog Studios that I’m hoping to catch if they don’t mind me at the back covered in fake blood. They’re from Manchester and have some mad looking props, which I approve of. Before me is Pleasure Little Treasure by Elina Alminas about growing up in a post-Soviet strip club in Estonia. She’s also 8 months pregnant! I’m really excited to see her show as she’s a great performer and it sounds incredibly interesting. I’m also so happy to hear that Mike Birbiglia is coming to Edinburgh as he’s been one of my favourite comedians for well over a decade. There are also lots of fellow character comedy gals such as Lorna Rose Treen, Kathy Maniura, Laura Ramoso and Rosalie Minnitt who are all nuts and delightful.

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EdFringe Talk: Breaking Open

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“It was mind-blowing to be in an environment where everyone was so free to be, well, free..”

WHO: Oskar Saville

WHAT: “Why would a woman leave her career as the lead singer of a multi-platinum band? Was it fate, family, or something else? Fate had brought Oskar to her husband – which she hoped would create the ideal family and shield her children from the pain of her own childhood. When she hears a compelling voice within her closet, urging her to leave her marriage, Oskar must make a choice, stay and continue as is or take a bold step to find her voice and make a new beginning for herself and her three children.”

WHERE: theSpace @ Surgeons Hall – Theatre 3 (Venue 53) 

WHEN: 10:45 (50 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

This is my first time coming to the Fringe Festival as a performer, and actually, my very first time putting on any form of theater. I was able to go to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 20 years ago as a spectator, and it was such an incredible experience. I went to The Edinburgh Fringe Festival it was on the suggestion of a friend in London, where was living at the time. I had no idea what I was walking into. I had never really experienced the joy of theater before; I didn’t grow up in that kind of family. So it was mind-blowing to be in an environment where everyone was so free to be, well, free.

The rest of the world that I had experienced was in black and white, and I was standing in a world full of color. People got to express who they were: funny, sad, all of it. I really just felt like a kid in a candy store. The talent was just incredible, I must’ve seen at least six shows a day over the week that I was there. Who knew that so many years later I would not only get to come back, but come back as an artist expressing my own self and telling my own story. I can’t wait!

What are the big things you’ve learned since 2022 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?

The end of 2022 felt like the end of a six-year healing period for me. Six years prior to 2022 I heard a compelling voice in my closet telling me to leave my husband. The next six years were the space in which I tried not to leave, left, and then started the healing journey of the wounds of my marriage and of my childhood. It felt like every floor beam had been pulled from under me and finally, just as 2022 was just about to end, I could feel I was on a totally new foundation. Today I can say that I am a totally different person from who I was.

My idea of a one-woman-show, something I never dreamed of doing, came in December of 2022. This show came out of the culmination of that long period and the blessings that came out of that time for me. It feels like I’ve been handed back the reins of my life with an exciting new direction.

Tell us about your show.

This is the grand premiere of my one-woman-show, Breaking Open. The show is about how I hear a compelling voice in my closet telling me to leave to my husband. At first, I don’t want to. I mean isn’t this what we call a happy life- being married and having a family? I must be brave enough to see and acknowledge that I am only repeating my abusive childhood and take the journey to free myself and my three children from the cycle of pain. As I take the audience across three continents, I must also reckon with the fact that I gave up my career as the lead singer of 10,000 Maniacs in order to please my husband. Through this intimate journey, I find the real meaning of love and family.

My production team, like myself, is not conventional. I wrote this show and I have an amazing friend Douglas S. Hall who is directing it. Douglas is a director, actor and teacher who has worked at theatres across the US including The Williamstown Theater Festival, the Finger Lakes Musical Theatre Festival, Merry Go Round Playhouse, Mountain Playhouse, and Seven Angels Theater. My production team is mainly me and my three kids, 17, 15 & 10. My eldest daughter helped design the posters and flyers, my second daughter is helping me with social media, and my youngest, well he will be part of the flyering team. I also want to acknowledge all the amazing people who donated and just gave me lots of encouragement -no artistic endeavor is ever done without a lot of support.

As for where I am taking my show after Edinburgh, who knows? My hope is that by bringing Breaking Open to Edinburgh, I can create a launching pad that will bring this show to many different places. But, I am in talks with The Naked Angels and Public Theater in New York City to perform it back home in New York City, and Who knows, maybe Broadway is next…But really I am just so excited to be in Edinburgh and play in front of a live audience. There is nothing better than a conversation with an audience.

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

At the moment, because I am a total newbie to this all I only know of one amazing show performing at the Fringe, which is Breaking Up With Jesus. It is written by my talented friend, Joseph Richards.

Having said that though, as having been a spectator before, I would encourage people to see as many shows as they possibly can! In New York City it’s around $125 to see a single show. Here it’s only £11, which opens up the possibility of seeing a plethora of shows without emptying your wallet. Go see everything and anything. I would encourage people to see things they aren’t sure of, and step out of their comfort zones because theater is about being moved, sometimes in ways that you like, and sometimes in ways that you don’t. I know that I am going to be taking my three kids to as many shows as we can.”

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EdFringe Talk: Aidan Sadler: Melody

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“I’m stripping back all the bells and whistles and hoping that the quality of the content will shine! And if it doesn’t I’ll just shout “COST OF LIVING” really loudly and hope people take pity on me!”

WHO: Aidan Sadler

WHAT: “Join award-winning queer cabaret icon Aidan Sadler as they take you on a journey to the end of the world! Nothing is safe from ridicule, so be led on an exploration of normalising the apocalypse, the price of a meal deal, and having a quick visit from your dead nan. Here you’ll experience belting original synth-pop tunes punctuated by world-class stand-up comedy. Featuring electrifying hits that you’ll be humming to armageddon, Melody is the highly anticipated successor to Tropicana, following a central London residency, three sell-out theatre runs and a national tour.”

WHERE: theSpace on the Mile – Space 3 (Venue 39) 

WHEN: VARIES (50 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

This is actually my third time at Edinburgh – I kept telling myself this year would finally be the year I get to put my feet up and enjoy the festival as a punter.. Yet when the offer rolled in I just couldn’t help myself to get stuck in for another year! I love being able to sell myself on the royal mile as opposed to the bins round the corner for Aldi! The festival has this weird intoxicating atmosphere that draws you back in, like a delicious packet of your mums sterling menthol superkings.

What are the big things you’ve learned since 2022 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?

I overworked myself waaaay too much last year! I ended up doing something silly like 35 shows in 26 days and it was a right slog. This year I’ve got a much shorter run, a much smaller venue – I’m stripping back all the bells and whistles and hoping that the quality of the content will shine! And if it doesn’t I’ll just shout “COST OF LIVING” really loudly and hope people take pity on me!

Tell us about your show.

The show is an apocalyptic cabaret – kind of satirising how we’ve become quite desensitised to the economic, political, environmental turmoil unfolding around us. It’s funny though! A comedy!!! Weird Wood is one of those typical grassroots “just a bunch of mates making fun stuff” companies, however it’s since expanded now we’re making original music – adding instrumentalists, producers and more caffeine to the mix. The show was originally due to debut last year, however when we didn’t get funding it got shelved and I’m so glad we did as the show is much better now it’s had time to mature a little bit. We’re angling for a London transfer with views to eventually tour it nationally! I miss travelling!

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

Oh my god too many to count!!! Where do I begin? Posey Mehtas Mitzi Fitz’s Glitzy Bits is going to be an absolute riot, Natalie Durkin is bringing Angles of the North up which I can already tell is going to be some northern goodness, Burlesque icon Belle De Beauviour is bringing some fabulous London Blues and Burlesque to the edfest which I must recommend! Oh and finally that big gay idiot Aidan Sadler MAY be making an appearance in some other gorgeous nonsense so keep an eye out!

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EdFringe Talk: Midnight Building

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“We did not come halfway across the world to make people feel sad. What we’ve strived to create is a show that pulls on our audience’s heartstrings, makes them question our character’s moralities, but not without a little laughter and community.”

WHO: Makaio Toft

WHAT: “A selfish hero and a heartless lover battle for the moral high ground. Think you’re a good person? Think again.”

WHERE: Greenside @ Infirmary Street – Mint Studio (Venue 236) 

WHEN: 15:00 (55 min)

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Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

I came to the EdFringe as part of an ensemble show in 2019, and knew I wanted to return ASAP with a show of my own. The shows I saw at the Fringe completely changed my understanding of theatre and remain some of my key inspirations as an artist. I am so thrilled to be returning with a play of my own this year. I hope my work sparks conversations among the audiences that see it, as well as some laughs.

What are the big things you’ve learned since 2022 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?

To wait for no one to give you permission to go after what you want. Taking a show across the world is no small feat, but I’ve known for a while that taking this play to the EdFringe was something I needed to do. Despite the headaches and stress it has required, I could not be more excited to share this piece of work with the world.

Tell us about your show.

Midnight Building asks its audience to judge if our characters are “good” people. While our play touches on difficult themes and is very personal to our own life experiences, we did not come halfway across the world to make people feel sad. What we’ve strived to create is a show that pulls on our audience’s heartstrings, makes them question our character’s moralities, but not without a little laughter and community.

Aryan and I met about a year ago in a class taught by playwright Steve Drukman, and I was quickly astounded by his ability to tell a story, on the spot, and completely capture my attention. It wasn’t long until we realised we share the same kind of crazy ambition, so before we were even friends, we agreed to take this show to the Fringe. Lucky for us, we’ve now become lifelong collaborators and pals.

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

Catherine Cohen: Come For Me

Catherine’s stage presence and ability to weave serious themes into her comedy has been a huge inspiration for my show. I am so lucky to have seen her show live in NYC, and I can’t wait to see it again in Edinburgh!

Police Cops: The Musical

Police Cops has remained one of my biggest comedic inspirations ever since I saw them in 2019. They prove that all you need to have a great time is a wild imagination. I cannot wait to see them (multiple times) this year!

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EdFringe Talk: Liam Withnail: Chronic Boom

Posted in *Written Interviews, EdFestivals 2023 by

“I wanted to do something a bit more ambitious this year. Then I was hospitilised… so thanks universe for providing the ambitious show theme I wanted.”

WHO: Tamsin Hurtado Clarke & Scarlett Plouviez: Performer & Director

WHAT: “Join the gifted comic storyteller with over 10million TikTok and Instagram views as he battles chronic illness and hilariously reckons with his new reality during a hospital stay. This enlightening stand-up show about how we adapt when life throws a curveball takes audiences on a rollercoaster of laughter and packs an emotional punch. Winner: Amused Moose Award for Outstanding Show 2019 and Scottish Comedy Award. Finalist of both Scottish and English Comedian of the Year. ‘Consistently hysterical’ ***** (TheWeeReview.com). ‘A natural talent for comedy. One of the most complete and affirming shows I’ve seen’ ***** (EdFestMag.com).”

WHERE: Monkey Barrel Comedy – Monkey Barrel 2 (Venue 515) 

WHEN: 19:10 (60 min)

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Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

I live in Edinburgh! And have done for 14 years. So the fringe comes to me, which is really cool. It means my accommodation is my flat, so the only stinky comic I have to share with is myself. It also means I can never taker a year off, which would be nice sometimes. I love the fringe and get so excited to see the city taken over, it feels like the centre of the uniiverse for a month.

What are the big things you’ve learned since 2022 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?

The biggest lesson I learnt is that I shouldn’t eat from Kurdish Best Kebab 13 times throughout the month. Also, last years show was a lot of fun – it was a classic stand up show. But I wanted to do something a bit more ambitious this year. Then I was hospitilised… so thanks universe for providing the ambitious show theme I wanted.

Tell us about your show.

I’ve been my own producer for the majority of fringes. I’ve learnt how to DIY the fringe over the years and now wouldn’t have it any other way. I’ve been previewing the show up and down the country since Feb, but the official premier will be in Edinburgh!

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

Too many great comics to name. If you like my show you’ll like Krystal Evans, whose show is dealing with some traumatic life events in a funny way. I’ve previewed a lot with Jay Lafferty who is always fantastic – she’s been learning pole dancing and is incorporating that into her stand up. My friend Stuart McPherson is one of the best acts on the circuit at the moment, we’ve been helping each other with our shows since the beginning of the year, so if you like me, you’ll love them!

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