The Edinburgh Interviews 2017: Urzila Carlson
Urzila Carlson is a New Zealand-based comic who is incredibly easy to warm to. Although she is making her Edinburgh debut this year, Carlson has already won Best International Show at the Sydney Comedy Festival, to name just one. She will be performing her latest show, First Edition, at the Assembly George Square Studios throughout August.
1) What excites you most about the Edinburgh Festival?
I’m looking forward to hanging out with all the other comics, I’ve already had a look at who will be there and I’m already fan-girling just thinking of who I will get to hang out with and potentially work with.
2) What is your first Edinburgh show about?
It’s about the shit we put up with that we don’t have to! It’s about long distance travel, other people’s bad habits and the pressure we feel to say that craft beer is great and indie rock bands are awesome.
3) Does your comedy attract a certain type of audience?
No not really, it’s a pretty mix bag coming through the doors usually.
4) What would be your worst Edinburgh accommodation nightmare?
My worst nightmare in any situation would be filth. I can’t deal with filth, I’m a compulsive cleaner* and filth would just not be ok with me, that’s why I’m bringing my family and we’re sharing accommodation rather than share with other comics.
*Not diagnosed.
5) What is your most treasured memory of your comedy career so far?
It would have to be performing at the Sydney Opera House. There have been so many though!
6) What show will you definitely be seeing at the festival this year?
My brother from another mother Nazeem Hussain’s show.
7) What do you hope to gain from the Edinburgh Festival this year?
A lot of experience, stage time, endurance, how to deal with disappointments and processing alcohol in huge amounts.
8) What do you imagine your last ever show will be about?
I’ll probably be talking about how my hover car blew the roof off my neighbours floatation dome and the grandkids playing with my Oscar that I got playing Melissa McCarthy’s long lost twin that grew up in Africa and goes on a journey to discover her true self and her family that she never knew she had… it will be an award winning show… I’ll talk about my dead dad too.
BOOK TICKETS FOR URZILA CARLSON: FIRST EDITION, AT THE EDINBURGH FESTIVAL