Hello James, so where ya from & where ya at, geographically speaking?
Hello, I’m originally from Canterbury in Kent and now live in London. My parents are from both England and Scotland and my Father is from Edinburgh where I have friends and family, so I feel very at home here.
When did you first find yourself getting into the dramatic arts?
My first foray was probably at a school variety show aged 10 where I was the compere. There were a few school plays here and there after that, but it wasn’t until after university that I began to properly head down the dark path to performance and admit to both myself and my parents that I wanted a career as an actor.
What does James Heatlie like to do when he’s not being theatrical?
He likes to take photographs, write and occasionally has been known to paint and to pen poems. He is fond of a good tavern and loves the cinema and box set bingeing. He is also not adverse to a bit of sport and exercise and likes very much to go mountain walking and camping among other things. And tea. Tea in vast quantities.
This year you will be playing Manuel in Faulty Towers at the Fringe. Can you give us an outline of what its all about?
Faulty Towers The Dining Experience is Interactive Theatre International’s loving tribute to the fantastic television show of the ‘70s. It invites the audience in to share an evening with Basil and Sybil Faulty and Manuel, putting the dining guests in the middle of their very own personal episode.
What are the key ingredients to a good show?
I think the main ingredient is the audience, we honestly couldn’t do it without them. Seriously though, the audience are really the collective fourth actor in the room and they really make the show with their wonderful sense of adventure and fun. The other ingredients would have to be the other three actors and then some food to make sense of the title.
After a long stint at B’est restaurant, Faulty Towers has a new Edinburgh home this year, can you fill us in?
I remember my first Edinburgh Fringe back in 2014 and the original venue being pointed out to me by a friend who told me about the hit show that went on there. Little did I realise that I would be lucky enough to become a part of that experience and perform at Edinburgh a few years later. The show’s new home is the stunningly beautiful Principal Hotel on George Street. The Hanover Suite is one of the performance spaces, and the King’s Hall the other.
You are also performing in a specially-written 10th anniversary show, can you tell us about this?
No I can’t. It’s top secret, you’ll just have to come along.
In one sentence can you describe the experience of performing in Edinburgh in August?
Very sweaty.
What will James Heatlie be doing for the rest of 2017?
He will be having a short mountain break post Fringe and then onto more acting and photography work including a tour of Ireland with Faulty and in the gaps between planning his wedding next spring.
Hello your Ladyship, how are you finding the step from leading a small island off the coast of Northern Europe, to being an international comedy superstar?
Oh it’s very much the same. The only difference is this time the people booing aren’t sitting behind me. Seriously though, I’m having a lovely time as a musical sensation – I’m dropping more beats than Theresa May has dropped manifesto pledges.
Political satire is a niche, but lively branch of the comedy tree. Who are your inspirations in this field?
Ed Milliband, Tim Farron, Diane Abbott – They’re all very funny comedy characters.
Can you sum up the experience of performing at the mega-mash-up that is the Fringe?
It’s lovely. It is in Scotland unfortunately, but during August it’s basically just full of people from London so I don’t mind it. Apart from the streets! Cobbles + Heels = not a happy Maggie.
Your ‘Queen of Soho’ has done rather well at former Fringes & across the world. How did you find the experience?
Well, I’ve always been a beloved figure so I took it in my stride. I’ve been very lucky to meet people like Jeremy Corbyn and Alex Salmond and more important people like Sue Perkins. And the audiences had a lovely time at my show too. One woman was enjoying herself so much she threw up in someone else’s handbag.
This year you are bringing us your ‘Queen of Game Shows.’ Why the new angle?
I thought it would be less work. Unfortunately it turns out game shows are quite difficult to do as well. But I think I’ve risen to the challenge. We’ve got games such as Check Your Privilege, Fake News and Brexit Through the Gift Shop. It’s quite a topical show considering that I stopped being Prime Minister almost 30 years ago!
Its been quite a year in the world of politics, how much of this will be penetrating your show?
Oh, I’ve already incorporated all the major news events: The General Election result, Donald Trump, Love Island-it’ll be cutting edge, dear! The only problem is if anything changes between now and the end of August…
There are also some lovely musical moments. Who is the mastermind behind all this?
ME! I’m a one-woman-show-making-machine! I choose all the music: Cher, Bonnie Tyler, Dolly Parton. They’re all iconic musicians who recorded incredible versions songs which couldn’t be bettered… until I came along and smashed them all, now they’re all second best, and you don’t get anything for coming in second!
Can you describe your working relationship with Jon Brittain?
Jon who??? Do you mean the beardy man who claims to be my director? No, no, no dear, it’s not a working relationship, he’s more a charity case. I did this all myself. I had the idea for the show and right then and there I got out my pen and wrote a cheque to him and Matt Tedford to do it for me.
This Fringe you will also be putting on some Club Nights? Can you tell us about these?
Oh yes! I’ve taken back Soho, light entertainment, the Falklands and now I am coming for Disco! There’ll be non-stop 80s hits from a non-stop 80s witch! We’ll have all the hits, vogueing, neon tights and you’ll finally be able to see if the Lady is for turning… on the dance floor!
What will her ladyship be doing between shows this August?
Mountains of cocaine. And crosswords.
And finally, what will her ladyship be doing after the Fringe?
Paying off the debts. Putting on a show isn’t cheap, dear!
Her Ladyship will be performing her ‘Queen of Game Shows’ at Assembly George Square Gardens from 3rd – 27th August (not 14th) at 9pm, & her ‘Queen of Club Nights’ at Assembly Checkpoint on Saturday 19th and Saturday 26th August at 1am.
Hello ladies, so where are ya all from & where ya’ll at, geographically speaking? G&L : We’re currently based in London, but met at school in Bristol.
When did you first realise you were, well, funny? Georgia (Hurt) : I remember being in this kind of school drama showcase aged about 7 or 8. It was this sketch were I was a brownie who pulled someone back from jumping off a bridge and all we had to say was “Now we can get our life saving badges”. Thinking back on it now that seems like very dark material for a primary school production! Anyway, we got this big laugh and I just remember this feeling of “ooo making people laugh is awesome”. But I always found it easier to be a bit more of the class clown, it’s easier to make friends and resolve confrontation!
Why comedy, what is it about being funny in front of other people that makes you tick? Laura (Anderson) : I think I realised very early on in life that it was good to make people laugh because it’s a way of getting praise and people to like you. It’s also a form of escapism; I’ve always been a fairly shy person in real life, but being on stage and making people laugh gives you another persona and you can become someone different for a short amount of time. Some comedians will wax lyrical about how altruistic it is to make other people laugh; but in the majority of cases it’s an ego boost for someone who is deeply insecure. So please do come to the show and laugh with us…just please God never AT us.
How did Hurt & Anderson come about? Georgia : Laura and I were at school together and we had a lot of science and maths lessons that neither of us were particularly interested in. We started messing around in lessons, coming up with characters and ideas and then that turned into the act which we would force our friends to watch in our lunch break. We actually did our first ever gig at the school talent show. We didn’t win.
What are the ingredients to a good sketch? Laura : It’s the usual answer, but timing is crucial. And the relationship between the actors. Georgia and I have known each other and performed together so much that we have really honed that. The quality of the writing is important, but like any type of comedy, you have to sell it – so acting the sketch well and giving your all to it is incredibly important as well.
Upon which life-experiences do you draw your own comedy? Georgia : It’s a bit of everything really. I think that’s the great thing about doing sketch and musical stuff because you really can cover anything you can think of. We always have some political material but then we can go straight to surreal stuff too like an obnoxious pregnant panda. Mainly it all comes out of us two having a conversation and trying to make each other laugh.
You were finalists in this year’s Musical Comedy Awards 2017. What are the secrets behind writing & performing a funny song? Georgia : It’s funny you should ask! We have a song in the show this year based around this idea of trying to write a funny song. For us I think the main thing you have freedom with in a song is lyrical word play and structure. You can always play around with rhymes or subverting expectations. And then I think what works well for us is having this sweet sounding melody, which the lyrics then betray with something filthy or unexpected. The songs come much easier than sketches normally.
You are bringing ‘ Come What May,’ to the Fringe. You previewed it to sell out audiences at the Leicester Comedy Festival 2017 and in Bristol and London. How have the audience been responding? Laura : Leicester and Bristol were two really good shows, both audiences were really lovely. The Bristol preview was mostly made up of friends and relatives so that helped a lot! I’d say that Come What May is the most consistently funny show we’ve ever written and that has showed in the audience reaction.
This is not your first time at the Fringe, what have you learnt in the interim about your set? Laura : Looking back now at our very first show at the Fringe in 2011, it was a complete mess. The sketches weren’t that funny and, on a whole, the show was very amateurish. What we’ve really tried to work on is making the show as slick as possible, and to work on our personas as “Hurt and Anderson”, but ironically ‘Come What May’ includes some of the most personal stuff we’ve ever written in order to make our personas as realistic as possible.
Can you describe in one sentence the experience of performing at the Fringe G&L : An emotional rollercoaster that is over all to quickly – where you can find the highs of inspiration, push yourself hard and then descend into various drunken states of debauchery on a regular basis.
Hello Fin, so where ya from & where ya at, geographically speaking?
Oxford. So please in future use ‘you’ rather than ‘ya’. Currently i’m in the south of France on an arrogant pre-Fringe holiday.
What is it about performing live you love the most?
Hard to say really, but it is an addiction. I’m not sure it’s a feeling i’ll ever get tired of. New material nights especially. Such a thrill having a thought on the way to the gig and then it working- out of thin air you have created something that people will pay you to say. It’s magic really.
You’ve been washed up on a desert island with a solar-powered DVD player & three films. Which would they be?
Con Air, The Rock, and Gone in 60 Seconds
Why stand-up comedy?
Again hard to say, but i have this instinctive, almost existential pull to this sort of performance, and i’ve felt it since i was like 13. I wrote and performed some sketches with guys at school and although they were great guys, both really funny, i still knew that stand-up was what i’d rather do later on. I guess it’s the idea of being a sort of Author/Director/Performer all on your own. It’s total control.
You were gigging on the West Coast of the US around the time of last year’s election. Now the West is a liberal place & one would expect its comedians to be anti-trump. Was this the case?
Yes I was in LA and San Francisco, obviously everyone was laughing at the madness of Trump’s campaign. A lot of the US comics were laughing at how badly he was going to get beaten, and so it was a good angle to have to come on with you know. A Brit, post-Brexit, having a go at the crowd because they were so sure it wasn’t going to happen, and i was pretty sure it was.
Last year your ‘Whitey McWhiteface’ smashed the Fringe. Why do you think it resonated so much with the zeitgeist of 2016?
Well that summer if you remember it seemed like 3 times a week you’d log on to Facebook and there’d be another video of an unarmed black guy getting killed by the police in the US; and BlackLivesMatter was marching in the UK. And after Brexit incidents of racially-motivated crimes were on the rise, it was a summer where racial tension seemed to reach boiling point- which in the UK was quite unusual, we’re so silent on this stuff normally and seem to sweep it under the carpet- everything’s so latent compared to the conversation about race in the US. But after Brexit these things seemed to be coming above the surface. And so a show where a white liberal was trying to work through what it meant being white in this country from their perspective felt quite relevant i think. Also it was a good show.
This year you are bringing Lefty Tighty Righty Loosey to Edinburgh. Is it a sequel to Whitey McWhiteface or does it have a spirit all of its own?
It’s very much it’s own show. But in Whitey McWhiteface I feel I found the sort of topics I like talking about and the angles I like taking. But i feel i’ve moved everything forward, gone a bit deeper, tried to articulate things clearer. It’s more about being left-wing than being white, but there’s still a bit of honky shit in there for old times’ sake.
Can you tell us a little more about the show?
I’m weaving my opinions on the failure of left-wing politics, and the immorality of some left-wing attitudes with ridiculous stories from a pretty intense few months personally. It’s all good clean stuff.
In one sentence can you describe the experience of performing in Edinburgh in August?
It’s my favourite time of year.
What does the rest of 2017 hold in store for Fin Taylor?
Taking the new show out on tour. www.fintaylor.com for dates. Not yet mind, but I will put them up at some point soon.
Hello Matt, so where ya from & where ya at, geographically speaking?
I hail from Brighton, which is one of the best cities in the world. I’ve just moved from London after living there for 4 years to Edinburgh because who wouldn’t want to live in Edinburgh? Apart from Nigel Farage of course!
When did you first realise you were, well, funny?
Being told to shut up in staff meetings during the various jobs that I despised in my 20’s.
Upon which life-experiences do you draw your own comedy?
How terrified and disenchanted I feel on a day to day basis about every aspect of life. And my fondness for angel delight.
What was life like as a comedian working the London comedy scene?
I made some of my best friends and had some of my best laughs and learnt a lot about failure and a lot about pressure. I also got in debt and cried a lot on night buses.
What does Matt Duwell like to do when he’s not being funny?
Cooking when I should be writing. Looking wistfully into the distance whilst eating too many Dairylea triangles when I should be writing. Falling asleep to series 6 of Start Trek Next Generation whilst trying to write. Oh and spending time with the love of my life as she ignores my jokes whilst simultaneously being proud and amazed by everything one of our cats does. Cleaning cat sick off the floor when I should be writing. I procrastinate a lot.
You’ve been washed up on a desert island with a solar-powered DVD player & three films. Which would they be?
Shaun of the Dead, Eternal Sunshine of his Spotless Mind, The Land Before Time 5: The Mysterious Island. All of them teach us about how we should be happy with what we got, but only one teaches us how to deal with a mysterious island using only your wits and your friendship with a pterodactyl.
What are the secrets of a good joke?
An original idea that is relevant and relatable that you don’t remember ever having, a punchline that has the right number of words and rhythm that you only get to after messing it up for a year, by which time the joke is no longer topical enough to do.
How are you finding living in Edinburgh?
It’s amazing and I absolutely love the city and the beautiful surrounding area. Best pubs, great cinemas and theatres, amazing people and plenty of discount supermarkets (I live next to a Lidl/ Iceland combo store!). I even enjoyed visiting Dunfermline. However, I am still not used to having conversations with neighbours that last 20 mins or having the heater on in July, but I’m sure I’ll get used to that. Right!!??
You are bringing your show, ‘A Pessimist’s Guide to Being Happy,’ to the Fringe this August, can you tell us about it?
It’s a stand up comedy show about how pessimism can sometimes actually help us to be happy and optimism and memes about unbound potential are not necessarily a good thing. It’s also a show that has some crowd interaction and of course a lot of jokes that are quite glib about the world we live in. I’m very proud of the jokes and in many ways, it’s the result of my entire comedy career so far. It’s also the one thing that haunts my dreams more than the Giants from the original BFG film.
Can you sum up your show in a single sentence?
Pessimistic, funny yet positive.
This is your third time at the Fringe. How have you found performing at the mega-mash-up that is Edinburgh in August?
I’ve met some of my best friends, formed closer bonds with people I already knew, had some of my best shows, seen some of the best performers in the world and learnt a lot about myself and who I am. I’ve also met some of the worst people, lost friends, had my worst shows, seen the worst shows ever and learnt what a jealous, miserable little man I can be at 4pm on a Tuesday. I’ve felt both the most elated in my life to the most dejected and every possible emotion in between. I’ve also eaten far too many tatty dogs from the piemaker on south bridge and drank too much tenants.
What does the rest of 2017 hold in store for Matt Duwell?
Recovering from Edinburgh, hopefully making inroads into the Scottish Comedy Scene, writing more jokes and working on next year’s show to take to all the various fringes next year. Also getting central heating installed in my new home.
Hello Mr Twonkey, so where ya from & where ya at, geographically speaking?
Edinburgh.
Can you describe your creative relationship with co-star, Paul Vickers?
Twonkey is an innocent; he always has a mission that would seem foolish to many. This year it’s trip to the jungle over Christmas to play at an imaginary fringe festival. Would I do that? No, never. Is Twonkey in any way similar to me? Of course not.
How many instalments of your saga have been played out at the Fringe, & can you give us their names? Nine…
Twonkey’s Cottage (2010)
Twonkey’s Castle (2011)
Twonkey’s Kingdom (2012)
Twonkey’s Blue Cadabra (2013-2014)
Twonkey’s Private Restaurant (2014-2015)
Twonkey’s Stinking Bishop (2015)
Twonkey’s Mumbo Jumbo Hotel (2016)
Twonkey’s Drive In: Jennifer’s Robot Arm (2015-2016)
Twonkey’s Christmas in the Jungle (2017)
Which for you was the most rewarding?
Last year I did two shows, which was a lot of fun as it turns out but a lot of hard work and planning I mean it’s twice the work. It’s like doing a double album in one year. So that was the most rewarding definitely by the end of it, you could sleep for a week but you felt good about yourself like swimming the English Channel kind of good.
How was your recent trip to Brighton?
It was so hot so flyering for a Christmas show seemed bit nuts. I learnt a lot from it and have made a few adjustments to the structure of the show. They’re an open-minded bunch down in Brighton but sometimes that’s due to substance abuse. It’s a lively town that knows how to keep you up all night.
Can you tell us about this year’s installment?
Mr. Pines is a new character that I play, he’s my manager but he wants to kill me. I wear a fake nose and sunglasses and people boo me, he’s like a pantomime villain. He’s the one that’s sent me to the Jungle, he’s hoping I get lost and never come back. He has other acts that are more commercially viable so he wants me off the books and out of his hair for good.
When he’s in Edinburgh, what does Mr Twonkey like to do between shows?
Seeing the other shows is fun and as I know the city well I know how to cut about fast and light. I drink a lot of smoothies at the Hula juice bar. I have dinner with friends, I go to the pub and have the odd pint and do mixed bills sets here and there as well as my own show.
What is it about performing live you love the most?
When it really works and everyone gets onboard and enjoys the ride with you it’s the best feeling ever.
In one sentence can you describe the experience of performing in Edinburgh in August?
An intense overload for mind, body and the soul.
What does the rest of 2017 hold in store for Mr Twonkey?
More Twonkey and a new Paul Vickers and The leg album is been cooked up as we speak.
Hello Kwame, so where ya from & where ya at, geographically speaking?
Hello! I was born and raised in South East London, and now living and working up in Birmingham. My family originates from Ghana in West Africa.
When did you first realise you were, well, funny?
For as long as I can remember, I’ve enjoyed laughing and making people laugh. However, my first time performing stand-up comedy came as the result of a dare from a friend while I was in Sixth Form. At the time, I was just getting into stand-up (listening to a mix of Jack Dee, Chris Rock and Eddie Murphy). The idea of performing it myself had hadn’t crossed my mind, but the school talent show was coming up, so I thought I’d give it a go. A half-decent set performed in front of an overly-generous audience, and I was hooked!
Upon which life experiences do you draw your own comedy?
There aren’t many things that I’d say are off limits. I talk about my childhood, my family, friends and relationships, as well as things happening around me and in the news. I like to focus bits of material around people in my life who I find funny too. My Mum is definitely one of them, and she’s (unwittingly) found herself a solid place in my show.
What does Kwame Asante like to do when he’s not being funny?
When off stage and not at work, I enjoy playing sports (mainly rugby and football) and catching up with friends over a drink or two. I’m also a comedy addict, so will almost have some kind of stand-up or sitcom on in the background whilst pottering around my flat. Netflix is great for that!
You’ve been washed up on a desert island with a solar-powered DVD player & three films. Which would they be?
Rush Hour 2, Scary Movie 3 and The 40 Year Old Virgin. I hold no pretenses when it comes to watching films. I like easy viewing that I can sit down and switch off to.
Kwame won the 2012 Chortle Student Award before going back to his studies
Why stand-up comedy?
I like the freedom of it. An audience and a set amount of time, with the sole objective of being funny. I love toying around with how I spend that time, and interact with the audience. And the feeling of new material hitting home is unbeatable. Males it worth risking the trauma of dying on stage!
You are also a Junior Doctor. Do you include any observations from your ‘dayjob’ into your material?
I spent a long time avoiding talking about medical school and life as a doctor, but they now form such a big part of my life that it’s impossible not to draw humor from them. The trick is to strike a balance between keeping stories broad but accessible. Going into specifics can be a medicolegal bombshell. I currently enjoy talking about the challenges of establishing yourself as a new doctor, and staying professional in the face of weird and wacky personalities.
You are bringing your show, Open Arms, to the Fringe this August, can you tell us about it?
In Open Arms, I look back on the last three years, which has seen me graduate medical school, leave my family and home in South East London, and move up to Birmingham to settle into my new life as a junior doctor. It’s packed with funny stories, unexpected twists and hard-learned life lessons.
Can you sum up your show in a single sentence?
An uplifting, light-hearted, reflective comedy, with something for everyone!
How do you find performing at the mega-mash-up that is the Edinburgh Fringe?
Nothing beats the buzz of the Fringe. All of the comics spend all of the year writing, gigging, preparing and sharpening to be at their absolute best for the festival. And being surrounded by the energy and enthusiasm of other comics inspires me to be at my best as well. I hope to develop massively as a performer, and take the many lessons learned ahead of me into the comedy year ahead.
What does the rest of 2017 hold in store for Kwame Asante?
The Fringe is probably the highlight of my year to be honest! Straight after the festival I’ll be hitting the books, in preparation for the final part of the membership exams for the Royal College of Physicians, taking place in November/December. 2018 should be more interesting, where I hope to take my comedy to Australia, New Zealand and pretty much anywhere else that’ll have me!
Hello Richard, so where ya from & where ya at, geographically speaking?
Hello Mumble, I’m originally from Gloucestershire, lived in London for twenty years and now live in Los Angeles.
Who are your comedy idols?
So many… I just love people who can make me laugh. How about a list of the ones I’ve met, or have worked with? Robin Williams, Peter Cook, Billy Connolly, all the Pythons, Ken Campbell, Carl Reiner and Mel Brooks, Jack Black, My Oxbridge / Not the Nine O’Clock News contemporaries (Mel Smith was a very close friend from my university days, a lovely, generous soul and much missed) – Griff Rhys Jones, Pamela Stephenson, Rowan Atkinson, Douglas Adams. Ones I haven’t met: Damon Runyon, Dorothy Parker, P.G. Wodehouse, S.J. Perelman, Terry Pratchett – writers with the gift of lightness who have all given me the gift of laughter.
What does Richard Sparks like to do when he’s not being funny?
Play the five-string banjo (bluegrass style); play Elder Scrolls Online; eat (I love to cook) and drink beer – if possible at my bar in Las Vegas, Sporting Life Bar. It’s a neighborhood bar, for the locals, not a tourist joint: great world beers, great food, great people. Every now and then, maybe four or five times a year, my wife and I jump into the car and drive to Vegas, listening to a book on tape (PLEASE read Ernest Cline’s Ready Player One before the Spielberg movie comes out at Christmas. Or listen to it read by the madly enthusiastic Wil Wheaton. It’s a brilliant, exciting adventure story. I played against Wil in a poker tournament once. He’s a lovely guy, but an even worse poker player than I am).
You’ve been washed up on a desert island with a solar-powered DVD player & three films. Which would they be?
All British, all brilliant: Still Crazy, written by the great comedy team of Ian La Frenais and Dick Clement, with a cast of comedy rock stars (very appropriate); The Life of Brian, which is a genuine masterpiece; and Withnail and I. Bruce Robinson (its writer-director) is God. He is also in Still Crazy.
What are the secrets of a good sketch?
Surprise. You have to stay at least a step and a half ahead of your audience. Laughter is, after all, a reaction of surprise. If I tell you a great joke, you might well laugh. If I then tell it to you again, you probably won’t. If the audience knows where it’s going, and what is going to happen, you’ve lost them. One tip: cut out the questions. Lines like “Why is that?” or “What do you mean?” are dead wood. A waste of a chance to cut across the grain. A poor sketch is one in which one person asks questions and the other one gives answers. That is very laboured, very ploddy. I genuinely believe that audiences are intelligent. They can take everything you can throw at them. If some of them don’t get a joke, so what? Don’t spoon-feed them pablum. Don’t talk down to them. Give them something to stretch for.
Rowan Atkinson performing the sketch Richrad wrote for him, The Schoolmaster. This was his breakthrough moment, in The Secret Policeman’s Ball. He went onstage an unknown, and came off a star.
You are heavily into the creation of Opera – do you see any similarities in the Opera performance & the Comedic, or are they poles apart?
Both demand the use of your wits. Any libretto, any lyric, any script, needs as few words as possible. It’s very easy to overwrite when you start out. You learn that rewriting and cutting and polishing is where you get the gold. To have had the chance to write major opera productions is an incredible privilege. I’m not from a musical family – I saw my first opera aged about 25, and thought, wow, this isn’t cobwebby old fart fustian, this is… big! The last one I wrote (and directed) for the Los Angeles Opera, Dulce Rosa, took thirteen years from concept to performance. That was a romantic tragedy based on an Isabel Allende short story. She is a writer I really like and admire. It is the story of a revenge, an obsession; a two-pronged love story which takes us to some deep, dark places. I remember trudging upstairs to bed in the mornings, brain empty, wondering what the hell they were saying to each other… How do you sum up obsession? She is haunting him, calling him to her, to atone for the wrong he did… What is going through her head? Through his? And then, drifting off into that alpha state where the ideas can come, I got the lines: Day In, Day Out / Night After Night…… And I was off to the races. So basically: I love a puzzle. A challenge. I would much rather aim high and miss than aim low and hit. I’ve actually done a lot of aiming high and missing! My first poker book, Diary of a Mad Poker Player, was about me setting out to become the next World Champion of Poker. I didn’t. But in the failure, there was a story. And a sequel. And a fascinating world to explore. And if it hadn’t been for that journey, I wouldn’t now own my lovely bar in Las Vegas.
You are bringing your show, Margarita Dreams, to the Fringe this August, can you tell us about it?
We go inside the head of young Dave, on his holiday on the beach in Mexico, who has one margarita too many. Or nine. In the sun. It’s a freewheeling kaleidoscope of sketches that weave in and out of each other, all somehow weirdly making sense. I hadn’t written sketch comedy in decades, and had completely forgotten what a joy it is. It all came pouring out in just a few weeks. I can’t thank these kids (Bella, Jack, Jason and Sophie) enough for being the inspiration that got me to come up with all this strange and unexpected stuff. I’ve been lucky enough and, okay, stubborn enough, to just do exactly what I want in life: which is to write. I was never going to do anything else, and never have done. In my early days – and I’m grateful and happy as hell to have “been there and done that” – I had to write quite a lot of “crap for money”. Fixing misfiring sitcom scripts. Doing your best with other people’s ideas, trying so hard to make them work. One week, in a motel in New Zealand with orange carpet squares for wallpaper (yes, really!) I wrote three complete half-hour scripts from thin air. We were so behind schedule I didn’t see daylight for a month. I wouldn’t trade that experience for the world. That gig bought me my first house (well, one third of it, the rest was mortgage). And now, when something like Margarita Dreams comes along: it’s like jumping on a roller-coaster. So exciting! If you’d told me back in February I’d be coming to Edinburgh with an all-new sketch comedy show: I’d have slapped you until I woke up. So, tip to young writers/artists/actors etc: keep your eyes and your mind open. You never know what’s coming your way.
Can you sum up your show in a single sentence?
Welcome to the world of Margarita: where peculiar is the new normal – and a good, if unexpected, time is had by all.
What emotive responses would you like from your audience & what do you expect?
Belly laughs. All we want to do is give you a good time. The actors are the age I was when I did my first fringe show. My life as a writer really began here in Edinburgh. I hope good things now happen for them.
It’s been some time since you were performing in Edinburgh – four decades in fact – can you tell us what the Fringe was like in those days?
My memories of the fringe in the 1970s are of a freewheeling, enthusiastic, theatre-counter-culture month-long happening. The vibe was part rock concert, part chaos, part This Is The Real Damn Thing (as opposed to the commercial crap of the West End). And the things I saw! Ian Holm and Patti Love in Caravaggio Buddy at the Traverse, followed by Lindsay Kemp’s Les Fleurs du Mal dance/movement/weirdness extravaganza. The Polish director Tadeusz Kantor’s The Dead Class at the Richard Demarco Gallery (where we also performed). The Great Marcel’s one-person puppet show in a motorcycle sidecar (you, the audience, were the one person). Billy Connolly’s The Great Northern Wellie Boot Show – damn that was amazing! I bought the T-shirt.
What does the rest of 2017 hold in store for Richard Sparks?
Finish the new opera for the Los Angeles Opera – The Kugelmass Episode, based on the short story by Woody Allen. I’ve completed the first draft, and heard nothing back from my composer, Lee Holdridge, in two weeks! This I regard as a good sign. Lee and I have been writing partners for 25 years, so I know he’ll let me know right away if I haven’t given him stuff he wants to work on. Placido Domingo is going to sing the lead role – this project was his idea. We present a full sing-through workshop to him and the LAO bigwigs in October. In other news – just like coming back to Edinburgh after 41 years – 25 years since I last wrote TV, I’ve recently completed the scripts for the first season of a new series in L.A., to be produced by Jonathan Sanger (producer of The Elephant Man, Vanilla Sky etc). Just as with Margarita Dreams, it was a case of – hey, why not? Watch this space.
And Another Thing
I get two questions all the time from young “Should I’s”:
Question 1: Should I go to L.A. / London and try to be a writer / actor / director / producer?
Absolutely! You don’t want to be looking back in your 80s thinking, I could have been a contender. Go, try, succeed, fail, damn the torpedoes! Give it your best shot. Over and over and over again. Until you have nothing left to give. Live it, love it, settle for nothing else. Follow up question: “Oh, right well, so how do I go about – ” I have no idea. That’s up to you. Every case is different. They don’t need you. You have to make them. Easy? No, but who the hell cares? If you have to do this, then do it.
Question 2: Should I go to Las Vegas and be a professional poker player?
Absolutely not. It’s a wretched way to make a living: pillaging other people.
Hi Geneva, so where ya from & where ya at, geographically speaking?
I’m from the San Francisco Bay Area. I grew up in the East Bay in Oakland and I still live there.
Performance is clearly in your blood – when did you gain the first inkling of this?
I started doing theater classes and summer camps when I was 12-years-old. When I was 15 I joined the high school drama club and that became everything to me. I ended up moving to the UK to study contemporary Theatre at York St. John University and that’s when it became a lot more than just something I do for fun.
When did you decide to do stand-up?
I decided to do stand up in the summer of 2015. It was the summer before third-year of university when our course assigned an independent practice as research project in any field of performance. I decided to research the role of Jewish humour in stand-up comedy. I started reading about Jewish humourists and watching a lot of Joan Rivers and Sarah Silverman. After doing a lot of research to begin, in October 2015 I started going up on stage with my own stuff.
What is the comedy scene like in San Francisco?
It’s very vibrant. There are open mics every night of the week. We are spoiled for stage time. However, there are a lot of comics going after that stage time which means the nights can be very long and tedious waiting for your turn. San Francisco comics are generally talented and very hard-working. It’s inspiring to be around so many driven people and also a lot of diversity.
What does Geneva Rust Orta like to do when she’s not being funny?
I like to plan the next time I will be funny. I like the solitary and silent side of life. I’m exceptionally introverted so a few hours in a quiet room reading or drawing is my version of doing something fun. I also sometimes cry, (which can be funny at first) but isn’t that funny after a while.
What makes you laugh personally?
I think sex, death, and stupidity are all hilarious. Especially sex. It’s pretty easy to make me laugh. I like underdogs making fun of authority. I laugh the most at sarcastic women. Sarcastic women never cease to comfort me.
Upon which life-experiences do you draw your own comedy?
My moms. I have lesbian parents who divorced when I was young and married two new women, so I have four mothers to talk about. I also talk about my grandmother. The values and feelings I talk about are all things that I’ve learned from the women who raised me. I like to talk about the eccentric lessons they’ve taught me.
This is your second time at the Fringe. Can you explain in one sentence what it is like to perform at the mega-mash-up that is the Edinburgh Fringe?
It is humbling but also uplifting to be around so many intelligent people asking me about what I bring to the table.
Can you tell us about this year’s show?
This year’s show is further developed from last year’s show to be sure. I’ve tried to move on from dark bitter humour to dark playful humour. There are still holocaust references and a lot of sexual frustration in my material but I also think I’ve loosened up. My show is about feminism, sex, and Jews and how I have known them in my life.
What is it about performing live you love the most?
I like being around other people with good intentions. Comedy communities remind me of what religion felt like when I was younger. I’ve stopped attending religious services for the most part but I’m constantly hungry for the feeling of unity and humanity that I had growing up as a Jewish kid with a Temple to go to. Now I get that feeling almost exclusively from live comedy.
What does the rest of 2017 hold in store for Geneva Rust Orta ?
I’m in a bit of an in-between place. I hope to attend Central School of Speech and Drama in the Fall of 2018, but I need to save a million dollars to afford it. Hopefully I find a rich family who will pay me to watch their hilarious and well-behaved child for a couple hours per day. I’d also like to rally behind a social cause that really inspires me. I’ve been taking a teaching course geared towards equitable education for underrepresented student demographics. But to be honest I will probably just continue to waste money on beer and pizza and wonder why I’m single.
Hi Gary, so where ya from & where ya at, geographically speaking?
Originally, I’m from a place called Chipping Sodbury, just outside Bristol. JK Rowling was also born there so it’s pumping out some creative juggernauts. It’s probably because of the big Tesco they’ve just built… it’s really inspiring. I’m currently in London, sat at my laptop, Ecosia-ing
When did you first realise you were, well, funny?
When I was in primary school, my teacher, Mrs. Eyres, was pregnant. She held a competition whereby the class would suggestion baby names. I suggested Pubic, so that it’s name would be Pubic Eyres. Yup. Nailed it.
Who are your comedy idols?
Genuinely, I mostly take inspiration from the guys that I came up on the circuit with. It might just be because I’ve seen these people grow (creatively… and literally, some of them were quite young) or because I get to watch them live all the time, but all the most talented comedians in the world started stand-up between 2009 and 2011. That’s just a fact. You can’t even argue with it so don’t try.
Upon which life-experiences do you draw your own comedy?
I enjoy making the mundane ridiculous. I also like being self-deprecating. Comedy should always be about punching up or punching yourself. I choose to punch myself.
What does Gary Tro like to do when he’s not being funny?
I’m currently addicted to a game called Overwatch. It’s an online *pew pew* thing that you play with other people/idiots who doN’t kNOw HOw To PLaY PROpERLy SO END UP LOSING US THE MATCH!!!! 0_o It’s really fun.
Your exceptionally titled show did rather well at last years Fringe. What motivated you to do it all again?
Complete lack of demand. The show was a massive commercial disaster last year – hardly anyone saw it. I was in a venue in butt-fudge nowhere at a ridiculously competitive time. However, the feedback from everyone that did come was overwhelmingly complimentary. And I love doing it. I think it’s a fantastic show, which I’m really proud of. It’s some of the most hilariously honest bullshit you’ll ever see. (When you’ve printed this, can I use that as a quote??) “…some of the most hilariously honest bullshit you’ll ever see” – Mumble
What does the show have to offer for the discerning comedic punter?
As well as being the best named show on at the fringe, it’s also an hour of intensely, hilarious fury…
Can you explain in one sentence what it is like to perform at the mega-mash-up that is the Edinburgh Fringe?
It’s almost exactly the same as puberty but with more Berocca.
What is is about performing live you love the most?
The immediacy. I genuinely believe that the best art and performance happens in the moment. The biggest laugh that every comedian has ever had has come from something that they didn’t plan to do.
What does the rest of 2017 hold in store for Gary Tro?
Edinburgh and then recover from Edinburgh. I’m working on a few projects and will hopefully be taking a show on tour at the end of the year.
Hello James, so where ya from & where ya at, geographically speaking?
Hello ladies, so where are ya all from & where ya’ll at, geographically speaking?
Hello Fin, so where ya from & where ya at, geographically speaking?
Hello Matt, so where ya from & where ya at, geographically speaking?
What was life like as a comedian working the London comedy scene?
You are bringing your show, ‘A Pessimist’s Guide to Being Happy,’ to the Fringe this August, can you tell us about it?
Can you tell us about this year’s installment?
Hi Geneva, so where ya from & where ya at, geographically speaking?
What makes you laugh personally?
Can you tell us about this year’s show?
Mumble Comedy 