Comedians

Eleanor Tiernan: The Edinburgh Interviews 2018

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Who? Eleanor Tiernan
What? Success Without A Sex Tape
Where? Banshee Labyrinth (venue 156)
When? 13:40

Are you prepared for what this year’s Edinburgh Fringe has in store for you?

Yes I am all over it in that all I have done is some google maps searches to see what amenities are in the area I will be staying.  Last year I had to carry a projector into my venue every day and it was quite heavy. That meant that the by the second week my spine was shaped like a cheese twist. Luckily there was a great massage therapist nearby to unravel the knots. This year I don’t need to carry a projector but I may engineer some discomfort in another way so I have an excuse to go back.

What is the premise of your Edinburgh show this year?

My show is about trying to survive in the world without doing a sex tape. Is it even possible? Who knows! Readers might think it selfish of me not to share details of my intimate life but I am willing to not be popular for the sake of others who wish to live without others opinions on our bedroom activities.

© Idil Sukan

What was the biggest obstacle you face(d) while putting this show together?

The biggest obstacle was too many people asking to see my sex tape. I told them I hadn’t made one but they wouldn’t listen. The constant interruptions made life hell.

Who would most enjoy your show?

Hollywood producers, powerful TV commissioners and casting agents who are looking for a fair haired woman 5’7″ who can write with her left hand and answer phones with a charming lilt.

Do you have any other Edinburgh show recommendations?

Yes I would urge you to go and see Hayley Ellis if you like comedy about pigeons and also Gráinne Maguire who is the sharpest tool in the box.

What is your favourite thing about Edinburgh as a city?

I like the light at dusk. It’s soothing and close to when I get my tea. Usually, I try to get up on a rooftop at some point during the festival for a night time bevvy under the stars. It lends an unearned air of romance to the undertaking of going to the Fringe.

What are your plans for after the festival?

Sleeeeeep.

GET YOUR TICKETS FOR ELEANOR TIERNAN: ‘SUCCESS WITHOUT A SEX TAPE’ HERE

THE EDINBURGH INTERVIEWS 2018

Lead Pencil: The Edinburgh Interviews 2018

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Who? Louise Beresford, Maddie Rice and Dave Bibby
What? Lead Pencil
Where? Underbelly Cowgate (venue 61)
When? 19:40

Are you prepared for what this year’s Edinburgh Fringe has in store for you?

Why, what have people been saying? They been saying we haven’t been working hard? Who said that? Was it Noel Edmonds? Prick. We’re ready. Tell Edmonds we’re ready.

What is the premise of your Edinburgh show this year?

Our uber-famous 90’s TV kids show legends The Art Team are doing a reunion that will most definitely not go wrong and descend into a frantic hour of sex, drugs and an investigation into the suspicious death of our beloved mascot, Mr Sausage. Everyone’s a suspect. Especially Noel fricking Edmonds!

What was the biggest obstacle you face(d) while putting this show together?

Brexit. Also we we’re literally on the other side of the world from each other for most of this year. January – June Maddie was touring Fleabag in Australia. She then came back in time for Dave to start his World Cup show, which then finished as Louise started rehearsals for her new one-woman show. So yeah mainly Brexit.

© Lead Pencil

Who would most enjoy your show?

Anyone who knows the lyrics to the Fresh Prince theme tune. Our show is packed with 90’s tunes: big shout out to Ini Kamoze, Britney and B*witched! Should be fun. 

Do you have any other Edinburgh show recommendations?

DON’T MAKE A SPREADSHEET! I mean, of course, book ahead if there’s someone you really wanna see. But it’s an ARTS FESTIVAL. It’s about creativity and spontaneity. The next big stars do not have thousands of pounds to spend on PR and huge billboards. They’re in a shitty little room somewhere – take a punt! Also add Louise’s show (sorry) at Assembly and Maddie’s shows ‘Pickle Jar’ and ‘Zazu’ at Underbelly to your spreadsheets. 

What is your favourite thing about Edinburgh as a city?

The climate. It’s cool and rains a lot. Usually this is the thing we hate most but we’re currently sat in a boiling hot London Itsu sweating like an Edinburgh sketch group who haven’t actually finished writing their show yet. 

What are your plans for after the festival?

Probs sort out Brexit.

GET YOUR TICKETS FOR ‘LEAD PENCIL’ HERE

THE EDINBURGH INTERVIEWS 2018

Sunday Service With Ola: The Edinburgh Interviews 2018

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Who? Ola
What? Sunday Service With Ola
Where? Gilded Balloon Teviot (venue 14)
When? 17:15

Are you prepared for what this year’s Edinburgh Fringe has in store for you?

If we’re talking about comedy performances then yes. If we’re talking about my inevitable fame and fortune then heck yes.

What is the premise of your Edinburgh show this year?

It’s an immersive church service themed comedy and debate experience. Taking elements that I enjoy of church, as a black Christian comedian who also enjoys rap music, out into the world in a way most people can relate.

What was the biggest obstacle you face(d) while putting this show together? 

Not being rich yet.

© Sanaa Abstrakt

Who would most enjoy your show?

Everyone who wants to. Only those who want to be miserable will be so. The show is that good.

Do you have any other Edinburgh show recommendations?

Yeah, first off, all the black people. Chuck in some Eshaan Akbar, Alistair Williams, Chris Betts vs. The Audience, Ed Night, Pierre Novellie and all the other stars that continue to support my show, Sunday Service with Ola. I am not ashamed of my open nepotism.

What is your favourite thing about Edinburgh as a city?

I don’t really know it outside of the Fringe so I’ll just say something vague and pretentious like its “natural beauty”. 

What are your plans for after the festival?

Become rich and successful.

GET YOUR TICKETS FOR ‘SUNDAY SERVICE WITH OLA’ HERE

THE EDINBURGH INTERVIEWS 2018

Clara Cupcakes: The Edinburgh Interviews 2018

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Who? Clara Cupcakes
What? The Worst
Where? Underbelly, Bristo Square (venue 302)
When? 18:50

Are you prepared for what this year’s Edinburgh Fringe has in store for you?

I think so? I hope so? Look yes I am let’s just be positive and peppy about it all shall we. It’s my first time there doing a run of my very own show and I’m nervous but excited! I’ve already sold some tickets which is pretty wild. Nobody knows me there and I’m a bit like “Who are you? Why did you pick me? ARE YOU A SPY?” but also I’m exceptionally joyous and grateful for them and the gumption they have to take a punt on this little Aussie oddball.

What is the premise of your Edinburgh show this year?

It’s about an octopus queen trapped in a terrible 8bit video game of her own making where she has to win back the heart of her Octoking. You know, just some very relatable content.

What was the biggest obstacle you face(d) while putting this show together?

Making a very sad and fraught story funny. Underneath all the octopussery and 8bitness it’s a true and real story of something that happened to me and in turn something that’s happened to a lot of people and within that I have a responsibility to treat that with respect but also find the humour in it. Also I basically built my own video game. That took a long time and I had no idea how to do it when I started. I learnt a lot about 8Bit animation and midi files.

© 42nd Street Photography

Who would most enjoy your show?

Anyone who has ever had their heartbroken. Anyone with nostalgia for sega megadrives and Super Nintendos. A lady in Adelaide got mad and said the show was “an hour of stupidity and nonsense” so if you like those things it’s definitely for you.

Do you have any other Edinburgh show recommendations?

OH! Too many. Edinburgh you are so lucky. Aussies you should check out are The Travelling Sisters (amazing sketch comedy/clown), Laura Davis (life changing stand-up), Seen & Heard (a story telling show that I’m also part of) and Rhys Nicholson (sharp as hell stand-up). Other country humans I would recommend are Douglas Walker (clever, clever sketch), Chris Turner (clever, clever stand up), Elf Lyons (economist clown) and Natalie Palamides (just really damn smart and funny).

What is your favourite thing about Edinburgh as a city?

It’s beautiful in all weather. Sunny or rainy or snowy as heck, it looks like a fairytale and makes me smile.

What are your plans for after the festival?

I’m heading straight to LA to write a new show called “Ballbuster”. It’s about my parents, who for dramatic purposes are Lucille Ball and Buster Keaton. I’m also going to take a little road trip down the 1 and soak up the last of the summer sun before heading back to the chill hands of Melbourne Spring.

GET YOUR TICKETS FOR CLARA CUPCAKES: ‘THE WORST’ HERE

THE EDINBURGH INTERVIEWS 2018

Claire Sullivan: The Edinburgh Interviews 2018

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© Nayt Housman

Who? Claire Sullivan
What? I Wish I Owned A Hotel For Dogs
Where? Gilded Balloon Teviot (venue 14)
When? 22:15

Are you prepared for what this year’s Edinburgh Fringe has in store for you?

I have asked so many people, but like, woah!! I can’t quite imagine the size of the beast that is Edinburgh Fringe! This will be my first Edinburgh. And performing EVERY DAY is…  fuck me! I’ve never performed the same show 4 weeks straight, you know? I know I have to make sure I eat lots of veggies every day, yoga, meditation, not drink every night. Basically look after my body and mind because it’s a marathon.

What is the premise of your Edinburgh show this year?

Well, it’s a show about dogs and feminism, in short. I take the audience on a fast-paced surreal journey through my mind. So like, short stories, sketches, dogs, some absurd observations etc. It’s totally wack, and out of this world (off da leash hehehe). 

What was the biggest obstacle you face(d) while putting this show together?

Hahaha Umm, LEARNING IT. I have actually have a bad memory and making sure I keep every little piece in my head in the correct order, and make it seem effortless… That is actually a huge obstacle for me. I have a hard time learning scripts when I go for auditions, and in my previous shows there’s been some sort of plot, so this happens therefore this etc. But with this show, there isn’t a plot, so I have to remember the bloody order. Other performers are like ‘CLAIRE WTF, it’s not hard to learn your show.’ But, it is for me.

Who would most enjoy your show?

Young women in their twenties and thirties love my show the most. Also members of the queer community seem to love and relate to my show. Which is interesting because although I am a young queer woman, this show does not necessarily touch on that at all! Maybe because it’s easy to make humour out of dating cishet men hahaha.

But really, people who love dogs, who are into the surreal/weird/out there, and who are into feminism and human rights. 

Do you have any other Edinburgh show recommendations?

Oh my gosh, yes so many. I’d recommend Two Little Dickheads, The Travelling Sisters, any of the Fringe Wives Club whether in their show or solos, Clara Cupcakes, David McIver, Laura Davis, Alice Fraser, Garry Starr just to start with. But holy hell, you know, go see comedy by people you’ve never heard of. Especially Australian comedy. Australians are making some bloody amazing stuff now.

What is your favourite thing about Edinburgh as a city?

I have no idea, But I’m excited to find out!

What are your plans for after the festival?

I’m going to visit a friend in Italy, then going to a friend’s wedding in France and then I’m flying back to Australia in time for Melbourne Fringe. But after Melbourne Fringe I am going to recoup all the money I spent on Edinburgh by working in a pub in a very small coastal town in Tasmania for the summer.

GET YOUR TICKETS FOR CLAIRE SULLIVAN: ‘I WISH I OWNED A HOTEL FOR DOGS’ HERE

THE EDINBURGH INTERVIEWS 2018

Damian Clark: The Edinburgh Interviews 2018

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© Kymann Power

Who? Damian Clark
What? Extra Show
Where? Gilded Balloon Teviot (venue 14)
When? 22:00

Are you prepared for what this year’s Edinburgh Fringe has in store for you?

Yep. Socks, jocks & a phone charger. Actually do you know anyone who has a spare bedroom, couch or floorspace? 

What is the premise of your Edinburgh show this year?

Since my last Fringe we’ve had a baby, moved house & I did some time in the clink (suspected car thief but I’m innocent I tells ya!). So funnies about all sorts & probably some of that.

What was the biggest obstacle you face(d) while putting this show together?

Getting out of jail hahahahahahaaaa. But yeah probably that. 

Who would most enjoy your show?

All mammals except blue whales because of lack of water in the venue. Shame really. If you get 2 whales in the place is PACKED. 

Do you have any other Edinburgh show recommendations?

Heidi Regan – Heidi vs Sharks 

What is your favourite thing about Edinburgh as a city?

How 3D it is. From any point in the city you can see a mountain, a castle, a laneway, a whisky bar & a dungeon. Feels like we should be riding around on horses, which would also make it easier to climb Arthur’s Seat after the whisky bar. 

What are your plans for after the festival?

A huge International Worldwide tour! Or at least Hull, Milton Keynes & Castlebar

GET YOUR TICKETS FOR DAMIAN CLARK: ‘EXTRA SHOW’ HERE

THE EDINBURGH INTERVIEWS 2018

Harry and Chris: The Edinburgh Interviews 2018

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© Avalon

Who? Harry and Chris
What? Harry and Chris Save The World
Where? Just the Tonic at The Mash House (venue 288)
When? 14:25

Are you prepared for what this year’s Edinburgh Fringe has in store for you?

We hope so – last year one of us wet themselves after mis-timing a toilet break between shows so we think that was the last hurdle of things we weren’t expecting. Though it had happened before so we probably should’ve been ready. 

What is the premise of your Edinburgh show this year?

Last year we had a song about scientists trying to impregnate a panda in Edinburgh Zoo, then after playing it throughout August we found out that she had become pregnant! So we came to the only logical conclusion, that we have comedy-rap-jazz superpowers.

What was the biggest obstacle you face(d) while putting this show together?

We’ve written a song putting our comedy-rap-jazz-powers to the test about England winning the world cup, which at the time of writing has worked surprisingly well and got us to the semi-finals, but we’re not sure if the show will end in tragedy or triumph until we definitely do or don’t win it which has made the previews fun… 

Who would most enjoy your show?

One thing we love is that we’ve had parents bring their kids and kids bring their parents so it really is an all-age audience. This year people would particularly enjoy the show if they have any interest in our own survival as a species, pandas, spicy potatoes or indeed Teletubbies.

Do you have any other Edinburgh show recommendations?

Flo and Joan are just like us except they’re women and sisters, which is two things we aren’t, and also they play piano instead of guitar, which is like a guitar but flat and on a stand, and also they are on at a different time to us this year so t’s possible to come to both and see if you can spot any other differences.

What is your favourite thing about Edinburgh as a city?

There’s a really nice room called ‘The Cask Room’ in a pub called ‘The Mash House’, and our favourite thing at the Fringe is there at 14:25 every day (apart from the 13th) for an hour. 

What are your plans for after the festival?

We’re going straight from the fringe to Greenbelt Festival, which we do most years and we love. Then we’re taking September off to see our wives and wash our clothes (we’ll wash them ourselves actually PATRIARCHY), then we’re heading off on a nice big UK tour from October to December. Please come along if you can! Tickets are at www.harryandchris.com

GET YOUR TICKETS FOR ‘HARRY AND CHRIS SAVE THE WORLD’ HERE

THE EDINBURGH INTERVIEWS 2018

Carl Donnelly: The Edinburgh Interviews 2018

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© Avalon

Who? Carl Donnelly
What? Strictly Carl Donnelly!
Where? Laughing Horse @ The Counting House, Ballroom (venue 170)
When? 18:45

Are you prepared for what this year’s Edinburgh Fringe has in store for you?

I’m always prepared. This is my tenth year of doing solo shows so I’m a hardened veteran these days. I’m like Tom Berenger in the film ‘Platoon’. I have a thousand yard stare that suggests I’ve seen a lot of comedians die over the years. 

What is the premise of your Edinburgh show this year?

It’s quite a simple show to be honest. It’s about how I’ve changed in my decade of coming to the Fringe. When I first came up I was a mid-twenties working class South London lad who was more interested in getting drunk than anything else. Now I’m a 36 year old vegan who goes to a farmers market every Sunday and spends almost £5 on a loaf of sourdough bread. I think the show is me trying to work out what I’ve become. 

What was the biggest obstacle you face(d) while putting this show together?

The only real obstacle was that I wrote a version at the start of the year and did some previews. Then I went to Australia, got married and did the Melbourne Comedy Festival where I was performing my show from last year’s Fringe. When I came back to start back to work on the new show, I didn’t like it. I then decided to re-write the show which meant I’ve only really had a couple of months to get it together but I’m much happier with it.

Who would most enjoy your show?

People who like really good stand up comedy.

Do you have any other Edinburgh show recommendations?

An Australian friend of mine Daniel Connell is coming over for his first ever fringe. He’s very funny and I recommend you check him out.

What is your favourite thing about Edinburgh as a city?

I love the layout of Edinburgh. If you stand on North Bridge you are ten minutes away from so much. If you walk one direction you’re in the heart of New Town but if you’d gone the other way you’d be nearing Arthur’s Seat. It’s a perfect city for exploring.

What are your plans for after the festival?

I always go somewhere very quiet for a week to decompress. Last year me and my wife went and stayed in a hut in South Portugal with no electricity or phone signal. It was exactly what I needed after a month surrounded by so many people. We’re still planning this year’s trip. I’ve got my eye on a cottage in the west of Ireland.

GET YOUR TICKETS FOR CARL DONNELLY: ‘STRICTLY CARL DONNELLY!’ HERE

THE EDINBURGH INTERVIEWS 2018

Sleeping Trees: The Edinburgh Interviews 2018

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Who? James Dunnell-Smith
What? Sleeping Trees: World Tour
Where? Assembly George Square Studios (venue 17)
When? 21:40

Are you prepared for what this year’s Edinburgh Fringe has in store for you?

We hope so! This is our ninth consecutive Fringe so we like to think that we know what to expect these days. That being said we seem to learn something new every year like; ‘I wish we’d known we were going to exclusively eat food from a deep fat fryer all month’ or ‘I wish we’d prepared for incessant bagpipe playing outside our flat’.

What is the premise of your Edinburgh show this year?

It’s called Sleeping Trees: World Tour and it is a sketch show with a story. The premise is the three of us have taken the last 12 months off to go travelling around the world, and the show is what happened to us on our travels. It’s probably our most surreal show to date as we’ve tried to combine action, music and physical comedy into one big beautiful mess.

© Mark Dawson

What was the biggest obstacle you face(d) while putting this show together?

It’s the first show we’ve made that isn’t a straight ‘comic play’, it’s a story within a sketch show so the process has been completely different for us this year and that’s been a real challenge. It’s our ninth show but we’ve definitely been suffering from second album syndrome!

Who would most enjoy your show?

We’ve always had quite a broad appeal, and this show is no different. We appeal to fans of surreal left-field humour as well as more traditional comedy fans who prefer stand-up or slapstick; there is something for everyone in this show. But if we had to choose which demographic would MOST enjoy it, it would probably be the 20-40 age group, largely due to the number of slightly outdated references.

Do you have any other Edinburgh show recommendations?

We do indeed! We’re looking forward to seeing new shows from The Pin, Jordan Brookes, The Delightful Sausage and John Robertson.

What is your favourite thing about Edinburgh as a city?

The macaroni cheese pies. I mean come on. Macaroni cheese, encased in pastry. What’s not to love?

What are your plans for after the festival?

We have a little time off to recover after Edinburgh this year, then we’re back on tour with this show before we crack on with our brand new Christmas sketch show, The Sleeping Trees Nativity!

GET YOUR TICKETS FOR SLEEPING TREES: ‘WORLD TOUR’ HERE

THE EDINBURGH INTERVIEWS 2018

Owen Roberts: The Edinburgh Interviews 2018

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© Ben Carpenter

Who? Owen Roberts
What? I Let A Six Year Old Write My Show
Where? Pleasance Courtyard, Pleasance This (venue 33)
When? 16:45

Are you prepared for what this year’s Edinburgh Fringe has in store for you?

In a word… no. I don’t think anyone is ever truly prepared for Edinburgh, you never know how the show is going to be received. On top of that this is my first Fringe as a solo artist so who knows what that’s going to be like.

What is the premise of your Edinburgh show this year? 

The show is called ‘I Let A Six Year Old Write My Show’ Because that’s what I’ve done. She writes the material and I have to somehow perform the rambling gibberish she’s written. 

What was the biggest obstacle you face(d) while putting this show together?

My Co-writer, she can’t sit still, she can’t concentrate for more than 30 seconds, and she insists we change the name of the show to ‘The Clumsy Police’. To say it has been challenging would be an understatement, it’s been chaos.

Who would most enjoy your show?

Anyone who has to put up with kids and their bullshit. 

Do you have any other Edinburgh show recommendations?

Yup, I’m doing a sketch show 16-19 Aug ‘Best of Beasts’ and also my sketch Buddy Ciaran Dowd is also doing his first solo show ‘Don Rodolfo’. Both promise to be a lot of fun.

What is your favourite thing about Edinburgh as a city?

It’s bloody beautiful, and there’s lots of cheap whiskey. 

What are your plans for after the festival?

Go on holiday, preferably somewhere where they do cocktails served in a coconut.

GET YOUR TICKETS FOR OWEN ROBERTS: ‘I LET A SIX YEAR OLD WRITE MY SHOW’ HERE

THE EDINBURGH INTERVIEWS 2018