interview

The Interview – Michael Biehn, ‘The Divide’

Not every actor in a film takes part in the promotional side of things, although with the rise of big budgets and social media, it’s common for everyone on the cast, and many of the higher echelons of the crew, to hit the road and sell the show.

That wasn’t always the case. With the premier of The Divide taking place at SXSW some thirteen years ago, Michael Biehn decided that he would attend not only his first SXSW but also his first film festival to support and promote a film that he believed in.

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The Interview – Conchita Wurst, ‘Rise Like A Phoenix’

One of the most recognisable names in the world of the Eurovision Song Contest is Austria’s Conchita Wurst. In the weeks before her victory for Austria with ‘Rise Like A Phoenix’, I caught up with the singer to find out more about their public and personal sides. We discussed attitudes, dreams, songs, Shirley Bassey, and Austria’s entry into Eurovision 2014.

A few hours after this interview, Conchita would take to the stage for the first public performance of the song and start their journey to global recognition. Time was tight between rehearsals and taking to the Dutch stage, so the interview took place in the back of a taxi. Sometimes it’s the name, not the venue, that counts!

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The Interview – Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Fleabag

Directed by Vicky Wood, and written and performed by Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Fleabag debuted at the Edinburgh Fringe and remains the gold standard of Fringe legends… from a theatrical dare to a short stand-up like ten minutes, to a ‘that’s so Fringe’ run in Edinburgh, and then onwards into the zeitgeist.

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The Interview – Vint Cerf, Father of the Internet

Vint Cerf, along with Bob Kahn, developed TCP/IP, the communications protocol that lies at the heart of the Internet. Without that, nothing works, hence many calling Cerf and Kahn the fathers of the Internet.

When he joined Google, after he was talked out of working as an Archduke, was given the title of Chief Internet Evangelist. We talked about the design of the Internet and how its open nature was achieved, reaching the last billion users and using the Internet for education

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The Interview – Gene Cernan, The Last Man To Walk On The Moon

Director Mark Craig and retired astronaut Gene Cernan to talk about the documentary film ‘The Last Man On The Moon.’

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The Edinburgh Fringe Show 2024 – Anthony Alderson, The Pleasance Theatre Trust

As we come to the end of week three, we sit down with Anthony Alderson, director of The Pleaseance Theatre Trust.

We touch on several critical issues running one of the largest venues at the Edinburgh Fringe, including the continuing impact of COVID and the importance of government funding to the Fringe community and The Pleasance. Given the cost of the Fringe is on everyone’s minds, we talk about turnover, tickets, and artistic risk.

We also talk about the work of The Plesance to support and promote the arts at Edinburgh in August and throughout the rest of the year, including various Pleasance Futures projects and the ambition of creating sustainable touring for theatre in the UK.

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The Edinburgh Fringe Show 2024 – Tim Benzie, Solve Along A Murder She Wrote

Tim Benzie joins us on the show today to talk about his two Fringe shows, “It’s A Mystery” and “Solve Along A Murder She Wrote”. Yes, he loves his cosy crime shows, but doesn’t everyone secretly love a mystery?

We start with the rules of detective fiction before our talk turns to Agatha Christie and Dame Angela Lansbury, how you can do a solve-along-a with a murder, and the advantages of having two shows at the Fringe where one is guaranteed to get the ticket sales.

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The Edinburgh Fringe Show 2024 – Mark Dean Quinn, Oh No (That’s Not Your Cheese)

Mark Dean Quinn joins me on the show today to do his best not to talk about his show ‘Oh No (That’s Not Your Cheese).’ He’s found the right level of fame, and doesn’t feel the need to go any further.

Nevertheless, we’ve lots to talk about, including the importance of the Free Fringe and how this can offer more artistic freedom, his work on the Edinburgh Fringe Performers’ Forum, and why he is ready to help people before they get to Edinburgh.

But does he eat cheese?

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The Edinburgh Fringe Show 2024 – Nina Gilligan, Goldfish

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.

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The Edinburgh Fringe Show 2024 – Rachel Kaly, Hospital Hour

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?

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