Ross Smith: The Edinburgh Interviews 2018
© Matt Crockett
Who? Ross Smith
What? I Am Ross Smith
Where? Just the Tonic at The Caves (venue 88)
When? 12:40
Are you prepared for what this year’s Edinburgh Fringe has in store for you?
I really hope so! The Fringe is something that you can feel 100% prepared for and then still end up having no idea what’s in store. After Edinburgh I always make a mental note of things to remember for next year and then over the course of the year forget every one of them. I’m just going to take it as it comes. Which is a silly phrase really I can’t exactly take it before or after it comes!
What is the premise of your Edinburgh show this year?
My Edinburgh show is based on me receiving an invitation on a holiday because I had the same name as a person dropping out. What happened after was madness.
What was the biggest obstacle you face(d) while putting this show together?
Honestly the biggest obstacle was having too much to talk about. I had to figure out what were the essential parts of the story to tell. Also my show is multimedia and I am the sort of person that technology will instantly fail around – there has been more than one tech issue at previews but these are all part of the fun!
Who would most enjoy your show?
Without wanting to sound too pretentious (but at the same time very much sounding pretentious) I think anyone who likes the idea of being a hopeless romantic, the show is a battle between cynicism and optimism, positivity and negativity, expectation and reality. So realistically I would say there isn’t one demographic that would most enjoy the show.
Do you have any other Edinburgh show recommendations?
LOADS. I have so many friends doing their debut hour this year who are all amazing. The likes of Micky Overman, Maisie Adam, George Rigden, Emily Ferrier, but two shows I will definitely not miss are Richard Todd: We Need The Eggs and Ian Smith: Craft.
What is your favourite thing about Edinburgh as a city?
I love the history of it. It’s got a very unique quirky history. Last year my family went on a ghost tour of the city. It really makes you feel this overwhelming sense that you know a city when you know where the ghosts hang out.
What are your plans for after the festival?
Get back on the circuit and start gigging again. Anything else is dependent on if the show goes well! I’m in talks with a film company about the experience I went through and a book version has been talked about but realistically after this festival I will be mostly living on beans and panhandling on the streets of London.