Interviews

The Just Us League: The Edinburgh Interviews 2019

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© Alexis Dubus
Who? The Just Us League
What? MARVELus: Awww Snap!
Where? Gilded Balloon Teviot – Nightclub (Venue 14)
When? 18:45

What are your feelings as you enter into this year’s Edinburgh Fringe season?

!!PLEASE NOTE THAT JAVIER WAS NOT ABLE TO PARTAKE IN THIS INTERVIEW. THEREFORE, JAVIER’S RESPONSES HAVE BEEN EXPERTLY FORMULATED BY GARY!!

Gary: Super excited but that has less to do with the Fringe and more to do with Marvel’s recent Phase 4 announcement that looks absolutely boss!

Javier: Yes.

Gary: In regards to the Fringe, we’re super excited to be back at Gilded Balloon; same time, same channel.

What is the premise of your Edinburgh show this year?

Gary: This is out third MARVELus show: Awww SNAP! It’s a sketch show based on the Marvel movies, so we’ve got a tonne of more stuff to cover since last year’s show, including Endgame, Captain Marvel, Spider-Man; Far From Home and Into The Spider-Verse, etc.

Javier: Thanks.

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

Gary: We kind of had to wait until Endgame had been released to know what direction to take the show, so it was a bit of a waiting game. Plus, Marvel keep upping their game, which we have to meet.

Javier: My favourite food is rice and beans.

Has your attitude towards the Fringe changed at all in recent years?

Gary: Yeah, we’re waaaaaaaay more chilled about it now, which is nice. You put so much pressure on yourself when you first go up but eventually realise that as long as you’re having a good time, the audience will have a good time!

Javier: Karate chop!

Do you have any other Edinburgh show recommendations?

Gary: The Noise Next Door are always a blast and we’re super excited to see The Kagools’ new show.

Javier: In summer it is hot and in winter it is cold.

Where would you like to be in a year’s time?

Gary: We just want to carry on doing this! We’re already touring a show, MARVELus: All the Marvel Movies… Kind Of, around the UK but will definitely keep working on new stuff!

Javier: Hello.

GET YOUR TICKETS FOR ‘MARVELUS: AWWW SNAP!’ HERE

THE EDINBURGH INTERVIEWS 2019

Tony Cowards: The Edinburgh Interviews 2019

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© Andy Hollingworth
Who? Tony Cowards
What? Stepdad Jokes
Where? Just the Tonic at The Mash House – Just the Bottle Room (Venue 288)
When? 20:50

What are your feelings as you enter into this year’s Edinburgh Fringe season?

A heady cocktail of excitement, trepidation and expectation. At the moment all possibilities for the Fringe are available, success, failure or somewhere in between. I’m currently experiencing Schrödinger’s Fringe and on the 1st August we get to open the box and see what state the cat is in (I’m starting to regret this analogy, I’d like to point out that my show definitely doesn’t feature any dead cats).

What is the premise of your Edinburgh show this year?

This year’s show is called Stepdad Jokes and it’s a mixture of silly jokes, gags and puns along with a few longer stories about family life and my experiences of being a stepdad.

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

Finding the time, in amongst a hectic household, to write it and try it out. It’s not easy to find a quiet place to write or rehearse in a home with four kids, three cats and a dog.

Has your attitude towards the Fringe changed at all in recent years?

I guess I’m much more relaxed about it and am able to enjoy it more than in previous years. As you get older you become much less worried about getting ‘buzz’ or attention and become more interested in having fun and creating an enjoyable show for your audiences.

Do you have any other Edinburgh show recommendations?

The Kagools are always one of my favourite festival acts, I love their mixture of clowning and general silliness. Their shows are great for anyone who loves pure joy and daftness. Also Aidan Goatley is a ray of sunshine in an overcast world, his shows are always funny and uplifting and I can’t wait to see his new show, Happy Britain Part 1.

Where would you like to be in a year’s time?

On a beach in Cuba, drinking Mojitos, whilst everyone else is panicking about their shows. Although, in all honesty I’d probably be envious of all my comedy peers heading North with their bags packed full of hopes and dreams, scribbled notes and lofty ambitions.

GET YOUR TICKETS FOR TONY COWARDS: ‘STEPDAD JOKES’ HERE

THE EDINBURGH INTERVIEWS 2019

James McNicholas: The Edinburgh Interviews 2019

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© Idil Sukan
Who? James McNicholas
What? The Boxer
Where? Pleasance Courtyard – Bunker Two (Venue 33)
When? 16:15

What are your feelings as you enter into this year’s Edinburgh Fringe season?

I’m really excited. I’m a bit stressed, obviously, but on balance I’m really looking forward to getting up there and getting going.

What is the premise of your Edinburgh show this year?

It’s about my grandad, who was a world middleweight boxing champion. It’s about how tough he was, and how soft I am. The only real scar I’ve got was acquired chasing a penguin over some rocks.

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

It’s the first time I’ve ever done a show that’s really personal. Talking about real people is always tricky – my mum and grandma feature quite heavily in the show, so when they came to see it in preview I was pretty nervous.

Has your attitude towards the Fringe changed at all in recent years?

I think as I get older I realise that a lot of the trappings of ‘success’ – reviews, awards etc – don’t really mean all that much. What matters is that you make a show you care about and believe in, and I’ve done that this year.

Do you have any other Edinburgh show recommendations?

Ciarán Dowd’s Padre Rodolfo is going to be an incredibly funny show, and Tom Parry’s Karaoke is unsurprisingly joyous. I’ve also directed Raphael Wakefield’s show Wengerball, and it’s another interesting story which is ostensibly about sport but really about something altogether different.

Where would you like to be in a year’s time?

If I feel like I’m getting better and improving, I’ll be pretty happy with that. And maybe on a beach.

GET YOUR TICKETS FOR JAMES MCNICHOLAS: ‘THE BOXER’ HERE

THE EDINBURGH INTERVIEWS 2019

Anna and Helen: The Edinburgh Interviews 2019

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© Matt Crockett
Who? Anna and Helen
What? Stuck in a Rat
Where? Pleasance Courtyard – The Attic (Venue 33)
When? 17:45

What are your feelings as you enter into this year’s Edinburgh Fringe season?

We feel very grateful to be going as a pair because our feelings-roller-coasters coincide extremely well. When one of us is having night terrors about the show being a complete disaster, the other is wildly optimistic that we’ll absolutely have the best month of our lives. And then quick as a flash, we swap. It’s such fun and so nice to finally have a sense of stability in this chaotic industry.

What is the premise of your Edinburgh show this year?

It’s an unashamedly positive life-transforming seminar, led by a couple of well-meaning idiots. It’s been a real stretch to find those characters. Ultimately designed to be an uplifting celebration of life and all its complications, it’s very silly but written from the heart.

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

We decided to make things easy for ourselves by not having any props and then proceeded to make a show which required a full drum kit, keyboard and guitar. So our biggest obstacle has probably been lugging the instruments all over London for previews without doing ourselves any long-term physical damage.

Has your attitude towards the Fringe changed at all in recent years?

The biggest change in attitude is that we have plucked up the courage to take a show there together. Other than that it remains as exciting as it ever has been.

Do you have any other Edinburgh show recommendations?

We love Lucy Pearman’s shows for their incredible inventiveness and creativity and Rosie Jones was brilliant in the Funny Women Final so we can’t wait to see her do a full hour.

Where would you like to be in a year’s time?

Hopefully we’ll have found our way out of the rat by the 26th August. And then we’ll spend the next 11 months trying not to get stuck in it again.

GET YOUR TICKETS FOR ANNA AND HELEN: ‘STUCK IN A RAT’ HERE

THE EDINBURGH INTERVIEWS 2019

Sam Morrison: The Edinburgh Interviews 2019

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Who? Sam Morrison
What? Hello, Daddy!
Where? Just the Tonic at Marlin’s Wynd – Just the Wyndy Room (Venue 296)
When? 17:25

What are your feelings as you enter into this year’s Edinburgh Fringe season?

Both triumphant and overwhelmed. I will say that from a personal perspective, I’ve gone from closeted stand-up wannabe to professional comedian screaming about having sex with dads in about five years. My Fringe show is largely about those five years and feels like closure on this intense chapter in my life. Sometimes I get so lost in the performances that I don’t take the time to reflect and celebrate that. I am very proud of myself.

I am overwhelmed logistically. I’ve been fantasizing about coming to the festival for years. I’ve been diligently planning for the past year, but the last few months have been a bit chaotic. This is mostly due to the fact that I got hired to write for a new comedy on Bravo. It’s a dream job! But, it has also taken over what little free time I did have available to plan this Fringe. And who knew that committing and planning to go halfway around the world purely on a belief in your own talent takes time, lots of money, planning, and some delusion?

What is the premise of your Edinburgh show this year?

Hello, Daddy! is a queer coming of age story where stories of heartbreak and gaiety across decades capture my transformation from a shy cucumber shaped virgin boy into a daddy-fucking manifesto of a person. It’s a bizarre, vulnerable, and discomforting queer coming of age story that will make you laugh, cry, and cum. It’s a show for the whole family. Seriously, bring your dads.

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

I feel like a fraud. I constantly convince myself I am terrible and it halts my creative process right in its tracks. I am my own worst enemy. The ironic thing is I am also quite conceited. It changes rapidly and dramatically. There are those magical shows I have where I am really connected with audience, and feel invincible. Yet, the next day I could simply not feel funny. I’ll hate everything from my writing to the sound of my voice. Usually, journaling helps. It doesn’t solve the problem, but it helps me recognize what I’m doing is unhealthy.

Has your attitude towards the Fringe changed at all in recent years?

Since this is my debut, I can only comment on my feelings towards the Fringe. It is a personal and cultural experience that has become more attractive the more I fantasize about it. However, as I’ve asked for advice from past Fringe goers, they have gone out of their way to express the massive obstacles both personal and artistic. I have gotten more nervous as the festival approaches and am bracing myself for the euphoric as well as the difficult times.

Do you have any other Edinburgh show recommendations?

Go see Lucie Pohl, Anders Lee, Gabe Mollica, Naomi Karavani, and Katharyn Henson!

Where would you like to be in a year’s time?

I’d like to be back at the Fringe with a brand new show! If not, it likely means this year’s Fringe went so well that there is an opportunity to perform this show on bigger stages and/or for television. I hope to also own a dog. I’m thinking either Docson or French Bull Dog. Tweet at me what I should do: @samuelhmorrison

GET YOUR TICKETS FOR SAM MORRISON: ‘HELLO, DADDY!’ HERE

THE EDINBURGH INTERVIEWS 2019

Phil Nichol: The Edinburgh Interviews 2019

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© Steve Ullathorne
Who? Phil Nichol
What? Too Much
Where? Monkey Barrel 4 (Venue 515)
When? 21:00

What are your feelings as you enter into this year’s Edinburgh Fringe season?

I’m feeling crazy and alive. I’m working 16 hour days and then performing previews at night to keep up with all the work. As well as my solo show, Too Much, I am writing and performing a double act show with Tony Law called Virtue Chamber Echo Bravo and producing/acting in a Eugene O’Neill play entitled Hughie. I’m also directing a couple of shows as well. It’s been fun and exhilarating. Can’t wait to get them all up and running.

What is the premise of your Edinburgh show this year?

The planet is messed up. Society has devolved. Mankind is hopeless. Vegans are right. You can’t punch a fascist. The left are self-righteous morons. Everyone is a selfish prick. I’m a bleeding hypocrite. It’s all too much. Too much. Too Much takes an unflinching look at ageing, recognition, mental health, values, norms, patience, everything and conkers delivered in my unique live-wire style.

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

Time. I’ve just finished my last tour of the show Your Wrong in June so I’m putting this show together quite quickly even by my own standards. Fingers crossed that it all comes together.

Has your attitude towards the Fringe changed at all in recent years?

I love the Fringe. However, with love comes hurt and pain and joy and contentment. It’s a lot easier to love the Fringe if you are happy with the shows that you are doing. This year I am so happy and excited I think I might burst.

Do you have any other Edinburgh show recommendations?

Yuriko Kotani: Somosomo, Pleasance, 7pm

Where would you like to be in a year’s time?

I’d like to be a little further ahead with my Edinburgh plans than i am this year. Preparing a new show and enjoying the sunny weather and loving life. You?

GET YOUR TICKETS FOR PHIL NICHOL: ‘TOO MUCH’ HERE

THE EDINBURGH INTERVIEWS 2019

Brett Johnson: The Edinburgh Interviews 2019

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© Elizabeth Woodward
Who? Brett Johnson
What? Poly-Theist
Where? Just the Tonic at The Charteris Centre – Just the Crypt (Venue 393)
When? 13:20

What are your feelings as you enter into this year’s Edinburgh Fringe season?

A little nervy but pumped as hell. All the preparation is making me look forward to just getting there and it happening.

What is the premise of your Edinburgh show this year?

The tagline is: I was a married, 21-year-old monogamous Evangelical, then I became the opposite. It’s a true solo comedy show about faith, non-monogamy and KFC.

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

Translating the experience I went through into a show that’s well-paced, honest and funny. I didn’t realize when I started how much that was going to involve me working through more of my feelings and ideas to better understand how I feel about it and figure out what’s worth including in the show.

Has your attitude towards the Fringe changed at all in recent years?

This is my debut, so there’s still a lot of attitude to change – but having attended last year’s I’m still in awe of the size and extent of it.

Do you have any other Edinburgh show recommendations?

Jamie Loftus, Molly Brenner and Mike Lemme; Sean Patton is also crazy good.

Where would you like to be in a year’s time?

I’ll have JUST finished filming Poly-Theist the feature film in time to head to Fringe for a three-show double-act run with Phil Nichol.

GET YOUR TICKETS FOR BRETT JOHNSON: ‘POLY-THEIST’ HERE

THE EDINBURGH INTERVIEWS 2019

Ignacio Lopez: The Edinburgh Interviews 2019

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© Michelle Huggleston
Who? Ignacio Lopez
What? EspañYOLO
Where? Just the Tonic at The Caves – Just the Big Room (Venue 88)
When? 13:30

What are your feelings as you enter into this year’s Edinburgh Fringe season?

There’s definitely some fear and excitement bubbling under the surface, but I’m pretty chilled out about it. I’ve got a strong show, I get to go catch up with loads of friends, and I’m on nice and early everyday (1.30pm, that’s a comedian’s morning!) so I don’t have to spend all day stressing about my show.

What is the premise of your Edinburgh show this year?

I set out to convince everyone that Spain is the greatest country at everything (which it is). The show celebrates differences in cultures and nationalities but ultimately I’m looking to prove we’re all the same. Despite this lofty ambition and dull description, I’m definitely a ‘punchlines over premise’ guy. I tackle some pretty serious stuff from history and modern day but rest assured there are HILARIOUS gags throughout. There are a lot of surprises, I couldn’t decide if I wanted the show to be farcical or historical, and nobody expects the Spanish indecision.

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

Probably Brexit. It’s changed audiences attitude to some jokes and it’s constantly looming over every comedy night. Thankfully I’ve performed my material to the most ardent leavers and the biggest advocates for remain and they all find it funny. I’m not 100% sure how I get away with a lot of what I say, sheer confidence I’m guessing. I barely mention it in the show but I have to address the elephant in room if just so everyone can breathe out and relax.

Has your attitude towards the Fringe changed at all in recent years?

Absolutely. I first went to the Fringe in 2011 with a split show and we all put so much pressure on ourselves. We thought Edinburgh was going to have a lasting impact on our stand-up for the rest of the year, everyones talking about reviews and agents and television and other ‘industry’ nonsense. Over time you realise that it’s not important or healthy to think about it that way.

Do what you feel comfortable doing, have fun, build an audience. The best feeling is having people return to see your show the next year, and the next. Do something you’re proud of. Ultimately none of it matters. It doesn’t make a difference if you skip a year. The Fringe is like bootcamp mixed with mardi gras. It’s a big old mess and I love it.

Do you have any other Edinburgh show recommendations?

If there are any tickets left for it by the time this goes out, definitely go see Bec Hill’s new show. Her shows are always amazing and inventive but this year she’s putting on something truly huge that you will want to have seen.

Also, I’m directing Phil Cooper’s show. Phil is one of the most naturally funny people I’ve ever known and it’s been great working on Hamsters In Colour with him. He’s inherited a house in the Welsh Valleys from his grandfather, who was a hoarder, so the house is filled with decades worth of hilarity. It’s like a comedy time-capsule and Phil navigates it brilliantly.

Definitely take some risks though. Go see someone you’ve never heard of, if someone’s flyering their own show, be nice, take a flyer, if it sounds like something you might enjoy, give it a shot.

Where would you like to be in a year’s time?

I’d like to get some stand-up out on the radio, gig in places I haven’t been yet. I’ll keep putting out sketches with BBC Sesh. I think I’m going to put out an album of my comedy songs. Ultimately, just doing what I’m doing now. Despite the often miserable weather, the depressing politics and the terrible pay, there is nowhere I’d rather be than in the UK performing comedy. There’s no getting rid of me now.

GET YOUR TICKETS FOR IGNACIO LOPEZ: ‘ESPAŃYOLO’ HERE

THE EDINBURGH INTERVIEWS 2019

Holly Morgan: The Edinburgh Interviews 2019

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@ Rebecca Pitt
Who? Holly Morgan
What? Holly Morgan is a Witch. Get Her!
Where? Gilded Balloon Teviot – Billiard Room (Venue 14)
When? 22:00

What are your feelings as you enter into this year’s Edinburgh Fringe season?

You remember that feeling when you’re all lining up outside the exam hall? And everyone’s bricking it and there’s one arsehole there who claims they haven’t even read the book and then they later get an A? I’m not that one; I’m the one who really didn’t read the book.

What is the premise of your Edinburgh show this year?

The British Witchcraft Act was only repealed in 1951; the act that makes it illegal to practice magic. Up until then, we’d had a lovely time murdering women for a thing that is literally impossible. When Trump, arch misogynist and the world’s most dangerous clown since John Wayne Gacy (google it, cautiously), started tweeting about ‘the witch hunt’ against him, I realised that the patriarchy was still using smoke and mirrors to get away with wide-scale human rights abuses. Sounds a hoot doesn’t it? But I like digging into serious subject matter with my comedy and finding the ridiculousness in it. I’ve blended in musical impressions of singers such as Amy Winehouse and Kate Bush who were labelled ‘kooky’ or ‘weird’ and used their voices for some of the famous witches. Basically, I’ve made an hour of comedy to justify doing a Stevie Nicks finale.

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

It’s pretty hard to make jokes about the estimated deaths of 45,000 women across Europe. But the way that women were literally burned for perceived crimes then is what happens now with online trolling, tabloid muck raking and even the nasty shit that we say to each other because we’ve been socially conditioned not to value ourselves as women. It’s a joyous thing to be a ‘nasty woman’ and find the comedic parallels across hundreds of years.

Has your attitude towards the Fringe changed at all in recent years?

Oh my god definitely. I used to come up as a student and essentially treated it like an all you can eat buffet – instead of sausage rolls it was insecure stand-up comics. It’s much, much harder when you give a shit.

Do you have any other Edinburgh show recommendations?

My favourite bit! Katie Arnstein’s Sexy Lamp, James Rowland’s Songs of Friendship, Lucy Farrett’s Lois, Matt Winning, Anna and Helen, Jonny and the Baptists, Josie Long, Droll, Lucy Roslyn’s Orlando, Byron Lane’s Tilda Swinton Answers An Ad On Craigslist.

Where would you like to be in a year’s time?

My husband plays my ‘familiar’ in this show – because nothing says ‘smash the patriarchy!’ like marrying a straight, white man and fitting him into your feminist stand up. We have a telly script which we’re hoping/ have everything riding on being made next year. And now I’m worried I’ve jinxed it so I better nip off and do a small blood sacrifice.

GET YOUR TICKETS FOR ‘HOLLY MORGAN IS A WITCH. GET HER!’ HERE

THE EDINBURGH INTERVIEWS 2019

Eleanor Colville: The Edinburgh Interviews 2019

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Ali Wright
Who? Eleanor Colville
What? Google Me
Where? Just the Tonic at The Caves – Just Out of the Box (Venue 88)
When? 16:40

What are your feelings as you enter into this year’s Edinburgh Fringe Season?

I Cannot. Bloody. Wait. I’m very excited. And nervous. And a little bit scared but I’m really just looking forward to diving right in. I took a break from Edinburgh last year for personal and family reasons, and although it felt sad at the time, I think it was the best thing I could have done for myself and my comedy. Now, I’ve actually had time to miss the craziness of the Fringe and just can’t wait to get back to it. It’s going to be a bit of a different Fringe for me this time around – it’s my second solo show so I’m used to the perils of going alone but I’ve never sacrificed so much to do the Fringe before. I think there’s a big leap up between taking your student sketch show up to Edinburgh in your summer off University and trying to do it as a fully-functioning professional adult in trousers. Like, I’ve actually quit my job to do this. So, I guess that could be seen as an added pressure, or just an affirmation that I do think the show is worth that and that there’s no place I’d rather be but the Fringe come August!

What is the premise of your Edinburgh show this year?

Haha, the premise is that I, Eleanor, struggling to write my show, follow a WikiHow link and create an AI Robot that uses a deep learning algorithm to write the best show ever. It uses all my online data to generate material, so retracing my own digital footprint of Facebook feeds, YouTube comments and google search histories I create a whole host of characters. It’s basically me googling myself, investigating my dependency to ask the internet the questions I’m too scared to ask anyone else. It’s a funny but true story of what it’s like growing up as a millennial in the digital age of big, scary data and looks at the relationship between social media and mental health.

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

Time and money. Not even joking. I don’t understand how artists are meant to do the Fringe or even commit to theatre or the arts in general without having super wealthy parents and it makes me very sad. I don’t have the luxury of living with my parents, I moved to London and work full time just to afford my rent. I’ve found I’ve had to be super disciplined to write my show and gig in my spare time and I’m still struggling. I think something really has to change because it is just so unfair the risk associated with following a career in the arts for someone from a low-socio economic background compared to the risk faced by an individual from a high socio-economic background. Which is a real failure because then you just get very homogenized shows which is boring for everyone.

Has your attitude towards the Fringe changed at all in recent years?

Yes. I think more needs to be done to make the Fringe more accessible. At the moment it feels like the artists are the customers and not the other way around. Having said that, I still think the energy and buzz of the Fringe is incredible and I can’t think of a comparison where you get (especially in comedy) people at the top of their game socialising and hanging out with newbies. I think I’m going to try approach this Edinburgh more like work. I say that now, you’ll still find me hungover on a Tuesday morning flyering in the rain and cradling a toastie.

Do you have any other Edinburgh show recommendations?

Yes! That’s the other amazing thing about taking a show to the Fringe – you have a month to see other people’s great work! High on my hit list are Raph Wakefield’s Wengerball and Archie Henderson’s Jazz Emu. Ken Cheng always kills it and I’m excited to see Ben Pope and Moon’s show. I’m also looking forward to all the shows from people I don’t know! I love Rose Matefeo too. And if anyone can get their mitts on Daniel Kitson, omg.

Where would you like to be in a year’s time?

In a year’s time I would like to be on a beach sipping a piña colada from an obnoxiously large straw. Haha. I don’t know. I’d like to be going to the Fringe again if I can afford it, I’d like to have found a way to be able to dedicate more time to writing new stuff and I would like to have written a play.

GET YOUR TICKETS FOR ELEANOR COLVILLE: ‘GOOGLE ME’ HERE

THE EDINBURGH INTERVIEWS 2019