Nick Elleray: The Edinburgh Interviews 2019
Who? Nick Elleray
What? Big Nick Energy
Where? Laughing Horse @ The Counting House – The Attic (Venue 170)
When? 12:45
What are your feelings as you enter into this year’s Edinburgh Fringe season?
I have a vague sense of optimism, which is a new flavour for me. I’m not sure how I feel about it yet.
What is the premise of your Edinburgh show this year?
It’s the human condition to desire to be something we’re not and to desire to not be something we are. We pine for change but find ourselves incapable of it. For example, about five minutes into this show, I drop the c-bomb. It’s out-of-character for me and I should probably change it, but find myself incapable of doing so. So, yeah, it’s generally operating on that level of philosophical enquiry.
I also trash-talk the Rolling Stones for not releasing a decent album in nearly 40 years.
What is the biggest obstacle you face(d) while putting this show together?
Wrestling with my own genius.
Just kidding! I didn’t wrestle with my genius, we just pushed each other in the chest for a while, playground-style. He won, unfortunately, so he’s at my place now, eating my biscuits. And fair play to him.
Has your attitude towards the Fringe changed at all in recent years?
I’ve given up booze, so I now have much more fun onstage to make up for my miserable, temperate existence offstage. So I still look forward to the general fun-and-games of the festival, but I’m way more into the idea of making and performing a really good show.
Do you have any other Edinburgh show recommendations?
I’m sure your readership are already hip to these cats but here we go: I’ve loved every show The Delightful Sausage have done. They clash with me, so I’ll be seeing them on my day off. I recently saw sketch group Moon and they made me laugh constantly.
I saw a preview of Alasdair Beckett-King’s new show and it’s chock-full of great jokes and silliness.
Helen Duff and Pat Cahill are always doing exciting and funny stuff. Helen Bauer is doing her first full show and it will be a real cracker.
I’m also looking forward to seeing the new stuff from Heidi Regan, Micky Overman and the dead-eyed monster that is Sunil Patel.
Where would you like to be in a year’s time?
Lounging on a sofa, eating a white chocolate Magnum, smiling as I think about how well-attended my 2019 Edinburgh show was.
