Ewan Spence

The Edinburgh Fringe Archive – Sofie Hagen (Bubblewrap, 2015)

October 27, 2022

Season 18

Episode 9

00:13:33

Sofie Hagen started their stand-up career in their home country of Denmark, before quickly moving to London to further their career. 2015 brought the debut show to Edinburgh.

Bubblewrap examined issues of depression and mental health, difficult teenage years, and attacking the beauty industry, all with just a dash of Westlie and a perfectly cringe reading of their Westlife Fan Fiction.

It’s fair to say that Hagen nailed the Edinburgh experience, with the ‘Best Newcomer award from the (no longer the Perriers) Edinburgh Comedy Awards, joining previous newcomer awards from Laughing Horse and Chortle.

The Fringe podcast caught up with Sofie early in August. The show was doing well, and audiences were coming in, but the plan for a small and intimate first time in Edinburgh was upstaged with the venue moved to the 500 seater Liquid Rooms rock band stage.

So, let’s take a trip to PBH’s Free Fringe, into the Liquid Rooms, and get ready to enjoy some Bubblewrap…

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My Cat’s Tale – Pawsley

October 26, 2022

Season 1

Episode 21

00:19:57

For a long time, Nathalie’s allergies meant she could not have a pet, but when this calmed down, especially around ragdolls, Pawsley arrived on the scene. He’s a cat that definitely knows what he wants and is not afraid to let people know.

Nathalie talks to Ewan about living with a very chatty cat, how she introduced Wintery to the house, and how much Pawsley prefers working from home rather than walking into the office with her.

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The Edinburgh Fringe Archive – Little Soldier Productions (The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha, 2014)

October 20, 2022

Season 18

Episode 8

00:16:21

The Fringe is not just a recruiting vehicle for Live at the Apollo, there’s more to comedy, more to the fringe, than that. You can have theatrical performances that bring the art of clowning and farce to the stage alongside pathos and examination of the human condition.

In 2014, Little Soldier Productions brought its first production to the Fringe, the aforementioned Don Quixote show, which took massive liberties with the story, twisted reality and fantasy, and ignored any semblance of structure… in other words did a Don Quixote to the classic Don Quixote structure.

And it paid off. At the Fringe, it was awarded The Stage’s Award for Acting Excellence, and since then it has seen over 130 performances in 5 different countries. Little Soldier has gone on online talks, presentations, workshops, and five more shows, including “Nothing Happens (Twice)” which graced the stage at London’s Soho Theatre this summer.

Once the podcast team stumbled over the show, we couldn’t wait to get everyone from the show into the studio and on to the podcast. In 2014 we were broadcasting live on community radio as well as publishing the podcast, which meant rather more energy in the room from myself and co-host Dan Lentell from the Edinburgh49 website.

So let’s go back to the Zoo Southside, to the cellar of the Zoo, in 2014, and find a tiny windmill from Little Soldier’s “The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha”.

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My Cat’s Tale – One-Eyed Willow and Two-Eyed Buffy

October 19, 2022

Season 1

Episode 20

00:26:00

Willow and Buffy did not have the easiest start to their lives, but all that changed when Kristan found them in a shelter. Quickly making it known that they would like to go home with these comic-loving humans, Willow and Buffy settled in to a wonderful life.

Ewan chats with Kristan about Willow’s ongoing medical issues, how this Buffy is not very good at slaying, and the most important issue of all… which season of Buffy The Vampire Slayer’s Willow and Buffy are most like Kristan’s Willow and Buffy?

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The Edinburgh Fringe Archive – Tim Fitzhigham (Flanders And Swann, At The Drop Of A Hippopotamus, 2016)

October 13, 2022

Season 18

Episode 7

00:19:04

There are Fringe performers, there are Fringe stalwarts, and then there is Tim FitzHigham

This Gentleman Explorer has spent decades at the Fringe, bringing shows about his madcap activities that he has attempted in the previous twelve months…most notably he was the first person to row across the English Channel in a bathtub, held the British and European record for the longest Washing Line, and was part of an obscure show called “Alex Horne: The Taskmaster” in 2010. I wonder what happened to that?

Anyway, 2016 saw a much calmer FitzHigham in Edinburgh. Although not quite ready to present his latest daredevil moment, he once more joined with Duncan Walsh Atkins to bring their loving tribute to Flanders and Swann to the Fringe for its tenth show.

Part tribute, part let’s do some funny song, part ‘let’s not forget about these titanic comedians’, FitzHigham and Atkins continue to present their showcase of the comedic music from Michael Flanders and Donald Swann at the Fringe,

Tim joined myself, and co-host Paul Levy from FringeReview, in 2016’s Podcast Studio to talk about the show, his love of Flanders and Swann, and their importance to the cultural landscape.

So let’s go back to The Cabaret Bar, to 2016, and enjoy At The Drop Of A Hippopotamus.

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My Cat’s Tale – Buddy and Gizmo, the Scottish Maine Coons

October 12, 2022

Season 1

Episode 19

00:22:38

The Maine Coon is not an insubstantial cat. Bring two of them into your life, and you are welcoming in a a lot of fun, adventure, and love. Buddy and Gizmo are two such cats, continuing the tradition of great Scottish double acts.

Ewan chats with fellow Scotsman James about living with two near-lions, the intelligence of Gizmo and cunning patience of Buddy, and the impact of owning cats weighing twenty pounds.

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The Edinburgh Fringe Archive – Adam Kay (Bum Notes, 2012)

October 6, 2022

Season 18

Episode 6

00:14:50

I’ve talked before about the podcast archive giving us a window into the past when the recognisable names of today were still figuring their artistic life out. That’s very much the case with Adam Kay. With ‘The London Underground’ song becoming the breakout viral hit of 2005 (or at least as viral as you could manage in 2005) he started his appearances at the Edinburgh Fringe.

We join his story in 2012, where his mix of songs and storytelling settled into the ‘Fringe Favourite’ list, with multiple years of sell-out shows in Edinburgh and across the United Kingdom.

It was his first book, ‘This Is Going To Hurt’, that started this new period in his career. It was a Sunday times bestseller, sold over one million copies, and won numerous Book of the Year’ awards. Kay adapted the book for the recent seven-part BBC Series, with Ben Whishaw taking on the now fictional role of Dr Adam Kay. His third book, ‘The Story of a Medic Who Ran Out Of Patients’, was published this year, following on from 2019’s ‘Twas The Nightshift Before Christmas’.

Back in 2012, much of this was ahead of Kay. It’s August and his job is to get through the Fringe. In this interview we talk a bit about his life as a Doctor in the NHS and the move into performing, when going with a ‘big four’ venue was the right choice for him, and how the Fringe can benefit him for the whole year.

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My Cat’s Tale – Stacy LeBaron and The Community Cats Podcast

October 5, 2022

Season 1

Episode 18

00:27:02

Stacy LeBaron is the host of ‘The Community Cats Podcast’ which is dedicated to creating a supportive environment to help people help cats in and around their community, as well as providing information on cat welfare and preventing cat overpopulation.

She is also a huge cat lover.

Ewan caught up with Stacy to hear more about her journey, from her family’s first cat, through early TNR projects in America, to her current involvement with many animal welfare organisations that support cats.

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The Edinburgh Fringe Archive – Kate Smurthwaite (The News At Kate: Leftie Cockwomble, 2014)

September 29, 2022

Season 16

Episode 5

00:15:53

2014 is our destination this week, for that year’s ‘News At Kate’ from Kate Smurthwaite.

Smurthwaite’s TV writing credits include ‘Have I Got News For You’ and ‘The Revolution Will be Televised’ her words have appeared in The Guardian, New Statesman, Cosmopolitan, and more; and she has made countless appearances discussing politics over the years. 2022 saw the award-winning Smurthwaite bring “The News At Kate: Humanity’s Last Hope” to the Edinburgh Fringe.

“The News At Kate” is a lynchpin of the Fringe, and it’s been part of August for as long as I can remember. 2014 saw “The News” with the delightful tagline of “Lefty Cockwomble”.

The tag came about following her appearance on the BBC’s Question Time. With so many people asking her about her experience, this highly visible foray into political debate was the starting point for that year’s show that examined the definitions of freedom of speech.

There have been countless political whirlwinds since 2014. Yet some of the points raised remain just as pertinent, if not more, in 2022’s devastating landscape.

So let’s head back to 2014, to the Free Fringe stage in Viva Mexico, to the ‘News At Kate’.

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My Cat’s Tale – Ophur and Rosie

September 28, 2022

Season 1

Episode 17

00:21:55

Ophur and Rosie are two gorgeous rag-doll cats from New Zealand. Like any classic double act, Rosie is the one who runs around and wants to do everything all at once, while Ophur is a little bit more sedate and measured in his approach to life as the top cat of the household.

Carla tells us the story of these two cats who were instantly close to each other, even if Ophur will not share his box. We also talk about the huge positive influence that Ophur and Rose have made to Carla’s life, and how she can share the love they give to her with the rest of the world.

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