Sam Russell: The Edinburgh Interviews 2019
Who? Sam Russell
What? Privileged To Be Here
Where? Just the Tonic at The Mash House – Just the Cask Room (Venue 288)
When? 19:45
What are your feelings as you enter into this year’s Edinburgh Fringe season?
This is a year full of different emotions to me. Last year I brought up my first show, though it has an overarching event holding it together it was essentially all of the material I’d done in clubs for the last four years. This time though, the vast majority has all been created and collaborated this year… which is exciting, rewarding and shit your pants scary.
What is the premise of your Edinburgh show this year?
I plan to have a kid with in the next few years. This show is about examining the world I’m going to be bringing them into (social media, dogmatic politics, knife crime), what their place in it may be (if they’re a boy or girl, straight or gay, conservative or liberal) and given all that how to teach them right and wrong.
What is the biggest obstacle you face(d) while putting this show together?
I started putting this show together in December of last year and up until late April it was going to be one of those ‘challenging, edge-lordy, saying something controversial shows’ and in previews it was going ok… but I came of stage feeling a little angry and cynical… and that’s not me. So I decided to keep the subjects of the show that I found interesting but approach them with a new positive attitude. That has been a real challenge to do in two months.
Has your attitude towards the Fringe changed at all in recent years?
From this year to last year… Big Time. Last year I had no idea what to expect and I had a really good run. Nice audiences, good reviews and I made some money. But the Fringe is a fickle beast, this year could be a lot harder, I don’t know if everything that fell into place last time will happen again. The difference is, I now know how good it can be. But I will stick with the philosophy that kept me sane in 2018 ‘Low expectations, Positive attitude’.
Do you have any other Edinburgh show recommendations?
Nico Yearwood, Hate n’ Live, Konstantin Kisin.
Where would you like to be in a year’s time?
In the EU.