“EdFringe is the Olympic Games for the Arts, so you’re trying to enjoy everything at the festival, but your sole priority is putting on the best show for your audience”
WHO: Paul Coulter
WHAT: “We all make mistakes, but rarely do they change the course of history. Fresh from sold-out runs at Edinburgh, Sydney and Adelaide Fringe Festivals, the smash-hit historical storytelling show returns with a new show and new stories about five people and how their mistakes changed the world. Historian and comedian Paul Coulter brings history to life in a hilarious way. If you hated history at school, this is the show for you. If you loved history at school, stop looking and just book the show. Class credit not provided.”
WHERE: Assembly George Square Studios – Studio Three (Venue 17)
WHEN: 16:40 (60 min)
MORE: Click Here!
Is this your first time to Edinburgh?
Thanks for having me! This is my second time at Edinburgh – I brought my show 5 Mistakes That Changed History to Edinburgh in 2023 and had a fantastic run, the show sold-out before we even arrived in Edinburgh. This year, I am very excited to be back with a new show for 2024.
Experiencing a festival as a performer and producer is a completely different experience. I visited Edinburgh as an audience member in 2022 and binged on 6-7 shows a day, slept so few hours I was barely functioning and had the best time.
As a performer, it’s a completely different experience, you’re performing every day for a month. It’s the Olympic Games for the Arts, so you’re trying to enjoy everything at the festival, but your sole priority is putting on the best show for your audience
What are the big things you’ve learned since 2023 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?
2023 was my first year touring and I learnt an enormous amount. I performed in every possible variety of theatre: from tents in 40-degree heat to shipping containers directly under a busy flight path. I once had to stop the show, let an A380 jet pass overhead before continuing. You had to be ready for everything.
When you’re touring you get it all: every weather condition, every tech failure, wardrobe malfunction – if it can happen, it will happen! It’s fun and challenging.
Tell us about your show.
5 Mistakes That Changed History – is a History, Storytelling and Comedy show. In the show I take the audience through 5 Mistakes from History and how they’ve changed the world. This year I’m back with five entirely new stories from History. Its John Oliver meets Horrible Histories.
The show premiered at Sydney Fringe Festival in 2022 and has grown from there. The real break for the show was Gluttony at Adelaide Fringe Festival in 2023. Adelaide is the world’s second biggest fringe festival after Edinburgh. From there I got picked up by Assembly who brought the show to Edinburgh in 2023.
The show keeps growing, it keeps selling out to History loving audiences and we get many audience members returning. I try and chat to as many people as I can after the show and it’s fantastic seeing many familiar faces again! Hopefully, we’ll just keep growing and get to tour the show to more festivals and theatres in the future.
What should your audience see at the festivals after they’ve seen your show?
I would encourage my audience to take a risk and keep space open in their calendars to try something new. A huge amount of Edinburgh is experimentation and exploration. Your new favourite show could come from trying out a show last minute or chatting to a flyerer on the street.
I originally come from an improv comedy background, and we are lucky to have the world’s best improvisers performing at the Edinburgh Fringe:
Baby Wants Candy – a ridiculously talented group of improvisers take just one suggestion and transform it into an entire musical made up completely on the spot. It is hilarious and overflowing in talent.
Shamilton – The same performers as Baby Wants Candy but in the theme of Hamilton, transforms audience suggestions into an improvised rap musical. I never cease to be amazed.
Holy Shit Improv: Some of the best improvisers from Los Angeles. When Australia was in lockdown in 2021, I survived by watching live streams of their hilarious shows.
Chris Grace: One of the funniest, nicest and most talented performers at the Edinburgh Fringe.
Emily Markoe: My Little Phobia, Hollywood Fringe sensation and fantastic performer from the San
Francisco/Los Angeles improv scene is bringing her solo show to Edinburgh
Jeromaia Detto: MUSH, Utterly silly, incredibly joyful, bonkers and fun and all round great guy. Sold-out Adelaide Fringe Festival and is definitely one to watch
Given my show is all about History – I would strongly recommend audience members go to the Scottish National Museum. Fantastic place and the curators do brilliant tours.
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