The Edinburgh Fringe Podcast.
Juliet Cowan has an impressive CV of character roles in TV and film following her stand-up appearances, yet 2024 is her first hour of comedy at the Edinburgh Fringe. The delightfully titled show has Cown looking at the impact of the menopause and its reflection on the rush of hormones in her teenage life. We…
Read MorePodcast: Play in new window | Download
To open up week three, I speak to Nina Gilligan on her show Goldfish. We start with the classic observation of a Goldfish’s memory before exploring what that means to Nina and how it ties in with the show.
We also go into the importance of “the hour” at the Fringe, why it is well suited to Nina’s show, and how she could never be as vulnerable on the regular circuit as she can be in Edinburgh.
Read MorePodcast: Play in new window | Download
Rachel Kaly is over from the US to bring their debut hour to the Fringe. Hospital Hour looks at Kaly’s many appointments and visits to the American healthcare system for psychological treatments.
We also talk about what the fringe means in general and Edinburgh specifically. How do you know when an hour is ready for the Fringe, and how does the show change throughout the month?
Read MorePodcast: Play in new window | Download
A fun conversation with Louise Atkinson today as we talk about her show She’s Got The Look. The press release provides my first question (to the light of morning DJs the world over), but we go into more topics on the business and art of being a comic.
How can you make comedy accessible to everyone? How does Edinburgh fit into the United Kingdom’s festival circuit, and why is the Fringe one of the biggest routes into comedy? And if it’s all about rhythm, what beat does Louise work to?
Read MorePodcast: Play in new window | Download
John Meagher joins me on the podcast today to discuss his life and Edinburgh Fringe debut. 8 years after starting on his performing career, he has an hour for the Fringe. Big Year is that show, and it’s an opportunity for John to look back over his life, from an island off the coast of Ireland to his own home in England.
We talk about his approach to writing material and why it has to be personal, the various culture shocks throughout his life, finding love and looking back on his life to find the good times.
Read MorePodcast: Play in new window | Download
Today, I speak to Natasha Pearl Hansen. Following her breakout hour and comedy special retelling the moment she cancelled the wedding and turned it into a recording session for a live show, Natasha returns to the Fringe with The Right Amount of Wrong.
It looks at life after that not-wedding day, finding the joy and the win in the day, and the journey that followed. We talk about that, but also the challenge of transferring US comedy to the UK, how to name a show so it can be easily pitched and flyered, and (of course) the weather.
Read MorePodcast: Play in new window | Download
Vyte Garriga’s Paper Swans is a mesmerising and thought-provoking piece of absurdist theatre that is picking up critical acclaim in the media covering the Fringe, and offering an emotionally complex hour for the audience.
We talk about moving from Lithuania to the UK and London and why RADA felt like the only option for Vyte to further her career. From there, she talks about her academic studies and why she was hungry to be on stage, both individually and as part of a theatere company. Finally, we talk about the writing process and the challenges presented by the repeating motif in Paper Swans and the challenge if offers the audience.
Read MorePodcast: Play in new window | Download
Archie Henderson joins me today. He’s the creative mind behind Jazz Emu, a flamboyant singer with illusions of grandeur, as Emu looks to climb the dizzying pole of stardom. The show at the Fringe is a brash mix of musical fun, intense moments, and the drive to succeed in front of royalty.
We talk about the influences of music and style behind Jazz Emu and how the audience interaction of a comic can apply to what is essentially a piece of musical theatre. How that changes depending on the venue Henderson and the full band are playing in, and why the Government’s lockdown campaign is a key part of Emu’s story.
Read MorePodcast: Play in new window | Download
Joining me on the podcast today is Julie Flower, who has a story that looks at “love, memories and the stories our clothes have to tell.” Bringing the true-life story of her Grnadma’s counter-culture second-hand shop in Sheffield to the Fringe, we talk about the trailblazing nature of her relative, investigating your own family for personal and professional reasons, and subverting expectations.
Read MorePodcast: Play in new window | Download
Bebe Cave joins me today for the big interview. She’s been a regular at the Fringe since she debuted in 2012 in a two-hander show with her sister, but this year is her first solo show. ‘The Screen Test’ is a period piece set in the Golden Age of Hollywood, but it talks about the industry demands of today, as well as a near century ago in Hollywood.
We also talk about the delights of the heroines of the screwball comedy, finding the confidence to go out on stage, and the importance of family support when you work in the Arts.
Read MorePodcast: Play in new window | Download