Edinburgh Festival

The Edinburgh Interviews: Seven Questions With… Twins

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Twins are Jack Barry and Annie McGrath, a sketch duo known for their silly and childish style of comedy that epitomises the idea of escapism within entertainment. These two make a marvellous pair, with their contrasting personalities producing an interesting comedic energy within performance, and with elements of surrealism and absurdity giving their material a refreshing twist. Barry and McGrath bring their latest show Two Balls In A Bag to this year’s Edinburgh Festival.
To find out more, I asked Twins these seven questions…

1) What annoys you most about your sketch partner?

AM: He’s lazy, he’s hungover, he’s late, he forgets everything, he can’t read, he can’t write.

JB: Nothing. I like Annie.

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The Edinburgh Interviews: Seven Questions With… Andy Askins

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© Andy Hollingworth

© Andy Hollingworth

Andy Askins is a stand up comedian with material that is surprisingly dark, standing in stark contrast against his calm and friendly stage demeanour. Askins is also a very talented musician who doesn’t rely on his guitar as a gimmick; his comedy songs are delightfully punchy and unpredictable. Askins brings his latest show, The Man With No Name, to this year’s Edinburgh Festival.
I asked Andy these seven questions to find out more…

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The Edinburgh Interviews: Seven Questions With… Wendy Wason

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Wendy Wason

© Idil Sukan

Wendy Wason is a Scottish stand up comedian, actor and writer, who had her first taste of working in the comedy industry at the age of seventeen, selling tickets at the Gilded Balloon. Wason returns to the Edinburgh Festival this year with her latest show, Tiny Me, which explores the themes of identity and responsibility as a modern-day daughter, mother, wife, friend and woman.
I asked Wendy these seven questions to learn more about her…

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The Edinburgh Interviews: Seven Questions With… Tom Allen

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© Andy Hollingworth

© Andy Hollingworth

Tom Allen is rapidly growing in popularity on the stand up circuit, having recently supported the likes of Josie Long and Sarah Millican on nationwide and international tours. Tom’s unique blend of the sinister and the playfully cheeky makes for a very interesting performer, with the comic bringing his latest hour, Indeed, to 2016’s Edinburgh Festival.
To learn more about the man behind the craft, I asked Tom these seven questions…

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The Edinburgh Interviews: Seven Questions With… The Thinking Drinkers

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Thinking Drinkers 1

© Rob Lawson

The Thinking Drinkers are Ben McFarland and Tom Sandham, a pair of alcohol connoisseurs and writers who have made it their mission to impart their knowledge onto audiences in the most entertaining ways possible. The Thinking Drinkers’ latest show, Around The World in 80 Drinks, is set to be a truly unique comedy experience; combining comedy and alcohol is surely a match made in heaven?
To learn more about the men behind the show, I asked Ben and Tom these seven questions…

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The Edinburgh Interviews: Seven Questions With… Ben Hanlin

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Birmingham-born magician Ben Hanlin is the writer and presenter of ITV2’s Tricked, which will air its third series later this year, as well as having worked as a presenter for CBBC. He has also recently been preparing his debut show, Trickhead, to take to this year’s Edinburgh Festival, utilising his keen eye for performance detail and cheeky-chappy demeanour.
To find out more about the man behind the magic, I asked Ben these seven questions…

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The Edinburgh Interviews: Seven Questions With… Laura Lexx

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© Richard Wood

Laura Lexx is a sweet-talking comedian with a surprisingly sharp bite, epitomised, perhaps, by her recent run-in with a sexist heckler, which received thousands of hits on YouTube. Laura will be performing her latest show Tyrannosaurus Lexx at the Edinburgh Festival.
To learn more about Laura, I asked her these seven questions…

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The Edinburgh Interviews: Seven Questions With… Spencer Jones (aka The Herbert)

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Spencer Jones is The Herbert in 'Eggy Bagel'

© Jill Wooster

Spencer Jones is a stand up comedian and actor best known for his absurd style of character comedy, as The Herbert, where he utilises music, mime and props. Perhaps the true essence of escapism, Spencer’s stand up is ridiculous, illogical and childish, and The Herbert is a truly endearing character, with a cheeky glint in his eye that forces an audience onside within minutes. Jones has also recently been involved in Ben Elton’s latest sitcom, Upstart Crow, where he portrays the Shakespearean comedic actor Will Kemp. Jones presents two shows as The Herbert at this year’s Edinburgh Festival: Proper Job and Eggy Bagel.
To learn more about Spencer, I asked him these seven questions…

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The Edinburgh Interviews: Seven Questions With… Craig Campbell

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Canadian-born comic Craig Campbell is somewhat of a force to be reckoned with, having teamed up with the likes of Tony Law and Dan Antopolski to produce Edinburgh shows in the past. Campbell has also dabbled in theatre, performing a one-man play at Edinburgh in 2008, and returns to the festival this year with a new stand up hour, Easy Tiger, which looks set to be as absurd and innovative as previous shows.
I asked Craig these seven questions to find out more…

1) How did you begin your comedy career?

Went onstage 27 long f’in yrs ago at 19, realised immediately the wonderment of making-believe for a living and never looked back!

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The Edinburgh Interviews: Seven Questions With… Susan Calman

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© Steven Ullathorne

Susan Calman is a face you will almost certainly recognise from various panel shows including Have I Got News For You and Mock The Week, as well as being a Radio 4 regular. A self-confessed cat-lover, Calman is unafraid to turn the mockery in her own direction, making her comedy all the more open and silly, but with a sharp wit driving it. Susan Calman is performing her show The Calman Before The Storm at this year’s Edinburgh Festival.
To learn more about the woman behind Susan’s, I asked her these seven questions…

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