Barry Ferns: The Edinburgh Interviews 2018
Who? Barry Ferns
What? Barry Loves You
Where? Just the Tonic at The Tron (venue 51)
When? 21:00
Are you prepared for what this year’s Edinburgh Fringe has in store for you?
No, not prepared at all. If god wants a laugh he looks at your plans. How do you prepare for a festival of over 100,000 performers that lasts a month? I do have a show that I am delighted with, and am excited to perform every damn day of the festival though. Come what may!
What is the premise of your Edinburgh show this year?
Barry Loves You is about the invisible things that unite and divide us. How do we love each other, and ourselves, when life is such a crazy cluster-fuck of random and often invisible forces, needs and impulses. I mean, seriously, what on earth is going on? (Looking around the crazy-ness of the Edinburgh festival people must think that more often than most.)
What was the biggest obstacle you face(d) while putting this show together?
Myself – as I’m an idiot who can’t schedule my time. I mean who made the whole of the internet available 24 hours a day, and how do those people expect me to stay focused and work on anything with all of that distraction available?
Who would most enjoy your show?
Anyone who has a beating human heart inside their ribcage. Anyone who has ever had a moment where they’ve looked at what a friend has done, or what they have done and gone “Why, on earth did I do that?! That is ridiculous behavior”.
Do you have any other Edinburgh show recommendations?
I love watching Paul Foot and Tony Law every Edinburgh. Their shows are so so different from my own shows that I can really turn off any enjoy them. They are also both brilliant comedians and write such original and funny stuff.
What is your favourite thing about Edinburgh as a city?
Arthur’s Seat. I do a show up there on the penultimate weekend of the festival every year. The show is always magnificent and such an exciting thing. And beautiful. It’s amazing to think that just 15-30 minutes walk from Edinburgh town centre is such a spot of rural and natural desolate beauty. You feel like a god sat on the top of it.
What are your plans for after the festival?
I am going to gig in New York. I went to New York earlier in the year and loved it. It’s the closest place in the world that is like Edinburgh Festival 365 days a year. It’s got about 300 gigs happening a night and probably 10,000 performers. It’s a ridiculous place, but hilariously confusing.