Category Archives: EdFestivals

EdFringe Talk: DecaDance Silent Disco

Posted in *Written Interviews, EdFestivals 2024 by

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“Having run events in Edinburgh for a combined 20+ years, we decided it was time to embark on a concept within EdFringe.”

WHO: Laith Al-Khamis

WHAT: “Dance through the decades with Silent Discos! Live DJs playing non-stop classics through your headphones, with immersive live musicians and performers bringing the dance floor to life, creating the ultimate unique experience to sing and dance your heart out to! Couple this with surprises, from confetti to freebies, and you’ve got the perfect party!”

WHERE: Assembly @ Virgin Hotel – Eve (Venue 454) 

WHEN: VARIES (120 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

Yes it is. Scott Linton and I (We) haves lived in Edinburgh all of our lives and love the vibrancy, diversity and energy the Fringe brings to the city every year. Having run events in Edinburgh for a combined 20+ years, we decided it was time to embark on a concept within EdFringe. We wanted to create something fun, interactive, immersive and centred around our love of music, so we came up with DecaDance Silent Disco’s, a place where people of all ages can sing & dance the night away to nostalgia tracks from across the decades, whilst introducing immersive and live elements to elevate the experience & atmosphere.

We have worked with the team at Virgin Hotels before and they embody everything we do in ethos and passion, so it made sense to work with them again and utilise the amazing space they have in Greyfriars Hall. It really is a unique and stunning venue that we can wait to showcase.

We’ve been loving every minute of our EdFringe journey so far.

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

Firstly; Customers are collaborators, not simply customers. We look at our “DecaDancers” as an extension of our team and want to involve them more throughout the organisational & marketing process and be as interactive as possible with them during our events. Their energy should be a reflection of ours if we’re doing things right.

Secondly; Be the change you want to see. We believe Edinburgh has so much to give and that the late night & events sectors are a little stagnant, and we lag behind the likes of Manchester or London. If we want to better those sectors, we need to take some level of action and try new things that customers/collaborators want.

Tell us about your show.

DecaDance Silent Discos was born out of our love of music and interactive entertainment. We wanted to create an event that embodied our love of music, but did so in a totally open and inclusive way, bringing together & uniting people in the city and beyond.

People have enjoyed music, dancing and connecting with one another as far back as history goes, and we see it being lost a little in the digital world, so our aim is to reconnect people, bring them together through our events and create memorable moments in their lives.

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

As mentioned we love music and we’re really excited to experience a range of shows at EdFringe this year.

We’d definitely recommend Silent Disco Tours by Silent Adventures! Sightseeing our amazing city while singing & dancing to great tunes, it’s an absolute winner!

The BeatBox Collective is definitely on our list. Mind-blowing that the music they create is all done from their voice boxes and the energy looks incredible!

ABBA ODYSSEY – Who doesn’t love ABBA… so it’s a no brainer from us!

And finally we are really excited for Dancefloor Conversion Therapy. Jonny’s story is unique and interesting, building up to the party as a finale!

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EdFringe Talk: Living. Dying. Dead.

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“Edinburgh Fringe audiences are unique in their breadth of culture, experience and engagement.”

WHO: Rhiannon Jenkins / Owen Scrivens

WHAT: “Living. Dying. Dead. is an exploration of death, dying and bereavement through the lens of improv. Taking real life experiences of bereavement, our actors weave stories that are both poignant and humorous. Playing Dead Theatre is a collective of artists and medical and death care professionals who are passionate about opening conversations around end of life. Our actors have over 80 years’ performance experience between them, and are all sensitive, compassionate people, with a vision to bring better understanding of death and dying to people all around the world.”

WHERE: Paradise in The Vault – The Annexe (Venue 29) 

WHEN: 13:05 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

This is our first time at EdFringe with this show, but not our first time at Edinburgh altogether. We’ve both spent a lot of time at Edinburgh, both as performers and punters. We’ve mostly taken this show to smaller improv festivals, so we’re very excited to bring the show to a much larger festival setting. It’s quite daunting, being such a small fish in such a huge pond, but we’re really excited to get inspired by seeing lots of other shows, and get the experience of performing the show multiple times in front of a new audience.

The show has been created to help people talk about death and we feel the Edinburgh Fringe audiences are unique in their breadth of culture, experience and engagement. We feel this is a perfect opportunity to create an honest conversation between cast and audience.

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

This last year has been a huge learning curve for us in terms of the production side of things. Until this summer, we’ve only taken the show to improv festivals, which are on a much smaller scale, with most of the marketing taken care of by the festivals themselves. Being part of EdFringe means we have to move things along much more of our own accord, and really work hard to get the word out to potential audience members.

Tell us about your show.

The show is very much a child of the lockdowns. We were both working in the end of life sphere; Rhiannon working for an end-of-life planning organisation working with Death Doulas, and Owen as an intensive care doctor. We had both been thinking about the possibility of an improvised show that examines death and grieving, and stumbled upon each other in an online improv forum. After lots of chatting during lockdowns, we had an idea of a show, but were waiting for the right time to be able to pull it all together. That time came in 2021 when Dublin Improv Festival reopened; they opened applications for brand new shows looking to premiere at the festival, and we thought that was the perfect opportunity to begin reaching out to actors and improvisers that we admired to bring the show to life. We had our first show there, and have since then brought that cast (and some new faces!) together for several more international improv festivals.

We hope long term to create a touring version of the show – we want to reach a larger audience to break down the taboo that comes with death, dying, and bereavement.

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

Owen would recommend Stuffed by Ugly Bucket theatre – They had great success at the fringe a few years back with Good Grief a clowning show about death and the new show uses their unique style to explore food banks and food poverty.

Rhiannon is also performing with Good Girl – a one-woman clown cabaret that delves into male fantasies and how women can take their agency back from the male gaze. If you like audience interaction, you’ll love Good Girl!

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EdFringe Talk: Pretty Good, Not Bad

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“I’ve learned I can trust my gut more without reason. Sometimes something just feels like you’re meant to do it without any real logic behind it.”

WHO: Ellen Toland

WHAT: “The long walk home. A treatise on the four Fs: no, not the dirty ones you know… The roles we assume when things get scary and the expectations held when we share. Who do you want me to be when I tell you what happened? Whose story is it anyway? New work by two tired Texans, Ellen Toland and Rachel McBath.”

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

WHEN: 09:55 (50 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

This is my first time at Edinburgh and I cannot wait! I have absolutely no idea what to expect. I feel like I’m jumping off a cliff into the ocean and there’s a bunch of people dog paddling beneath me yelling “Come on in, the water feels great!” I think that’s what makes the festival already feel so special. It’s a gangs all here mentality. I’ve had a bunch of friends perform in the past and they’ve all been super supportive of us on this journey. It feels like a right of passage as a performer.

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

This year I’ve learned I can trust my gut more without reason. Sometimes something just feels like you’re meant to do it without any real logic behind it. I’d never worked with my director Rachel McBath before this but just knew she was the right person for Pretty Good, Not Bad. My gut was right. She is the exact force of nature Pretty Good, Not Bad needed to get to Fringe. If you follow that intuition it works out 99% of the time. I’ve been trying to coin a way too long of an acronym DFWMI. Don’t F@#! with my Intuition. It’ll catch on someday.

Tell us about your show.

I’d always flirted with the idea of performing my own writing but I never had the balls to do it. Randomly, I decided to do a story teller series in NYC and realized after it was just the thing I’d been searching for as an actor. I needed some form of autonomy after feeling like a leaf blowing in the wind during covid and the strikes. I wrote Pretty Good, Not Bad based on an experience I had with the criminal justice system two years ago. When you are subject to violence your physical and spiritual makeup changes. I didn’t realize how different I’d become as an artist until writing this show.

My life felt super meta at the time. I was auditioning for procedurals based on the same kind of experience I was having in real life. I wanted to be living my pretend version with a beginning, middle and end. Pretty Good, Not Bad is my attempt at reconciling that.

Fast forward to asking my director Rachel McBath to work with me and here we are. We’re coming off a couple sold out previews at The TANK in NYC. We’re hoping to stage another longer run stateside and who knows maybe also stage it again in the UK! Wink wink, nudge nudge!

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

God I’m so excited to see ALL the shows. I want to stumble around and get inspired. Someone described Fringe as Theater Kid Coachella and that’s exactly how it feels (but somehow less cringey then Coachella).

Things I can’t wait to see!

Sarina Freda’s – no no no please no god no, nevermind I’m fine
I got to see a sneak preview in NYC and she blew my mind. Her physicality and comedic timing is a dream.

Katie Folger – Getting in Bed with the Pizza Man
Katie is a fellow Texan vixen. She commands the stage and makes her audience feel like they’re her best friend. You’ll laugh your ass off.

Kevin James Doyle – After Endgame
Chess but make it funny. Kevin’s show just came off a killer run in NYC and I cannot wait for it to get to a UK audience. He takes you on a journey and you have no idea what’s coming!

Olivia Levine – Unstuck
Unstuck will pull you in from the very beginning. Olivia is such a beautiful performer inside and out. You’ll walk away feeling lighter.

Sarah Alice Shull – Something to Believe in
Sas’s spirit is infectious. You’re immediately more joyful watching her perform. You feel taken care of and a little less alone.

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EdFringe Talk: Louise Leigh: Distracted

Posted in *Written Interviews, EdFestivals 2024 by

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“I did my first Edinburgh in 1994 in a student production, where I got to play a dead body. I lay in Greyfriars Kirkyard watching the tattoo fireworks go off over the moving denouement of the play.”

WHO: Louise Leigh

WHAT: “‘Hilarious’ **** (TheWeeReview.com). ‘Brilliant’ (Scotsman). ‘Go see this show’ **** (FunnyWomen.com). How do you want to be remembered when you die? Taxidermied in a gastropub, of course! Also covered: raising teenagers among llamas; which are the most boring nipples; why the menopause is a cross between the climate crisis and World War 1; and biscuits. There’s always biscuits. Leicester Mercury Comedian of the Year Finalist, Funny Women Semi-finalist, British Comedian of the Year Semi-finalist. ‘Great performance, great confidence, great jokes’ (Gary Delaney). Viewers may become fiercely aroused.”

WHERE: Just the Tonic at Cabaret Voltaire – Just the Common Room (Venue 338) 

WHEN: 15:30 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

No! I came to the Fringe as an audience member with my Edinburgh grannies as a small girl. As a performer, I did my first Edinburgh in 1994 in a student production, where I got to play a dead body. I lay in Greyfriars Kirkyard watching the tattoo fireworks go off over the moving denouement of the play. I loved it, but it took me until 2016 to come back as a performer and I’ve been up for a short while every year that I can since. This is my second full run and I love it so much. Just really being able to sit in this creative place surrounded by all the varieties of performance art, the best in the world, the worst, the weirdest, all rubbing up against each other. The camaraderie alongside the rivalries and in a beautiful city that I’ve known and loved since I was tiny. Yum yum yum.

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

About the Fringe or generally? If about the Fringe, I guess that it’s a Mardi Gras, it’s a marathon, it’s a cruel mistress, it’s a crapshoot, it’s a lady called Helen who, (even though you reckon she’d love your show) doesn’t want to come and has valid reasons for it so please stop trying to give her your flyer.

Actually, the thing I know is that you have to have a really clear idea about what your show *is* at some level. You have to have such a clear pitch, whether you’re selling to audience members, industry or press, because ultimately, much as we all hate the idea, you have to sell it fast and furiously several hundred times a day. Have I absorbed that lesson? Let’s see….

Tell us about your show.

Written, produced and performed by me. The company came together when a man and a lady loved each other very much in 1971, and then lay very close together… but then it took another 40 something years and all sorts of distractions to become a comedian. I’ve previewed the show at a bunch of festivals including Brighton Fringe, Exeter Comedy Festival and local to my gaff in Bristol. I think it’s the best thing I’ve made (which is entirely as it should be, frankly. Imagine if wasn’t! The horrors!)

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

You must see Pauline Eyre’s Body, in the same room as mine (Cabaret Voltaire, Just The Common Room) but a bit earlier. Also, I’m looking forward to seeing Amy Mason’s show, Free Mason, at the Pleasance. David Hoare’s doing his 1000% musical comedy. If you see one split bill of comedy this year make it Alasdair Wallace and Tom Hutchinson’s “Are We Not Men?” I’m excited to see New Zealander Alice Snedden is back at the Fringe, I’ll be trying to catch her show. The main thing is to take a punt on someone whose company you enjoy when you meet them flyering. Even if you sit through an hour of absolute bobbins you will (as my mother said while flyering for me in 2022) “get a wee sit down” and a story to take home to your friends. If you don’t do that at least once, you’re not really entering into the spirit of the thing.

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EdFringe Talk: Sour Candi

Posted in *Written Interviews, EdFestivals 2024 by

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“We’ve learnt to really embrace the good, the bad and the slightly inconvenient.”

WHO: Cerys Baker

WHAT: “In a South London police station, Candi relives her recent love affair. Tinder date anecdotes, a trip to Thailand, a dodgy threesome… Candi has much to share as she enters a new phase of her life. Catapulted into a whirlwind of lust and bad decisions, the sweetness of new love turns sour as Candi loses sight of herself. Written and performed by Danielle Scott, this intimate semi-autobiographical drama comedy is a hilarious, candid take on gaslighting, control and power in modern relationships. Sour Candi is a rollercoaster ride of red flags and a cautionary tale of blind love.”

WHERE: Just the Tonic at The Mash House – Just the Cask Room (Venue 288) 

WHEN: 13:05 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

Yes! This will be both In a Pickle Production’s and the ‘Sour Candi’ team’s first Edinburgh Fringe. I worked as AD on ‘Olives and Blowjobs’ for its Fringe run back in 2022 at The Space, but wasn’t able to come with the show at the time, so as you can guess, I can’t wait to get stuck in and begin our run and Fringe journey. Like many theatremakers, taking a show to Edinburgh has been on my bucket list for some time and ‘Sour Candi’ is just the most wonderful, unique play (based on a true story, which makes it all the more heart-wrenching) that I really think audiences will connect with and hopefully find both engaging and educational. Edinburgh Fringe is a special, diverse festival that celebrates live performance in all forms and is a fantastic way to showcase your work to audiences from all over the world, alongside the fact that it looks like a total blast for both artists and punters.

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

Having not been to Fringe before, I do feel like I have been unknowingly prepping for this for a long time, especially after completing runs at previous Camden Fringe festivals. In the past year, we started development on ‘Sour Candi’ following Danielle’s self-directed run at Camden Fringe in 2023 (Hen and Chickens Theatre), which included a lot of script re-writes and workshopping. This was a really rewarding process, Danielle has been a dream writer/performer to work with and has always been incredibly open with allowing us to develop her work. In a Pickle Productions is now a fully formed company, which has allowed for us to produce the show independently. This alone has brought with it many opportunities for growth, as with producing and directing any show, there have been obstacles but we wouldn’t be where we are now without them. Keeping on theme with ‘Sour Candi’, life sometimes throws you curveballs and we may make the ‘wrong’ moves, but this in turn helps to further build resilience and understanding of how to tackle issues that come up. We’ve learnt to really embrace the good, the bad and the slightly inconvenient.

Tell us about your show.

‘Sour Candi’ is a new solo show, taking audiences on a rollercoaster ride of red flags, dating mishaps and lessons in love. Inspired by truth, it tells the story of one woman’s experience of before, during and after an emotionally abusive relationship, following Candi as she navigates her journey to acceptance, healing and freedom. It is candid, humorous and hard-hitting, blending comedy with drama to tell a complex, layered account of the erosion of trust in a relationship that is not quite what it seems. The show really delves into how easily someone can be swept up by love-bombing and coercive behavior, highlighting the manipulation tactics (of course, this can happen to anyone by anyone, but in this show we focus on a male-female relationship) used to ensnare women into toxic, un-balanced relationships. One of my aims for this show is to really connect with our Fringe audiences and get the message out there that this can happen to anyone, there is a light at the end of the tunnel and you are not alone. This is a story of survival and self-discovery that I anticipate many people will relate to, sadly. Danielle Scott is both writer and performer of ‘Sour Candi’, she is an absolute powerhouse and incredibly brave for sharing her story. I am directing and producing, working alongside my brilliant AD, Soeren Wellens (a key member of In a Pickle Productions). I was connected with Danielle through a mutual friend. At the time, she was looking for a director to come onboard and help develop the show, with the intention to take it to Edinburgh. I was immediately captured by her story and wanted to help to elevate it to the highest level, I just saw so much potential in both Danielle and her work. Most importantly, we work incredibly well together so I am happy to say my instincts were correct. This has been nearly a year in the making! I really see a fruitful future for ‘Sour Candi’ and intend to keep going after Edinburgh in the hope of eventually touring and implementing outreach and participation opportunities that allow for us to work with our audiences directly. Hopefully, this is just the beginning.

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

I’ve tried to keep tabs on some of the awesome shows coming to Fringe, but also can’t wait to explore once we are there! Theatre-wise, I am excited to see ‘FREAK OUT!’ by Coin Toss Collective, ‘Is the Wifi Good in Hell?’ by Lyndon Chapman, ‘Identities’ by Close to Home Productions and ‘Yoga and Sex…for women over 40’ by Kathryn Haywood, to name a few. I’m just excited to see some amazing, vibrant, whacky shows and take in all of the talent that Fringe has to offer! I’m also going to try and catch Patti Harrison’s ‘My Huge Tits Huge Because They Are Infected NOT FAKE’ (like, what a name!!) because I missed out on her run at Soho Theatre recently.

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EdFringe Talk: Jason & Medea

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“Right after this we are going to a 4 month Aerial/Acrobatics training in Glasgow at Aerial Edge, so we’re particularly excited to see more physical theatre and circus shows.”

WHO: Kirsten Peacock

WHAT: “The hero’s journey/star-crossed lovers/horror. A sizzling take on the Greek myths of The Argonautika and Medea. This rough and tumble duet is told through dextrous physicality, playful poetry and a live soundscape. An epic odyssey of love that explores the rewards and sacrifices of relationships and what happens when one person takes too much.”

WHERE: Uno Mas – Front Room (Venue 219) 

WHEN: On Demand (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

No, we have been visiting this city for years. Kirsten performed at the Fringe in 2012. Now her parent’s live here, which is wonderfully convenient! We are so excited to be here as performers this year, to lap up the atmosphere and to take inspiration from the variety of shows available. Right after this we are going to a 4 month Aerial/Acrobatics training in Glasgow at Aerial Edge, so we’re particularly excited to see more physical theatre and circus shows.

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

I think finding ease and delight in creation has been a big lesson from 2023. We find we create our best work when it comes from a place of play and curiosity. We have performed our show in proscenium theaters in the US so we’re excited to apply our flexibility and sense of fun as we transplant the show into a different type of performance venue and for a new audience demographic.

Tell us about your show.

Nick and I met 5 years ago doing a tour of The Taming of the Shrew with Shakespeare & Company (Lenox, MA). We fell in love and bonded over our dreams to create fun physical adaptations of ancient texts. We’ve been living, creating and performing together since then! We are fortunate enough to have had four of our works produced by different companies in Massachusetts. Jason & Medea is our most recent production. We pulled from translations of Apollonius of Rhodes’ Argonautika and Euripides’ Medea and created a new script. We build the whole show from the ground up. We have workshopped it at Cape Rep Theatre and are so excited to develop this iteration at the Fringe. Our hope after this is to tour the show internationally! We are incredibly passionate about carrying the torch of these ancient stories for a contemporary audience.

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

YUCK Circus was one of our favourite shows we saw last year! If you’re looking for comedy, Zoe Wohlfeld and Jack Grossman in A Night of Drama are a delight! Also check out 13th Morning written by our friend & past collaborator BT Hayes and Michael Kunze: Infinity Mirror!

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EdFringe Talk: Victor’s Victoria

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“It’s the Everest of festivals (and from what I’ve heard, like Everest, supplemental oxygen may sometimes be required.”

WHO: Victoria Mature

WHAT: “Victor Mature was one of the most popular leading men of Hollywood’s Golden Age, starring in such iconic films as Kiss of Death, My Darling Clementine, Samson and Delilah, and The Robe. In this intimate cabaret, vocalist Victoria Mature uses music and movie clips inspired by Victor’s career to tell the story of what it was like growing up with Hollywood’s original hunk as her father. With music from Broadway to folk to opera to pop…there’s something for everyone! Says Victoria, ‘You may know Victor Mature as Doc Holliday or Samson or Demetrius… I knew him as Dad!'”

WHERE: Assembly Rooms – Drawing Room (Venue 20) 

WHEN: 20:30 (65 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

This is my first time ever to Edinburgh, as a visitor, as a spectator, and as a performer. But I’ve been introducing my Dad’s movies at classic film festivals for about 6 years now (TCMFF, Noir City, Arthur Lyons’ Palm Springs Film Noir Festival, Film Geeks San Diego, Films of the Fifties at Film Forum New York, Noir Film Festival in Czechia, UK Noir Festival in Bristol, and the Victor Mature Film Festival in Pinzolo Italia). And even though I’ve never experienced Edfringe, I’ve always wanted to attend, and I’m thrilled to finally be able to make it. It’s the Everest of festivals (and from what I’ve heard, like Everest, supplemental oxygen may sometimes be required…:-)

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

No lessons yet about Edinburgh (but ask me again at the end of the festival). Regarding life lessons overall, the most useful perspective I’ve found has been attributed to Oscar Wilde: “Life is far too important to be taken seriously.” My ability to fully embrace the implications of that simple statement is a work in progress…:-)

Tell us about your show.

I wrote the script myself based on my experiences growing up and years of research into the life and career my dad had before I was born. And I had help on many fronts creating the cabaret. London-based Ian Brandon is my collaborative musical accompanist (he created all my vocal tracks and many of the song arrangements). Pete Shaner provided direction and created all the scenes where I interact with my dad on film, and Vanessa Dinning (also originally from the UK) brought her years of professional experience to bear on the final product. Michael Mizerany choreographed and Ari Gil supplied the wisdom of the ages. And finally, Edfringe legend Guy Masterson (a longtime friend) is presenting the show here in Edinburgh. I premiered a 95 minute version of the show to open the season for Bodhi Tree Concerts in San Diego, then performed the show a second time at the Palm Springs Cultural Center as a fundraiser for the Arthur Lyons’ Film Noir Festival. I am premiering the 65 min version of the show here at Edfringe, and have plans perform the show in the Italian birthplace of Victor’s father in September…

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

I don’t have any history with Edfringe other than knowing Guy Masterson, but I whole heartedly recommend everything he’s doing this year at Fringe. He’ll be performing two of his famous solo shows one time each this season (“Under Milk Wood,” at 18:00 on 14 Aug and “Animal Farm” at 18:00 on 18 Aug, both at Pleasance). From what I understand, this may be your last opportunity to see Guy performing these shows. Don’t miss them! And Guy is presenting one other show this year (“Making Marx” at 11:35 in the Drawing Room at Assembly [the same venue I’m in]). And finally, there’s another show coming over from San Diego (“Get Wrecked: A “Tempest” of a Radio Play”, playing in theSpace@Venue 45 on 2, 4, 5, and 7 Aug [times vary]) and I’ve also heard good things about Alison Larkin’s “Grief…A Comedy” at Assembly. See them all!!!

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EdFringe Talk: The Comedy Arcade

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“Time is the most precious commodity you have at Fringe, and you take all opportunities to find audience; so when you give up an hour and the audience is small you feel responsible for the hour you took.”

WHO: Vix Leyton

WHAT: “The Comedy Arcade: competitive anecdotes game. Vix Leyton holds a bingo ball of surprise subjects and invites four different comics every night to spar with never-before-told stories, from the hilarious to the scandalous, to win points awarded by host and audience. ‘Lives up to its billing likening it to a fabulous dinner party. Punters feel they are among spontaneously funny friends rather than hearing well-rehearsed professional anecdotes. We know these stories – and this particular alchemy – will not be repeated again’ **** (Steve Bennett, Chortle.co.uk).”

WHERE: Laughing Horse @ Bar 50 – The Alcove (Venue 151) 

WHEN: 21:45 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

Unbelievably this is my fourth Edinburgh Fringe as a performer. The first year was the infamous one after Covid; I did a week’s run on Free Fringe with Alex Petty and because of the lack of shows available, my little podcast live show sold out ahead of time every night – I was dazzled by it, but warned by everyone that it was a highly unusual year and would never be that effortless again. My God, were they right. I took it back a year later with Comedy Arcade and my first effort at a solo show Work in Progress and the pressure and volume and noise was like nothing I’ve ever known. It was one of the most intense months of my life. I was lucky enough to be living with Jordan Gray on her unreal trajectory from small shipping container to the biggest room The Assembly had – having a front row seat to the Urban Legend success everyone dreams of was a privilege and a learning curve but it’s also pretty grounding. When you’re coming in with the best thing about your day being a can of free Red Bull it was a real test of resilience but one of the beauties of fringe is how you are rooting for eachother – when you know people have grafted hard, a win for them is a win for everyone, and her success buoyed me up and made me work harder.

Running a panel show as well as a solo show is a different kind of pressure; not only are you desperately trying to hustle an audience for yourself, you’re also desperately keen to ensure an audience for the acts you’ve booked to make it worth their time. Time is the most precious commodity you have at Fringe, and you take all opportunities to find audience; so when you give up an hour and the audience is small you feel responsible for the hour you took. I felt it hardest last year. I was lucky enough to be with the iconic Stand, an unbelievable milestone and I was so proud to be there, it’s a proper institution; unfortunately Fringe has got away from the New Town a bit, and it was so challenging to even find people to flyer. I harboured the notion from two relatively successful central venue years that the concept was strong enough that the audience would come – and it was the kind of nightmare you think about every night before you go to sleep for the rest of your life to do my first room where the audience matched the size of the panel. It was a suckerpunch, but the show goes on – I offered to buy everyone in the audience a drink, gave out Green room pringles and we had a brilliant time. Funny enough, I got a tweet from someone who was in the room in response to one of my promo posts who had been there and heartily recommended it. That made it worth it – a year later – that we did our best and it was enough.

I’ve learned so much about myself over the years, it’s unrivalled for upping your game – doing that many gigs and being a comedian full time for a month when you’re typically balancing a day job is a huge luxury and the best possible training camp. It’s also incredible to be treated as a peer by some of my favourite comedians; every stand up is a comrade, even the world famous veterans – and some of the most reassurance and best advice of my life has come from moments snatched, at bars and on benches around Edinburgh. I was hugely touched by the amount of comedians who were going through the mill themselves and still showed up to see my show if there was someone important in or if I was low.

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

Lessons; this might be a counter to all other advice that comics give but I would advise new comedians to remember it is supposed to be fun and getting to be creative is a massive privilege to savour; last year I knuckled down and treated it like a job – I had 2 shows a day that meant being in my venue from 12.30 to 5.30. I woke up, reviewed my notes from the day before over breakfast and feedback, got ready and went to the venue – came out of my solo show and ran straight into the admin for the panel show. I spent so much time in The Stand green room that it started to feel a bit like a prison, and I even did two weekends at local clubs on top of my show schedule and the spots I was taking for promo to try to pay off the fringe debt. As a result, I missed seeing friends, seeing shows and feeling part of something – it was a lonely grind. I got great reviews for the solo show and really great rooms but I came back not sure stand up was for me. It has taken me most of the year to re-find the joy in it so my biggest piece of advice is enjoy it. Steal moments of silliness, get a ticket for something random, take in a late night show on a day you are tired. It is incredibly energising to be with other people. And don’t be afraid to be honest with them on a bad day, you need to hear the highs and the lows and you don’t know who else might need to hear it because they’re too nervous of failing to be honest themselves.

I’m not taking a solo show this year, I’m just hosting a panel on Laughing Horse free fringe for a couple of weeks and doing spots – I want to fall back in love with comedy again.

Tell us about your show.

The Comedy Arcade started out as a podcast during lockdown. I was consuming every comedy podcast I could find and as a result I came to know all my favourite stand up’s stock answers that you heard again and again because they were being asked the same questions. I wondered what it would like to throw complete curveballs and see who would be able to work with them. I put 30 varied and vague topics – from first dates to favourite facts – in a bingo ball and drew them at random to put to a panel of 4 comics. The results were always brilliant, and after a year of putting it out as a podcast, I decided to do it as a live show, adding a completely voluntary non-verbal audience participation element.

The quality of guest we’ve had on is unreal. I love having the opportunity to be the complete opposite of the traditional straight, white male panel and we have such a rich mix of established and up and coming comics alongside fun people from other walks of life – last year we had Sophie Aldred, Ace from Doctor Who, Jess Phillips MP, and the manager of my Stand building. It is controlled chaos, people are amazingly honest and it makes for a completely unique audience experience every night. The opening show this year on 14th has Mark Watson, Thom Tuck and Mitch Benn, completely free to walk in and see or bookable for £2.50 to guarantee a seat. I’m really proud of the line ups and I’m delighted to be back at Free Fringe, times are so tight at the moment for people and I want the show to be accessible to all.

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

It is really hard to do these lists of recommendations as I”m a massive comedy fan first and forever and I’m anxious about missing people. I’m going to focus on people who you might not know about yet in an effort to keep my list from War & Peace levels and give the attention to those who might most need it.

Hannah Platt and Kate Cheka are debuting this year, and their laugh hit rate and writing is so strong I am jealous. Kate recently came to do a WIP at my Sheffield night, which is a tricky audience, and she was so charismatic and funny she had the whole room hanging on every word.

It is brilliant to see the people behind some of the warmest, best nights in London for new material and supporting newer acts bringing shows – Queer Comedy Club and sofa SoFunny’s Leslie Gold will be well worth seeing; not only brilliant comics in their own right, but they add so much to grassroots comedy and we need more of them.

I have been lucky enough to see Leslie Ewing-Burgesse every year, and her comedy keeps going from strength to strength – it is whimsical and cool and you won’t see anything else like it. On the note of not seeing anything else like it, Frankie Munroe (Joe Kent Walters) is also a hot tip for this year – he works incredibly hard and is uniquely brilliant.

Rich Wilson is back this year after a year off and he’s one of my favourite comedians in the whole world – he has been a bit of a mentor for me since I started, and I have learned so much from him. He makes it all look so easy and you walk out of his shows feeling you’ve had a restorative hour in the pub with your most hilarious, outrageous mate. A masterclass.

For late night hang outs, Alternative Comedy Memorial Society really is the only place to be. It’s at Monkey Barrel and it’s the wildest compilation of the coolest names in alternative comedy alongside hidden gems. It’s also a long show so the best value in town – you can drop in and drop out, and it is a gorgeous refuge if you’re too buzzing to sleep and want to see friendly faces, however your day has gone. I’m actually married to the gig but that’s a long story for another time.

For pure fun, it has to be Ada Campe’s Big Duck Energy. I was lucky enough to see a WIP of it a few months ago and I can’t wait to see it again. I saw her show last year 3 times, it’s just joy – I wish I could bottle the feeling I came out with – she’s human sunshine and an absolute powerhouse of talent making comedy, cabaret and magic look absolutely effortless.

Liam Greenjacket is also doing a range of shows this year. He’s a bit of an icon around Edinburgh, with his trademark rainbow hat. He used to walk me to my show almost every day the year I did my first full run whilst flyering and his success rate is phenomenal. I have been lucky enough to work with him ever since. He’s a corner stone of the festival and everything that is good about it, he’s passionate about comedy, passionate about supporting the free fringe and he’s also very funny. Well worth checking out his productions.

And Sian Davies’ Best in Class is worth supporting – she’s a brilliant talent spotter as well as a brilliant stand up, and her showcases give a leg up to comedians whose voices need to be heard more in the mix. The alumni list is incredibly impressive and you’ll get to say you saw it there first.

I know as soon as I hit send I’m going to remember a thousand more.

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EdFringe Talk: Wrong! A F*cked Up Game Show

Posted in *Written Interviews, EdFestivals 2024 by

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“I loved the exuberance and joy that seemed to lurk around every corner, and I loved that audiences were basically down for anything as long as it was entertaining.”

WHO: Jay Light

WHAT: “50% game show, 50% comedy show, 100% f*cked up! A celebration of dark humor, cancellable offenses, and questionable decisions that takes everything you know about game shows and turns it on its head. Each show, three of the world’s funniest comics go head-to-head-to-head to see who can earn the most made-up points, win the most prizes that we’ve rescued from the trash and ultimately be crowned the World’s Wrongest Comedian! Play your cards right, and you might win a prize from the audience! Hosted by Jay Light (Comedy Central, HBO).”

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

WHEN: 23:30 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

This is not my first time at Edinburgh – I previously came in 2019 with a solo standup show. But it was my experience then that made it seem so obvious to bring WRONG! to Fringe as we began developing it two years ago. I loved the exuberance and joy that seemed to lurk around every corner, and I loved that audiences were basically down for anything as long as it was entertaining. Plus it’s great to hang out with the world’s greatest artists and comics!

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

The biggest lesson: make sure the audience is on the same page as I am. WRONG! may be a show that deals in dark, dirty comedy that walks right up to what most people would consider “the line,” but we are not trying to be edgy for the sake of being edgy. This show is a celebration, so discovering ways to make sure the audience is in a celebratory mood out of the gate has been vital to the continued success of the show. Other lessons I’ve taken to heart: allow yourself to look stupid, don’t try to be too clever, be precise, don’t let “the show” get in the way of the show.

Tell us about your show.

WRONG! is a game show that laughs in the face of “cancel culture”, a panel show where the players are forced to wriggle out of uncomfortable situations, and, above all, a celebration of dark comedy and the context necessary for it to work. The show, which is different every single night, is written and produced by me and my incredible team (Tyler Meznarich, Daisygreen Stenhouse, Melanie Meisner). Tyler and I began work on the show in May 2022 in our home of Los Angeles; Melanie and Daisygreen joined the producing team in 2023. Our home in the USA is at the world-famous Comedy Store in LA, where you can see it monthly. We have also brought it to audiences in New York City, Chicago, Austin, and San Diego.

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

We have three great comedians on the show every single night, so you should definitely see all of their solo shows that they’ve brought to the festival! Some of my favorite comics who we already have slated to be contestants include the following:

– Sid Singh: a politically savvy American ex-pat who is one of the smartest, sharpest joke writers out there. His 2023 Fringe show didn’t win a Comedian’s Choice Award for nothing, and his new show American Coloniser promises to be just as vital.

– Titi Lee: Titi’s a badass with an effervescent performance style that draws you in and keeps you hooked. The stories they tell in Good Girl Gone Baddie are more than entertaining; they’re relatable to anyone who has struggled to find their true self.

– Mike Eshaq: Mike’s one of my favorite comics to run into in Los Angeles. He’s brash with a soft side, sweet but savage, and his energy on stage and off is simply infectious. His show Sleeping With The Yemeni will leave you in stitches.

– Kyle Ayers: Kyle was already a force to be reckoned with in the L.A. comedy scene for his adept wordplay and quick wit, but his new show Hard To Say, which documents his struggle with trigeminal neuralgia (a.k.a. suicide disease) is truly masterful work. A singular show from an exceptional writer and performer.

– Erika Ehler: I met Erika at my last Fringe in 2019 and fell in love with this Canadian’s dry demeanor and jokes that pulled no punches. Since then, the industry has begun to take notice, and I personally can’t wait to see a full hour from her this year.

– Katharyn Henson: Another 2019 Fringe pal, this ex-New Yorker turned a lifetime of dark, dirty stories into the hyper-compelling show Ew Girl You Nasty. She stayed on the international circuit, bouncing between the U.K. and Australia, and her legend has only grown since then. Go see her solo show, or either of the acclaimed compilation shows she runs!

– André de Freitas: I met André a few years ago when I did comedy in Lisbon while waiting to go to a wedding. His exuberant style, deeply layered jokes, and inspired self-deprecation from a Portuguese P.O.V. immediately won me over then, and from the looks of his social media, they’ve been winning over plenty of other audience members worldwide too. He’s truly one-of-a-kind, and is another comic who I can’t wait to watch for a full hour to see what he’s been working on lately.

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EdFringe Talk: A Midsummer’s Tempest

Posted in *Written Interviews, EdFestivals 2024 by

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“I learned doing my Master’s dissertation that “done is better than perfect”.”

WHO: Julia Lisa

WHAT: “Did Shakespeare predict the climate crisis? And is the solution hidden in his works? Shakespeare’s hidden climate play delights and enlightens. This new mash-up of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Tempest, and Macbeth humorously explores some of society’s current affairs; tackling themes of patriarchy, women’s rights, colonialism, climate change, and queerness through the chaos of one stormy night. This new adaptation stays true to the Bard’s humour and poetry in a punchy, purposeful play packed into one-hour. This world premiere is enchanting for audiences of all ages.”

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

WHEN: 15:55 (50 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

Despite the valley girl accent, I actually live here in Edinburgh now. I did come from California where spent many many years doing the @Hollywoodfringe! I came here to do my Master’s Degree in Environmental Sustainability (where I met my co-director Riley, who also was a Theatre-nerd that cared about sustainability!). We both were in The Edinburgh University Shakespeare Company’s Fringe show last year: “Hekabe” by Euripides (not Shakespeare, but still very tragic!) During that time we joked we should do a Climate Crisis version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream (which I have always wanted to do!!). We thought Fringe would be the perfect place to test this work. From our own experience at the festival, short, fun shows with deep heartfelt moments are what we enjoy. We hope to bring that joy and impact to audiences, and then become audiences ourselves to revel in all the wonder Fringe has to offer this year! It has been crazy living here and experiencing the way Edinburgh goes from sleepy winter city to the frenzy of fringe! I am excited to see some of my Hollywood Fringe friends and their shows here in Scotland!

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

Are we talking lessons in general? Or Fringe-lessons?

Lessons in general, I would say, I learned doing my Master’s dissertation that “done is better than perfect”. That was my mantra that allowed me to get over my perfectionism and complete the 50-page report. I took that lesson into writing this play. In the moments when I got stuck because it wasn’t perfect, I knew it was worth getting it out of my head and onto the page in any way. It was still a work in progress when the show was cast, but it was a full script! Hearing it out aloud allowed me to refine the moments and text. I would not have been able to do that if I had not gotten past my writer’s perfectionism.

In regards to Fringe, my incredible co-director, Riley and I have tried to maximise our rehearsal time while still honouring our young casts’ summer. We started with Zoom rehearsals to do text and character work, which allowed our incredible cast to be home or on holiday, then when we got into the rehearsal room in person they were off-book and in character ready to play! This has allowed us to achieve the snappy fun vibe with real heart-felt moments that we were aiming for in a Fringe show.

Tell us about your show.

A Midsummer’s Tempest is a mash-up of Shakespeare’s works —A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Tempest, and Macbeth, so I suppose Shakespeare wrote the words and I came in and bastardized it. Or rather, I just brought out elements that were hiding… This adaptation humorously explores some of society’s current affairs: Tackling themes of patriarchy, women’s rights, colonialism, climate change, and queerness through the chaos of one stormy Edinburgh night.

As a Buddhist, Environmentalist and Shakespeare Nerd, I investigated the themes of nature, climate and humanity in his plays. While the climate elements in A Midsummer Night’s Dream are not a new discovery, delving deeper into this concept revealed an intriguing insight: Shakespeare himself inadvertently alludes to a Buddhist philosophy that might offer solutions to our current crises. This adaptation is grounded in the Buddhist concept, ‘oneness of self and environment’.

My qualifications to butcher the Bard stem from my 8 years studying, working, and teaching with the critically acclaimed Los Angeles-based Shakespeare theatre, Theatricum Botanicum, known for pushing the envelope, bridging Shakespeare with contemporary issues and politics.

Bravely, The Edinburgh University Shakespeare Company is bringing it to Fringe for its World Premiere! We have an incredible cast of youthful local actors, which is incredible because the play is set right here in Edinburgh.

After this run, the adaptation can head to other theatre companies interested in an updated Shakespeare play for our time.

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

We are super excited for the Literary Pub crawl, it’s drinking and story-telling! But there are also so many Shakespeare-related things we want to see, such as Shakespeare For Breakfast, After Shakespeare with Lexi Wolfe, and Hamstrung play by George M Rennie! These all seem to be fun or cutting-edge takes on Shakespeare, which we love to see. Some exciting looking queer shows we want to check out are, Saint, Break Up With Your Boyfriend, Losing The Plot – The Musical, Hardly Working, and Deeptime (This one is also about climate and queerness!!!)! We don’t know these shows personally and are just genuinely interested in them. Do you have any other suggestions??

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