David McIver: The Edinburgh Interviews 2019
Who? David McIver
What? Teleport
Where? PBH’s Free Fringe @ Banshee Labyrinth – Cinema Room (Venue 156)
When? 12:20
What are your feelings as you enter into this year’s Edinburgh Fringe season?
I am very excited not to go to work for a month! I work with kids and they make me very tired and spit on me quite a lot. The other day a little boy smacked me in the face with a spade. As long as that doesn’t happen in Edinburgh I think I will have a comparatively fun time.
What is the premise of your Edinburgh show this year?
It’s a character comedy show in which I recreate an online roleplaying game. I’ve invented my own World of Warcraft-style game, and I enlist the audience as players in a quest to gain a magical spell book that will teach me how to teleport. On the way we meet an oracle, an enchanted amulet and a bunch of other fantasy characters. I was obsessed with these games as a teenager and this is an attempt to get some value out of playing World of Warcraft for five hours a day for a significant portion of my youth.
What is the biggest obstacle you face(d) while putting this show together?
The show makes some reference to a fairly heavy autobiographical story, but in the early previews this was a huge part of the show and it was incredibly depressing and not fun to do. Fine-tuning the perfect amount of emotional heft has been, and with a month to go until the Fringe, still is, the biggest challenge. Also I use a big hula hoop as a prop, and when I’m walking to gigs sometimes men on public transport will shout things like ‘hula hoop!’ at me, which is pretty hurtful.
Has your attitude towards the Fringe changed at all in recent years?
It kind of used to be an excuse to get drunk with my friends every night, but now I think I have to be more sensible. I’m a lot healthier now and I’m gonna go climbing twice a week and eat lots of fish. Maybe I’ll go for a swim at the beach – I’m an ice junkie now and live for the cold thrill of the ocean.
Do you have any other Edinburgh show recommendations?
Will Rowland is one of my favourite stand-ups and he’s doing his debut hour this year, called Cocoon. He’s very thoughtful and sensitive, and his show will be more rich and considered than some fringe shows from acts that have been going for a decade.
Where would you like to be in a year’s time?
Back at the Edinburgh Fringe 2020 doing another hour of financially unviable alternative comedy in some sort of hot basement.
