The Wee Short

THE
WEE SHORT
"Every
audience is
dif ferent"
Jo
Caulfield
talks
Fringe
@t heweereview
@shortcomreviews
Issue 1
August 2018
Pip Utton
Ari Shaffir
Alice Fraser
Ross Ericson
Short & Curly
and more....
Your
FREE GUIDE
into the unknown

Welcome to
The Wee Shor t
Two of the Fringe's top independent voices join together for a brand
new, free print publication.
It's a pleasur e to in tr oduce you to T h e W ee
Sh or t, th e n ew collabor ative publication by us
at T h e W ee Review an d our f r ien ds at Sh or t
Com .
As on e of th e few Fr in ge publication s based
in Scotlan d all year r oun d, T h e W ee Review
team h ave our ow n in sider kn owledge about
Edin bur gh .
W e kn ow its n ooks an d cr an n ies, its bar s an d
backr oom s, all of which gives us a special
per spective on what m akes th e place tick in
August.
N o- on e kn ows it all th ough , so when th e
oppor tun ity cam e up to wor k w ith Sh or t
Com , an oth er in depen den t site whose
exper tise we value, on a com bin ed
publication , it m ade com plete sen se.
W e h ope you en joy r eadin g th is f ir st edition
an d th at it in spir es you to dive in to our
r espective websites to get th e latest r eviews as
th e Fr in ge progr esses. D on't for get to follow
us on social m edia too!
As som eon e f r om Edin bur gh , it's been a gr eat
pr ivilege to h ave th e wor ld's gr eatest ar ts
festival on m y door step. I 've been suckin g up
th e com edy of fer in gs for over sixteen year s
n ow. An d th e appetite to see n ew talen t,
visitin g legen ds an d th e pr ice of a pin t goin g
up n ever waver s.
Sh or t Com is a un ique voice at th e Fr in ge.
W e on ly publish r eviews of acts an d sh ows
deem ed wor thy of r ecom m en dation . You
h ave to r em em ber th at per for m er s r isk so
m uch f in an cially an d em otion ally just to be
h er e so we n ever wan t to con tr ibute to
anyon e feelin g wor se.
T h at said, we pr ide our selves in bein g tough
to please an d for sin glin g out th e ver y best
th e Fr in ge h as to of fer, som etim es wher e you
least expect it. W ith T h e W ee Review, I saw a
lot of sim ilar ities between it an d Sh or t Com
as a str on g in depen den t voice at th e Fr in ge
an d big on discover in g h idden gem s in th e
ar ts.
T h us it is our gr eat pr ivilege to team up w ith
T h e W ee Review an d br in g you th is Fr in ge
publication .
Rober t Peacock
Editor
th eweer eview.com
@th eweer eview
Ch r i s A i tk en
Editor
sh or tcom .co.uk
@Sh or tCom Reviews
3

Returning Faves
Some of our favourites from Fringes past are back
again t his year. Here's what we thought
first time around...
Ad el e I s You n ger T h an U s
Pleasance Dome
21 - 25 Aug, 9.40pm
"Stif f & Kitsch seem an un likely pair in g but
th eir on - stage ch em istr y an d sin gin g, at tim es
eye-water in gly f un ny, at oth er s th ough t
provokin g an d in sigh tf ul, is sen sation al."
? ? ? ? ?
A l l W e Ever W an ted W as Ever y th i n g
Roundabout @ Summerhall
20 - 26 Aug (not 21), 11.30pm
"Set in H ull, [it] follows two kids f r om
dif fer en t sides of th e tr acks... th er e's r eal
en er gy an d pace to th is gig- th eatr e. It's all
about lost dr eam s an d th e con sum er ism th at
can der ail our lives." ? ? ? ? ?
D r u n k L i on
Laughing H orse @ T he Newsroom
2 - 26 Aug, 3.45pm
"An im pression istic piece, captur in g all th e
alien ation , f uzzy-headedn ess an d existen tial
an xiety of a tr aveller adr if t in th e lazy, h azy,
passion ate wor ld of L atin Am er ica." ? ? ? ? ?
H ot B r ow n H on ey
Gilded Balloon Teviot
1 - 27 Aug (not 2, 8, 15, 23), 7.30pm
"A poten t pun ch of h ip-hop politics... Six
em power ed wom en teach us about society,
cultur e an d sm ash in g th e patr iar chy."
? ? ? ? ?
Ch r i sti n e B ovi l l 's Par i s
New Town T heatre
14 & 21 Aug, 9.10pm
"M esm er isin g h our of deligh tf ul
stor y tellin g an d blissf ul son g [th at]
tr an spor ts us to a Par isian jazz club
af ter just on e ver se... C?est sublim e."
? ? ? ? ?

Joh n K ear n s: D on 't W or r y T h ey 'r e H er e
Pleasance Dome
1 - 12 Aug, 8.20pm
"O r igin al, br ave an d ver y f un ny... an
em otion al yet h ilar ious stor y th at h igh ligh ts
th e f r agility an d absur dity of life." ? ? ? ? ?
L ost Voi ce Gu y : I n sp i r ati on Por n
Gilded Balloon Teviot
1 - 26 Aug (not 13), 4pm
Sh ow U p ! & Sh ow U p , K i d s!
Laughing H orse @ T he Counting H ouse
2 - 26 Aug (not 15, 22), various times
"T h is im prov sh ow isn?t just f un an d f luf f .
[Peter M ich ael M ar in o] is dir ect about h is
ow n social an xieties an d exper ien ces w ith
depression , dr aw in g on per son al m em or ies
to en gage an d provoke us..." ? ? ? ? ?
Peter M ichael
M arino
"T h er e's a savage, cath ar tic beauty about
br in gin g th e un say able in to th e com edy
spher e. L ost Voice Guy 'goes th er e' in a way
oth er people can't." ? ? ? ? ?
M ar k N el son : I r r ever en ce
Underbelly Bristo Square
23 - 25 Aug, 8.20pm
"I sn?t af r aid to go to th e dar ker edges of
com edy for h is jokes... th ose expectin g th e
m or e f am ily-frien dly h um our of h is BBC
videos ar e in for a sh ock." ? ? ? ? ?
Joh n Rober tson : T h e D ar k Room
Underbelly Cowgate
2 - 26 Aug, 8pm
"A r ef lection of text based adven tur e gam es...
it doesn't r ely on gim m ick T h er e's just as
m any laugh s as a stan d-up sh ow." ? ? ? ? ?
FRINGE PITSTOPS
Elephants & Bagels
37 Marshall Street, EH8 9BJ
A tiny cafe, r igh t by th e biggest ven ues,
w ith th e best w in dow seats in tow n . Toasted
sesam e seed w ith cr eam ch eese, r oast
pepper s an d pin e n uts is our ch oice!
FRINGE THEMES:
Social Media
It?s been statistically proven th at 99.6% of us
spen d m or e tim e on social m edia th an we
do ch eckin g up f acts an d f igur es presen ted
to us as tr uth . W hy n ot log of f , sign out an d
discon n ect for an h our to take in on e of th e
en ter pr isin g Fr in ge sh ows on th e th em e?
O n th e com edy side of th in gs, Linda looks
at th e tr an sfor m ative power of social m edia
when som eon e or din ar y does som eth in g
extr aor din ar y, Bilal Z af ar ?s Lovebots f igh t
on lin e abuse w ith autom ated m essage
com passion an d Fr in ge f avour ite Tapeface
gives a social m edia special com bin in g th e
best of th e fest.
Elsewher e, Aphrodite and the Invisible
Consumer Gods, Community an d

Fr ee on the Fringe
Only the unadventurous spend all Fringe at the big venues
around the Pleasance and George Square. Robert Peacock
takes a look at the best places to catch free shows.....
The Voodoo Rooms
O utside Fr in ge tim e, it's wher e locals h ave
th eir en gagem en t par ties an d sign if ican t
bir th day bash es. D ur in g August, its f un ction
r oom s becom e on e of th e h ottest places for
n ew com edy in Edin bur gh . T h is is th e ven ue
f r om which Kier an H odgson an d Jayde
Adam s, n ow both at Pleasan ce Cour ty ar d, got
th eir Com edy Awar d n om in ation s in 20 16.
For th e buzz sh ows you n ow of ten h ave to
queue r oun d th e block, so get th er e ear ly.
Shows to see:
# D ave: L i ter al ly th e B est M agi ci an
4- 26 Aug, 4.50pm
Gin ger Geor die an d Voodoo Room s r egular
who ough t to be h uge by n ow.
Su san H ar r i son I s A B i t W eepy
4- 25 Aug, 2pm
M ulti-ch ar acter com edy f r om likeable
per for m er.
Dave Alnwick

The Counting House
For m any year s, th e f r ee f r in ge h ub par
excellen ce, an d h an dy for Geor ge Squar e
an d th e Pleasan ce. A r ecen t r econ f igur ation
m ean s it's n ot as easy to h an g out th er e as it
was - n o ch air s in th e bar ar ea! - but th er e's
n o sh or tage of th in gs to see. T h e upper
r oom s can becom e oven s, but if you've n ot
swelter ed to n ear- death in a Fr in ge ven ue,
you've n ot lived.
Banshee Labyrinth
An oth er f r ee ven ue w ith pedigr ee. T h e
cin em a r oom h er e is wher e Rich ar d Gadd
played h is Com edy Awar d w in n in g
tour- de-for ce, M onkey See M onkey Do, in 20 16
to way fewer people th an actually wan ted to
see it. Plen ty of bar space to h an g ar oun d in ,
but queues build ear ly for th e big sh ows in
tiny r oom s bur r owed un der th e city str eets.
Janey Godley
Eleanor T iernan
Shows to see:
God l ey 's Cr eam 2- 26 Aug, 5.30pm
Ever y Fr in ge- goer n eeds to see Glaswegian
m outh piece Jan ey Godley at least on ce in
th eir life
D ave Ch aw n er : M en tal 2- 26 Aug, 7.20pm
H ear t- on - sleeve com edian is n o str an ger to
th is place w ith h is autobiogr aphical com edy
Shows to see:
El ean or T i er n an : Su ccess W i th ou t A Sex
T ap e 4- 26 Aug (not 14), 1.40pm
I r ishwom an always h as som eth in g pleasin gly
bitter to say.
L l oy d L an gf or d : W h y T h e B i g Face? 4- 26
Aug (not 12), 10pm
W in n er of Best Sh ow at th e L eicester
Com edy Festival
7

Bob's Blundabus
M aver ick prom oter Bob Slayer h as been
par kin g h is double decker bus up at
Potter r ow for a few year s n ow. Tech n ically,
it's n ot a f r ee ven ue. To guar an tee a seat, you
book tickets in advan ce. But you can just r ock
up, take your ch an ce an d pay what you wan t.
Bob's ow n sh ows can be, sh all we say,
un predictable, but th e sch ool- tr ippy ch aos of
m isbeh avin g on a bus is always good cr aic.
Shows to see:
Ch r i s B etts vs T h e Au d i en ce
2- 26 Aug (not 13), 5.20pm
Betts br avely ar gues for or again st any
topic th e audien ce ch oose to give h im .
Yu r i k o K otan i : M or ei sh
2- 26 Aug (not 15), 6.40pm
Japan ese com ic m ade an im pact at So You
T h in k You'r e Fun ny ? a few year s ago.
Bar Bados
T h e Cowgate ven ue can be utter car n age.
Ban ds play to beer- sw igger s on th e gr oun d
f loor bar while com edian s do th eir best to
keep th em laugh in g in m akesh if t
per for m an ce spaces up an d dow n th is
m ulti-level, tum bledow n dr in kin g den .
Per for m er quality ten ds to be m or e var iable,
but th er e's always som e goodies, an d you can
easily lose days in a beer y f uzz in th is place.
Shows to see:
A n I m p -Revi sed H i stor y of th e W or l d
4- 25 Aug, 8pm
Edin bur gh's ow n im prov tr oupe, Sm oky
M on keys r ew r ite th e h istor y books.
L u k e W r i gh t, Poet L au r eate
13- 25 Aug, 3.45pm
O utstan din g spoken wor d ar tist laun ch es h is
cam paign for th e top gig in poetr y.
FRINGE THEMES
Farming
Far m in g an d th e Fr in ge go togeth er like
peas an d car r ots in a pod? or som eth in g.
Chris Betts
Photo: Stephen M akin
I n 20 18, we get an agr icultur al per spective
on ur ban af f air s f r om Jim Sm ith w ith h is
com edy sh ow Back to the Teuchter! about th e
tr ials, tr ibulation s an d com pen sation s of
r ur al life. For a m or e sober in g outlook on
m oder n h usban dr y, O r la Sh or tall discusses
th e r igh ts an d w r on gs of keepin g cows
in door s on a r egular basis in Cows Eat
Grass, Don't T hey? Fin ally, physical th eatr e
gen r e- splitter Our Country looks at life in
Califor n ia w ith th e gr ow in g popular ity of
weed-far m in g an d h ow it con tr asts w ith
th e Am er ican ch ildh ood of yester year.
8

Fringe Blind
So many shows, so lit tle time. Chris Aitken provides you
with some suggestions of who to take a punt on
T h e Fr in ge is th e or igin al N etf lix - tr y in g to
decide what to see via sever al progr am m es
can of ten lead to m issin g th e actual sh ow.
Recogn isin g som eon e of f th e T V is a safe bet,
but th e Fr in ge is about h idden gem s, n ew
f avour ites an d th e utter ly r idiculous. By all
m ean s catch th e likes of Fin Tay lor, Kier an
H odgson an d Br idget Ch r istie, but h er e's a
little f r ien dly guide w ith tips of oth er acts
boun d to m ake an im pression th is year.
Stand and Deliver
Jam es M eeh an : Gaz
Just T he Tonic at T he Caves
2 - 26 Aug (not 13), 6pm
A m ultiple awar d w in n er an d Edin bur gh
com edy awar d n om in ee w ith Fun z an d
Gam ez an d Gein's Fam ily Gif t Sh op.
Gar y L i ttl e: B i g M ou th
Scottish Comedy Festival @ T he Beehive Inn
3 - 27 Aug, 6:30pm
A tower in g Scotsm an who could be str aigh t
out of Trainspotting, L ittle h as a won der f ul
war m th w ith w icked tales to m ake you
proper ly h owl.
T i m Ren k ow T r i es T o Pu n ch D ow n
M onkey Barrel
2 - 26 Aug (not 8, 15, 22), 8pm
Self- professed cr ippled r edn eck M exican Jew,
Ren kow is a r azor sh ar p com ic w ith n o
qualm s about goin g all th e way to th e bon e.
W h ile oth er s 'pun ch up', h e's a balan cin g
for ce in th e spher e of political cor r ectn ess.
Ch r i s Ch op p i n g's L on ely H ear ts Cl u b B an d
PBH Free Fringe at T he Clootie Dumpling
4 - 25 Aug, 2.45pm
A positive debut f r om th e En glish Car dif f
r esiden t last year. Str on g w r itin g w ith def t
deliver y. Better th an a lot of com ics in th e
bigger ven ues.
Joh n H asti n gs: Fl oat L i k e a Bu tter f ly, Joh n
H asti n gs L i k e A B ee
Pleasance Courtyard
1 - 27 Aug, 8.30pm
You just m igh t f in d th e Can adian h avin g h is
ow n N etf lix special in th e n ear f utur e. I f you
like your jokes to pack a pun ch w ith an
acer bic ton gue th en Joh n H astin gs is a m ust.
N i ck El l er ay : I t's B een Em oti on al
Just T he Tonic at T he Grassmarket Centre
2 - 26 Aug (not 13), 4.40pm
W in n er of O ld Com edian of th e Year, th e
Aussie is a m aster of un der stated com edy an d
watch in g h im is an ef for tless joy. I f you like
clever wor dplay an d jokes about m an goes
th en put h im on your w ish list.
John H astings
Photo: T im Leys
9

Stranger Things
O n e of th e best th in gs about th e Fr in ge is th e
n um ber of br illian t oddballs cookin g up a
r ecipe for m adn ess. T h e T V execs would say
?bon ker s?, i.e. n o idea h ow to in ter pret th at
an d w ill n ever get on th e telly. T h e Fr in ge is
an open psych war d.
A l i B r i ce?s L em on ad e Stan d
H eroes @ the H ive
2 - 26 Aug (not 15), 2.30pm
L au r a D avi s: Gh ost M ach i n e
Underbelly Cowgate
2 - 26 Aug (not 13), 5.40pm
O n th e subject of existen tial cr ises, L aur a
D avis is h avin g to dr ess up as a gh ost to get
h er opin ion s acr oss sin ce n o on e w ill take
th em f r om a wom an . D ubbed by som e as th e
Austr alian Josie L on g, sh e's a tr ue or igin al
who h as gar n er ed a cult follow in g in O z th at
seem s cer tain to str etch over h er e.
T h er e?s an elem en t of br aver y r equir ed to see
Br ice. Shy n ess is n ot your ally, but th e
r ewar ds ar e m or e th an wor th it. H e cr eates
som e of th e m ost daf t an d in explicable
ch ar acter s you could w itn ess an d h as a
gen uin e x-factor (n ot th e cr ap T V sh ow)
quality about h im . T h e on ly act to cause m e
physical pain f r om laugh in g so h ar d.
B eth Vy se as O l i ve H an d s: T h e H an d T h at
Rock s T h e Cr ad l e
M onkey Barrel
1 - 26 Aug (not 15), 3.45pm
An oth er super b absur dist who ser ves h igh
octan e buf foon er y as alter ego celeb obsessed
T V presen ter O live H an ds. T h is year sh e
com bin es h er day job an d baby day car e.
Ri ch ar d T od d : W e N eed T h e Eggs
Pleasance Courtyard
1 - 26 Aug (not 15), 10.45pm
I f r am blin g absur dities was an O ly m pic spor t,
Rich ar d Todd would dith er, con sider th e
gr avitas an d jour n ey to th e podium , for get to
take th e gold m edal because h e?s alr eady
m oved on to h oover in g an d cr eated an
existen tial n ar r ative out of it. W h eth er h e?s
r eh ear sed or of f th e cuf f , h e?s con sisten tly
ch ur n in g out laugh s w ith a won der f ul en er gy
th at?s just in fectious.
Laura Davis. Image: Prakas Daniel
M ar k Si l cox : I Can Cu r e
PBH Free Fringe at Ciao Roma
4 - 25 Aug, 2.10pm
Silcox is an en igm a who h as of ten baf f led
cr itics, som eth in g h e h opes to cur e by
br in gin g back th e sam e sh ow each year un til
people get it. I got a wee glim pse of h im at
th e BBC Asian stan d-up h eats an d h e h ad th e
r oom in hyster ics.
Sean M or l ey : I A p ol ogi se For M y Recen t
B eh avi ou r
H eroes @ Dragonfly
2 - 26 Aug (not 8, 22), 7.20pm
An ear ly wor k in progr ess of th is sh ow last
year blew m e away. D an iel Kitson like
in telligen ce m eets th e dem ean our of Jack
D ee. Expect queues when wor d gets out.
10

Fr esh Blood
W h ilst th er e's a lot of press atten tion for n ew
acts, it can be a daun tin g task for m any who
h ave to star t a f an base f r om pr actically zer o.
H er e's som e people wor th takin g a pun t on .
Sar ah K ey w or th : D ar k H or se
Pleasance Courtyard
1 - 26 Aug, 2.30pm
A Fun ny W om an r un n er up, Sar ah Key wor th
f r om N ottin gh am is a r em ar kably talen ted
an d com posed stan d-up for h er age.
N ow T h at's W h o I Cal l A r ch i e H en d er son
PBH Free Fringe Globe Bar
4 - 26 Aug (not 14), 4.45pm
O n e th ir d of sketch tr io Two Plus O n es,
Ar ch ie is goin g it alon e w ith h is boast th at in
20 13 h e r each ed n o. 98 in th e sin gles ch ar t. A
won der f ul physical ch ar acter actor an d th e
closest I 've seen to a youn g Joh n Cleese.
T h e Pr obl em W i th Fay e T r eacy
Just T he Tonic at T he M ash H ouse
2 - 26 Aug (not 13), 7.45pm
Keepin g w ith th e jazzy vibes, Tr eacy 's sh ow is
a com in g- of- age stor y tellin g h our, f illed w ith
lots of laugh s an d lots of h ear t. It's about h ow
sh e gr ew up in a lar ge f am ily of foster kids
an d def ied th e odds to get wher e sh e is.
Feel the Warmth
Scotlan d is a m ostly Tor y f r ee zon e, but
som etim es you still m igh t n eed a sh ow th at
can give you a h ug,
M atth ew H i gh ton : I n su f f i ci en t M em or y
H eroes @ Dragonfly
2 - 25 Aug (not 8, 22), 8.40pm
Q uite of ten H igh ton is m aster m in din g som e
daf t spectacle extr avagan za w ith W eir dos
Com edy Collective or Com edian s Cin em a
Club, but h e?s also a talen ted stor y teller.
Boun d to f ill you w ith joy an d lif t th e spir its.
B i l al Z af ar : L ovebots
Just T he Tonic at T he M ash H ouse
2 - 26 Aug (not 13), 3.45pm
Seein g social m edia awash w ith h ate spread
by bots, Z af ar decided to com bat it by m akin g
L ovebots. W ith f ive star s f r om Sh or t Com 's
Patr ick D alziel last year, h e's clear ly n o f luke.
L ou Con r an : A t L east I ?m N ot D og Poo
D ar r en
Just T he Tonic at T he Caves
2 - 26 Aug (not 13), 3.20pm
L ast year, Con r an took th e h ear tbr eakin g
stor y of h er m iscar r iage an d foun d a way to
m ake a cr itical h it com edy. T h is year, h er
sh ow 's about h er assum ption th at a m an who
picks up dog poo for a livin g h ad it wor se of f
th an m ost, on ly to f in d sh e was quite w r on g.
Ross Sm i th : I A m Ross Sm i th
Just T he Tonic at T he Caves
2 - 26 Aug (not 13), 12.40pm
Faye Treacy. Photo: Steve Best
11
Sm ith r eceived an in tr iguin g m essage f r om a
str an ger : would h e be in ter ested in r eplacin g
th e Ross Sm ith who couldn?t go on a boys
booze cr uise to H am bur g? H e said yes. An
am usin g tale th at h ar ks back to th e whim sical
dice- m an an tics of D ave Gor m an .

Photo: Sally Sparrow

Alice Fraser
Acclaimed Australian comic and co-host of the iconic Bugle
podcast talks to The Wee Review's Comedy Editor, Kevin
Ibbotson-Wight
T el l u s abou t y ou r n ew sh ow...
It's called Ethos, an d it?s a double act w ith a
r obot. It?s m e teach in g r obot som eth in g
im por tan t about what it is to be h um an .
A r e y ou an op ti m i st or p essi m i st i n ter m s of
w h at th ese tech n ol ogi cal ad van cem en ts
m ean f or h u m an i ty ?
Both ! I th in k th ey w ill br in g out th e best an d
th e wor st in h um an ity. O n on e h an d all th is
tech n ology is f ulf illin g; th e vast scope of
h um an h istor y h as been towar ds
un der stan din g each oth er better an d
speakin g to each oth er. Also, at th e sam e tim e
it lets people be m ean to people who th ey
n ever would h ave even h ear d of in a previous
age.
A l ot of sh ow s ar e l ook i n g at th e # M eT oo
m ovem en t. I t's som eth i n g y ou 've tou ch ed
on p r evi ou sly. D o y ou th i n k th ese even ts
h ave h ad an i m p act on th e com ed y
i n d u str y ?
I don?t r eally kn ow. I th in k at th e m om en t it?s
all n ice an d positive, an d people ar e m or e
car ef ul about what th ey do an d say. W h eth er
th is wor ks out in th e en d, we?ll h ave to give it
som e tim e an d see if it sticks - if it?s just a
f ash ion for tr eatin g wom en a little better or
wheth er it?s a r eal th in g.
You ?r e a f ai r ly p r ol i f i c p od caster . W h at i s i t
abou t th at f or m at th at ap p eal s to y ou ?
N o on e tells you what to say, or h ow to say it!
H ow d i d y ou get i n volved i n T h e Bu gl e?
I ?ve been a f an for a lon g tim e. Tom W r igh t,
th e or igin al producer, cam e alon g an d saw
m y sh ow in M elbour n e a couple of year s ago
an d liked m y stuf f , so when An dy Z altzm an
asked who would be good for T h e Bugle, h e
put m y n am e for war d. It was luck to be in th e
r igh t place at th e r igh t tim e; an d th en n ot
sh ittin g th e bed so th ey asked m e back!
W h at ar e th e best an d w or st th i n gs abou t
th e Fr i n ge?
T h e best is it?s like bein g in a f air y city, a
place th at on ly exists for on e m on th a year.
It?s like n owher e else on Ear th , h avin g all
th ese in cr edible ar tists in on e place. It?s just
m in d-blow in g.
T h e wor st is r un n in g between sh ows
desper ately. Tr y in g n ot to r ead r eviews of
your self . Str essin g about ticket sales. T h e fear
of f ailur e, th e fear of sin kin g, un seen in such
a vast ocean of in cr edible per for m an ces.
D o y ou h ave an y r ecom m en d ati on s,
p ar ti cu l ar ly acts y ou f eel d eser ve m or e
atten ti on ?
I would say L aur a D avis, who is a f r ien d of
m in e. Sh e?s an Austr alian doin g h er secon d
year. It?s called Ghost M achine, an d it is
phen om en ally good. You?ve got to see it, it?s
in cr edible.
A l i ce Fr aser : Eth os
Underbelly Bristo Square
1 - 27 Aug (not 13), 7.55pm
13

U.S. of HEY!
They're big stars in their native US, so why come do the Fringe?
Thomas Black asks Ari Shaf fir, Christian Finnegan and Judah
Friedlander what is the at traction of doing Edinburgh?
T h e Edin bur gh Fr in ge is becom in g an
in cr easin gly com petitive m ar ketplace for
com edian s. W ar stor ies of poor ticket sales
an d h uge f in an cial losses of ten dom in ate
gr een r oom s ar oun d th e coun tr y. W ith over
50 year s of stan d-up exper ien ce, n um er ous
T V cr edits an d sellout tour s to th eir n am e,
Judah , Ar i an d Ch r istian ar e at th e top of
th eir gam e. So why do th e Fr in ge n ow ? An d
what do th ey th in k of Br itish com edy ?
?F* * k th e ticket sales! F* * k th e f in an cial
outlay ! T h er e is n o r isk. T h e attr action is th e
wor k.? Ar i Sh af f ir gets str aigh t to th e poin t:
?25 h our s in f r on t of a cr owd th at bar ely
kn ows m e. 20 + m or e guest sets on sh ows
wher e th ey can bar ely un der stan d m y accen t.
It's th e wor k. I can?t f in d th at any wher e else
r igh t n ow.?
T h e ch allen ge of th e festival seem s to be
prevalen t am on gst th e U S acts. Ch r istian
looks at th e Fr in ge ?as on e of th ose m ar tial
ar ts m ovies like Enter the Dragon or
Bloodsport, wher e f igh ter s ar oun d th e wor ld
gath er on som e secr et islan d to do battle.?
Judah adds th at h e is ?goin g for th e cur r y ?,
which , un til n ow, I didn?t kn ow th is gr eat city
was f am ous for !
I ask Ch r istian what h e th in ks U K an d U S
com ics can lear n f r om each oth er. It seem s
like th e Br itish "h our s" ten d to follow a
n ar r ative wher eas U S com ics focus on h avin g
a collection of str on g ?bits?th at ar en't
n ecessar ily lin ked in any way ?
?Yes, th em atic h our s ar e still a n ovelty in th e
States. Am er ican com edy clubs ar e
essen tially pubs w ith a stage. Food an d dr in k
is ser ved th r ough out, people ar e en ter in g
an d exitin g th e r oom , so over ar ch in g
n ar r atives ar e dif f icult to pull of f an d r un th e
r isk of seem in g preten tious to Am er ican
audien ces. Even when you do see an
Am er ican com ic in a th eatr e settin g, h e or
sh e is per for m in g m ater ial h on ed in bar s.
T h at can be lim itin g, but th ose distr action s
do for ce Am er ican com ics to go a bit ?h ar der ?,
I th in k. M y sole com plain t w ith U K com ics is
th at th ey som etim es seem satisf ied w ith
ch uckles as opposed to cath ar tic belly laugh s.
14

I suspect th at's a product of per for m in g
pr im ar ily in th eatr ical settin gs, for m or e
atten tive audien ces.?
Judah Fr iedlan der explor es th e idea of
Am er ican exception alism in h is sh ow: does
h e see a dif fer en ce in sty le? ?O n e is def in itely
m or e of a on e- per son sh ow, an d th e oth er is
m or e of on e per son doin g a sh ow. M y sh ows
at th e festival w ill be a little bit of a m ix of
both . T h er e w ill be a gen er al th em e
th r ough out m y sh ow. But while I h ave a
th em e th r ough out m y wh ole sh ow - th er e is
n ot a stor y lin e.
?I w ill n ot be doin g any m ater ial f r om m y
stan d-up per for m an ce f ilm America I s the
Greatest Country In the United States which
cam e out on N etf lix last year. I w ill be
cover in g som e of th e sam e topics but
stan d-up is a con tin uin g process - th at n ever
en ds. A bit is n ever don e. A set is n ever th e
sam e as th e previous on e or th e n ext on e.It?s
n ever a f in ish ed ar t for m like a pain tin g can
be or a f ilm can be.?
Ar i Sh af f ir ?s sh ow is based ar oun d th e th em e
of Judaism . I r em in d h im we spoke two year s
ago about th e poten tial lim itation s of th em ed
sh ows. As th e Fr in ge veter an of th e gr oup -
Ch r istian an d Judah appear for th e f ir st tim e
- h ave th e last two year s of th e Fr in ge
ch an ged h is opin ion an d in spir ed a th em ed
sh ow ?
?For sur e it r ubbed of f on m e. Alth ough I 'm
star tin g to r eth in k th at ter m ?U K sty le h our ?.
I 'm star tin g to un der stan d th at th e sty le I was
r efer r in g to was actually a festival sty le h our.
m e laugh for 30 m in utes on ly to get ser ious
for th e n ext 20 befor e w r appin g up w ith 5
m in utes of h alf ser ious/ h alf jokes. W hy n ot
m ake your poin ts w ith h um our ? T h er e's too
m uch 'woe is m e' for m y tastes. I wan t com ics
to be f un ny th e whole way th r ough .?
So what?s goin g to be dif fer en t about your
th em ed h our ? ?M ostly, you can lear n what a
th em e h our looks like when a r elevan t
Am er ican h eadlin er tackles it. You don't h ave
to be in ter ested in th e subject. L eave th at to
m e. I 'm a profession al an d I 've m ade quite
sur e th at you'll laugh like cr azy th e whole
tim e.?
A r i Sh af f i r : Jew
H eroes at the H ive
2 - 26 Aug (not 13), 6pm
A r i Sh af f i r 's Ren am ed Stor y tel l i n g Sh ow
H eroes at the H ive
9, 16, 23 Aug, 10pm
Ch r i sti an Fi n n egan : M y Good n ess
Gilded Balloon Teviot
1 - 27 Aug (not 13), 8.45pm
Photo: M indy Tucker
Judah Fr iedlan der : Am er ica... Still N um ber
O n e
Gilded Balloon Teviot
19 - 22 Aug, 10:30pm
Photo: Phi Provencio
Full in ter views on sh or tcom .co.uk
?It's n ot th e idea th at th ey h ave n ar r atives or
th em es in th eir sh ows th at both er ed m e. It's
th at, in or der to h ave th at n ar r ative/ th em e,
th ey en d up m or tgagin g laugh s. It seem s
weak. I don't un der stan d why you'r e m akin g
15

Jo
Caulfield
What does she put into
her Fringe shows?
"Anything that irritates
me!"

Jo Caulf ield is what we in Scotlan d call a
well- ken t f ace. Even if you don't kn ow h er
com edy, you'll kn ow h er f r om th e r ogue's
galler y of poster s th at decor ate th e city in
August. N owadays, sh e's a local too, h avin g
m oved h er e a few year s back.
As som eon e who's been th er e, don e th at, you
could for give h er som e cy n icism towar d th e
city 's an n ual sum m er sh in dig, but Caulf ield is
som eon e still in love w ith th e gam e in
gen er al, an d "Edin bur gh", in par ticular.
"I do get excited about it, yes," sh e says of th e
Fr in ge as we ch at in on e of L eith's sh or eside
bar s. Caulf ield's n oth in g if n ot can did in
conver sation . Sh e's gen er ous about oth er s,
open about h er ow n com edy cr af t, an d
expresses a solidar ity for th e scen e th at
r eveals h er D I Y r oots livin g in a squat, play in g
in ban ds an d r un n in g h er ow n club. It's th er e
in th e en th usiastic ton e w ith wh ich sh e
descr ibes h er pre-Fr in ge build-up:
"I did on e th e oth er n igh t in O r m skir k, a tiny
little bar, sells out im m ediately because it's
on ly got 40 seats, per fect if I wan t to tr y out a
lon ger stor y..."
"I do a r eally n ice preview at a place th at
Jason Cook [com edian] r un s in N or th
Sh ields..."
" I'm ver y glad that I've
found The Stand"
Sh e h as it all m apped out. But th is sch leppin g
r oun d th e coun tr y is n ot idle r outin e, an d it's
cer tain ly n ot m er e bill- pay in g (m ain ly
because it of ten doesn't). It's par t of a
well- h on ed process to get Fr in ge- r eady an d
to put som eth in g back in to th e cir cuit. "I n eed
th em to be th er e," sh e says of th e sm all
prom oter s an d th e audien ces th ey br in g.
T h ese days, Caulf ield's h om e at th e Fr in ge is
Edin bur gh's lon g- stan din g com edy H Q , T h e
Stan d. T h is year w ill m ar k ten year s for h er at
th e club.
"I ?m ver y glad th at I ?ve foun d T h e Stan d. I ?d
don e oth er r oom s an d I couldn?t believe h ow
little m on ey I ?d m ade!"
"T h en I spoke to Tom m y [Sh eppar d, Stan d
boss an d n ow an M P]. H e h ad th is n ew r oom
- th e Police Club [Stan d 3 for th e Fr in ge], a
per fect squar e r oom w ith a little bar in th e
cor n er, an d because I ?d alr eady built an
audien ce th ey wer e able to f in d m e. I 've been
ver y h appy th er e."
" I think of a title that has a
bit of attitude"
T h is year 's sh ow is called Killing T ime.
D epen din g wher e you place th e str ess, it's
what you do when th e w i-f i goes dow n on th e
tr ain , or what a m ur der er says to h im self
befor e settin g of f for wor k. But for Caulf ield,
it's m or e of a placeh older to cover h er for
ever y even tuality:
"I th in k of a title th at soun ds like m e, like it
h as a bit of attitude, but vague, so whatever I
wan t to talk about can be in th er e. Som e
people go 'well, it?s about when I wen t
th r ough m y war dr obe an d I th ough t all th ese
cloth es tell a stor y? ' M in e ar e n ever like th at.
M in e ar e always opin ion an d stan d-up."
"T h er e?s always som eth in g goes th r ough it so
I can tie th in gs up at th e en d but it?s always
just r eal life stuf f . Any th in g th at ir r itates m e
or m akes m e th in k 'th at?s a bit weir d'."
17

As is com m on pr actice for m any per for m er s,
sh e's pullin g a double sh if t at th e Fr in ge. At
lun ch tim es, sh e's per for m in g in Brexit, a n ew
satir e up at th e Pleasan ce, befor e h eadin g
dow n to T h e Stan d for h er even in g solo gig.
Back in 20 12 when a dif fer en t political
h oo- h ah was on satir ists' m in ds, Caulf ield
star r ed in Coalition, by th e sam e w r itin g team .
I n Brexit, sh e sh ar es th e stage w ith T im othy
Ben tin ck (better kn ow n as D avid Ar ch er), H al
Cr utten den , Pippa Evan s an d M ike M cSh an e.
W h at m ade h er tur n th esp again ?
"I ?m doin g th is on e because it?s a f un ny scr ipt,
w ith a ch ar acter who?s ver y sim ilar to m e. I ?m
th e EU n egotiator, say in g to Br itain 'you can?t
h ave th at' so I get a lot of sar ky lin es."
N o sh on ky Eur otr ash accen t th ough . "T h er e?s
a whole backstor y wher eby I ?ve been
educated at an in ter n ation al sch ool so it
doesn?t m atter th at I ?m n ot for eign ."
T h e problem w ith plan n in g ah ead for topical
com edy at th e Fr in ge is "even ts, dear boy !"
T h er e'll be som e sh if ty sh en an igan s goin g on
in th e cor r idor s of Br ussels an d W estm in ster
as we speak, so ar e th ey prepar ed for an
em er gen cy r ew r ite?
"O n e of th e guys who?s w r itten it was a
L abour coun cillor an d h as wor ked in politics
all h is life. H e?s a law yer as well, so h e kn ows
ver y well what could be th e possible
outcom es. O n e of th e scen ar ios of th e play is
w h at may h appen . An d th at?s all I can say..."
W ith two sh ows to do, livin g n ear by h as
def in ite advan tages.
"It doesn?t h ur t to be at h om e," sh e adm its.
"N or m ally, you?r e livin g in som eon e else?s
f lat, n ot doin g th e n or m al th in gs you?d do.
Basically you?r e livin g like a pig. But th is is
w h er e I live, so I still h ave to do th e
h ousewor k an d look af ter it. I can?t w r eck it
an d leave in a m on th ."
D oes th at dom estic r outin e take th e n er vous
edge of f th in gs? Can sh e casually r ock up to
th e day job af ter a spot of h ousewor k or is sh e
still oper atin g on adr en alin e?
"O h n o, still adr en alin e. Ever y audien ce is
dif fer en t."
"I don?t do a preview. I used to, but n ow I feel
th e preview n igh t feels like a r eh ear sal an d I
don?t wan t to r eh ear se stan d-up, I wan t to
per for m . T h e f ir st n igh t, you?r e f ull of
adr en alin e an d th at m akes th e sh ow good.
Even th e bits you?r e still wor kin g out. Rath er
th an goin g 'I ?ve got th is n igh t to wor k it out,' it
h as to wor k ton igh t."
W ith Caulf ield, it usually does.
Jo Cau l f i el d : K i l l i n g T i m e
T he Stand
3 - 26 Aug (not 13, 20), 7.40pm
B r ex i t
Pleasance Courtyard
1 - 26 Aug (not 13, 20), 1.30pm
Interview by Robert Peacock
Full interview on theweereview.com
FRINGE PITSTOPS
Mosque Kitchens
EH8 9BT & EH8 9BX
N ot m any places get you fed in 20 m in utes.
T h e M osque Kitch en s can - an d deliciously.
O n e is (sur pr ise) r igh t by th e M osque.
Eatin g outside on th eir ter r ace is a w in n er.
T h e oth er 's r oun d th e cor n er on N icolson
Squar e. Both can be r elied on for h uge
plates of cur r y an d r ice, ser ved by lovely
people, for n ot m uch m or e th an a f iver..
18

Scotch Camp
Camp is scathing and cruel and very funny. It?s the lie that tells
the truth and Scotland has discovered it big time. Ken Wilson
goes camping...
I n th is cen ten ar y year of Scottish w r iter
M ur iel Spar k, a w ide set of steps at
Edin bur gh?s Gr assm ar ket h ave been n am ed
af ter th e teach er of Spar k?s f am ous book T he
Prime of M iss Jean Brodie. T h e cam p n atur e of
M aggie Sm ith?s m ajestically over- th e- top
O scar-w in n in g per for m an ce is on e of th e few
exam ples of Scottish cam p; a dear th
doubtless due to 40 0 year s of ch illy
Calvin ism .
" The Fringe is Scottish
camp's gr ound zer o - a time
when Edinbur gh lets her
hair down"
Cam p is def in ed as som eth in g th at provides
sophisticated, kn ow in g am usem en t, by vir tue
of its bein g ar tlessly m an n er ed. It?s
som eth in g self- con sciously ar tif icial an d
extr avagan t, in gen uous or sen tim en tal.
Scotlan d?s n ew con f iden ce. W h atever th e
r eason , Scotch Cam p h as blossom ed.
W ay back, Scottish h ar d-m an cultur e did
m uch to f r eeze out cam p in m any aspects of
life; it despised what cam p stood for. T h r if ty
wor kin g- class Scottish tr adition s lon g
discour aged f r ivolity. For decades, life in
Scotlan d was seen as bein g too gr im , ser ious
an d cold for f un . Ken n eth Clar ke w r ote th at
th e Scots wer e an odd m ixtur e of ?r eckless
sen tim en t an d n ative r ealism ?. N ot fer tile soil
in which cam p could f lour ish .
Yet, like a w ildf lower, cam p sur vived in
Scotlan d alm ost as an act of r ebellion again st
th e ver y m ean - spir itedn ess th at tr ied to keep
it at bay.
I n th eatr e, m any a production at Glasgow 's
Citizen s T h eatr e bor e th e h allm ar ks of cam p,
n ot on ly in its ch oice of production s but in
th e stagin g of plays th at m igh t oth er w ise
h ave been wor thy but dull.
T h e Fr in ge is Scottish cam p?s gr oun d zer o ? a It was of ten th e case th at Scots could on ly
tim e when Edin bur gh lets h er h air dow n . adm it to cam p when th ey wer e at a safe
An d f r om W ellin gton's statue in Glasgow w ith r em ove f r om Caledon ia?s ch ill em br ace.
its par kin g con e to D olly th e Sh eep, Alan An n ie L en n ox, who h as h ad m or e cam p
Cum m in g to An ita M an n in g, f r om th e
per son as th an h aggis supper s, n otor iously
air por t- ar t status of th e Kelpies to th e
distan ced h er self f r om h er Aber don ian r oots
pain tin g of th e skatin g m in ister at th e
over th e year s. Sh e told a n ewspaper in 1989:
N ation al Galler y of Scotlan d, it n ow seem s to ?Scotlan d m ust be ver y deeply in gr ain ed in
be ever y wher e.
m y ch ar acter for m e to h ave r eacted again st it
so violen tly ?.
Blam e T V?s Outlander w ith its h eavin g
bosom s bath ed in kitsch can dleligh t. Blam e For decades th e on ly sign of cam p m any
th e n ation?s Rain bow Par liam en t. Blam e
Scots saw was th e cr in ge-wor thy var iety
20

Dietrich: Natural Duty
sin gin g duo Fr an an d An n a, th e n ovels of
Ron ald Fr am e or Stan ley Baxter ?s Ch r istm as
T V specials? an d th e outlan dish goin gs- on at
th e Fr in ge whose success th e coun tr y ?s m ost
str aigh t an d str aitlaced city h as attem pted to
r eplicate at Edin bur gh?s w in ter festival.
I n th e last 30 year s Scottish
self- deter m in ation h as played a h uge par t in
loosen in g up th e cultur e. T h e n ation h as
discover ed an ability to laugh at itself . N ow it
seem s th at Scotch Cam p is ever y wher e.
Fr om th e in sisten t ?M ockin tosh? to th e w itty
asides in Pete I r vin e?s Scotland the Best; f r om
th e dr am atic textile design s of T im or ous
Beasties an d th e output of th e 21st Cen tur y
Kilts com pany? Scotch Cam p lives.
Shows with a dash of camp:
D i etr i ch : N atu r al D u ty
Pleasance Courtyard
1 - 27 Aug (not 13), 3.30pm
T h e D r ow sy Ch ap er on e
Paradise in Augustine's
3 - 11 Aug, 9.35pm
Ear n est an d W i l d e: L et's Face T h e M u si c
(an d Fr an z)
C royale
1 - 27 Aug (not 14), 7.55pm
H i gh l an d Ser en ad e
Paradise in Augustine's
13 - 26 Aug (not 19), 4.55pm
H on ey ?s H ap p en i n g
Greenside @ Infirmary Street
3 - 25 Aug (not 12, 19), 5.15pm
T h e I m p or tan ce of B ei n g Ear n est as
Per f or m ed by T h r ee Fu ck i n g Q u een s an d a
D u ck
theSpace on the M ile
3 - 25 Aug (not 5, 12, 19), 9.30pm
L i z: th e M u si cal
theSpace on North Bridge
13 - 25 Aug (not 19), 9.05pm
A Vi r gi n ?s Gu i d e to Rock y H or r or
H ill Street T heatre
3 - 26 Aug, 9.10pm
A longer version of this article is on
theweereview.com
21

The Scent of Reeves and
Mor timer
Where are the heirs to the throne? Paul Dance asks three of the
daftest double acts at this year's Fringe
W h en Vic Reeves?Big N igh t O ut air ed on
M ay 25th , 1990 it in stan tly becam e a sem in al
in f luen ce in Br itish com edy.
But w h ile on e of Br itain?s oth er gr eat duos,
M or ecam be an d W ise, ush er ed in a n ew wave
of com edy double acts, sadly th e sam e can n ot
be said for Vic & Bob.
So wher e ar e th e h eir s to Vic an d Bob?s
th r on e? O n e such double act is T h e
D eligh tf ul Sausage (Am y Gledh ill an d Ch r is
Can tr ill), a M an ch ester based duo th at m et
af ter both per for m in g in th e L eicester Squar e
N ew Com edian of th e Year f in al.
Short & Curly. Photo: Edward M oore
A view ech oed by Paul F. Tay lor, on e h alf of a
double act w ith Rebecca Sh or r ocks called
Sh or t & Cur ly, ?I absolutely love Reeves an d
M or tim er. It doesn?t get any better th an when
Bob h ad h is foot tr apped in a bear tr ap an d is
sh outin g for h elp?. Vic an d Bob wer e an d still
ar e a big in f luen ce on Ross Br ier ley an d Josh
Sadler, who h ost a m on th ly n igh t called T h e
N ot So L ate Sh ow w ith Ross an d Josh , ?T h ey
in for m ed m y en tir e ch ildh ood an d
adolescen ce!? says Ross.
But gettin g booked at com edy n igh ts is
h ar der for sur r eal acts.
T he Delightful Sausage. Photo: Anete Sooda
?Vic an d Bob ar e a h uge in f luen ce on us, you
n ever doubt th ey ?r e h avin g a gr eat tim e!? says
Ch r is.
?You ten d n ot to see double acts on
tr adition al com edy n igh ts?, says Am y of T h e
D eligh tf ul Sausage, ?But th er e ar e som e gigs
ar oun d th e U K th at dip th eir toes in to th e
weir der stuf f ?.
22

But booker s dippin g th eir toes in occasion ally
won?t pay th e bills, ?I don?t th in k you could
sur vive on th e wage of a double act un less
you h ad a T V ser ies?, says Sh or t. ?I feel th e
com edy cir cuit on ly seem s to wan t str aigh t
stan d up any way ?, adds Cur ly.
?It is h ar der for us to get gigs at profession al
n igh ts, but we do better when we?r e on th em ?,
says Ross Br ier ley, ?because audien ces ar e
absolutely cr avin g som eth in g dif fer en t?.
T h er e is an audien ce for sur r eal double acts
out th er e, so why ar en?t th ey br eakin g in to
th e m ain str eam ? ?I th in k som e people don?t
Ross & Josh. Photo: David Lindsay
h ave th e patien ce to un der stan d th em ?, says
Ross, ?w ith such a glut of people per for m in g
h ad a silen t sketch called H er oin Egg in
com edy th ese days th er e ar e sign if ican tly
which I play a bar ber givin g Ross a sh ave
m or e safe option s available. M ost double acts
whilst cookin g h im an egg on a spoon w ith a
ten d to be O xbr idge- esque sketch acts, th er e?s
ligh ter. A wom an in th e audien ce stood an d
n ot m any of us doin g n on sen se?. Rebecca
tr ied to r ally th e audien ce by sh outin g, ?W hy
Sh or r ocks agr ees, ?Cool an d un der stated
ar en?t we h ecklin g th is?? O ur f in est m om en t.
seem s to be big in th e wor ld of sketch at th e ?W e?ve foun d it best n ot to pre- judge what
m om en t.?
people w ill f in d f un ny as audien ces
?W e wer e lucky en ough to be at on e of Vic
con stan tly sur pr ise you?, says Ch r is Can tr ill.
an d Bob?s sold out live sh ows, so th er e
?W e get all th e feedback f r om th eir cold
cer tain ly seem s to be an appetite for it. But
blan k star es?, says Am y Gledh ill.
you don?t see th at m any of us on th e telly Com edy on T V cer tain ly lacks a var iety of
th ese days. I n gen er al, it feels like live
sty les an d sur ely w ith ever m or e T V ch an n els
com edy on T V h as settled on sh ow in g a
we can f in d r oom for th e n ext Vic an d Bob.
par ticular gen r e?, says Ch r is Can tr ill.
As Vic Reeves h im self said, ?T h er e ar en?t
So, would any of th e duos ditch any m ater ial
m any idiots on th e telly any m or e.?
if th ey th ough t it was too absur d to becom e T h e D el i gh tf u l Sau sage: Regen er ati on Gam e
m or e m ain str eam ? ?N o?, says Rebecca
M onkey Barrel Comedy Club,
Sh or r ocks, ?we?ve always don e it an d foun d 2 - 26 Aug, 12pm
out th e h ar d way !?
Sh or t & Cu r ly : You n g at Star t
?H owever,? adds Paul F. Tay lor, ?we h ave
Pleasance Courtyard Pleasance T hat
ditch ed ideas th at we th ough t wer e too
1 - 27 Aug (not 14), 4.30pm
?str aigh t- sketch?.?
T h e N ot So L ate Sh ow w i th Ross & Josh
A view sh ar ed by Ross an d Josh ?N o such Laughing H orse at Dropkick M urphy's
th in g as too absur d, gen er ally th e best ideas 2 - 26 Aug (not 14, 21), 8pm
ar e th e m ost absur d? says Josh , ?W e on ce
23

The Last Straw?
Writer-performer Ross Ericson tells Robert Peacock about
his new play, The Straw Man, the story of a man who just
can't take it any more...
br illian t an d r elatively un con tr over sial W W I
play, T he Unknown Soldier.
N o- on e wan ts to h ear f r om older, wh ite
m ales th ese days. T h at seem s to be a given in
som e quar ter s. Especially n ot older, wh ite
m ales talkin g about th e dif f iculties of bein g
older, w h ite m ales. Ch an ge th e viny l r evival
r ecor d, gr an dpa.
T h at bein g th e case, h as gen ial,
m oder ate- of- m an n er Ross Er icson cr eated
th e m ost m isguided th eatr ical piece of Fr in ge
20 18?
?I don?t th in k I ?ve felt so appreh en sive about
a piece in m y en tir e life? I ?ve eith er com e up
w ith a br illian t idea, or I ?ve r eally f ucked
m yself .?
Er icson?s T he Straw M an, dr aws f r om th e
Book of Job to tell th e stor y of a m iddle- aged
m an who doesn?t kn ow what?s wh at any
m or e. T h e Book of Job, for th e n on -Bible
sch olar s am on gst you, sees God, af ter a
tete- a- tete w ith Satan , take all th at?s good
f r om Job as a test of h is piety. It?s a step away
f r om Er icson?s previous h istor ical wor k
which in cludes h is Fr in ge per en n ial, th e
?It?s about a m an who h as r each ed th e en d of
h is teth er,? Er icson explain s of T he Straw
M an. ?T h er e?s a lot of blokes of m y
gen er ation , Gen er ation X , th at ar e star tin g to
feel ?what th e bloody h ell is goin g on ??I
wan ted to put a m an on stage who?s th e
m oder n joe. It?s n ot lookin g good for h is life,
an d h e wan ts to explor e wher e it wen t
w r on g? wher e we wen t w r on g.?
" It's got to the point wher e
he can't keep his mouth
shut any mor e"
T h at m an , played by Er icson h im self , is an
en ter tain er who gr ew up on pun k, in die an d
r ave an d fough t th e good f igh t in th e or igin al
Cold W ar er a. N ow th in gs h ave taken a tur n ?
?H e?s h ad a public m eltdow n on a television
progr am m e an d h e?s r un away an d h idden in
a h otel r oom . T h e police ar e kn ockin g at th e
door. H e?s been on on e of th ese pan el sh ows
an d th e conver sation star ted goin g in
dif fer en t dir ection s. I n stead of keepin g h is
gob sh ut, h e?s star ted ar guin g an d it?s blow n
up. It?s got to th e poin t wher e h e can?t keep
h is m outh sh ut any m or e.?
An d th er e?s som e sor t of social m edia
backlash again st h im ?
?I sn?t th er e always??
24

Er icson?s m otivation isn?t to r ein state old
cer tain ties, but to pose question s an d to
probe th e quickly em er gin g n ew or th odoxies.
H e?s awar e h e an d h is gen er ation don?t h old
all th e an swer s.
"I ?ve gr ow n up th in kin g th is or th at, an d n ow
th ey ?r e tellin g m e what I th in k is w r on g. Each
gen er ation m ust go th r ough th at. W h en I was
youn g, we asked it of m y par en ts?gen er ation ."
"W h at th ey th ough t th en was eith er ?r acist?or
?sexist?, an d n ow we?r e bein g told th e sam e
th in g. O ur gen er ation is f in din g it h ar der to
un der stan d, because we th ough t we?d got
th r ough th at.?
An d Er icson is h appy to h old Gen X ?s h an d
up for br in gin g about th e cur r en t state of
af f air s.
?T h e youth seem to h ave for gotten th e past,
but we r eally h aven?t h elped! W h at h ave we
don e, our gen er ation ? W e?ve sat th er e
between th e two. O n on e side you?ve got th e
Baby Boom er s, on th e oth er side you?ve got
th e M illen n ials, an d we?r e in th e m iddle. It?s
our duty to ease th e n ext gen er ation in , an d
we?ve scr ewed it up som eh ow.?
" You'll get wiped out,
whatever your ethnicity or
sex if you say the wr ong
wor d"
H e m ust be awar e of h ow th e play m igh t sit
w ith people th ough . H ow would h e an swer
th e obvious ch ar ge? W e?ve h ear d en ough
f r om stale white m ales.
?H ave we? People say th at all th e tim e. ?It?s
an oth er older white m an m oan in g. O h , h e?s
boun d to say th ese th in gs.?But you ask why
an d n ever get an an swer.?
?Also, it?s n ot just m iddle- aged white m en
th at get it. It?s any body th at ch allen ges th e
per ceived ideas an d th e n ew f aith . You?ll just
get w iped out, whatever your eth n icity, or
sex. I f you say th e w r on g wor d, all of a
sudden you?r e bein g attacked r igh t, lef t an d
cen tr e."
W h at ar e h is h opes for th e piece, presum in g
h e escapes tr ial by Twitter ?
?T h eatr e?s becom e ver y on e- sided an d ver y
bor in g. W e tr y to ch allen ge our audien ces, to
develop som e sor t of feelin g th ey can leave
w ith . ?O K, th at m ade m e th in k?or ?n ot sur e
what I feel about th at?or even if th ey just h ate
it, I ?ve af fected th em in som e way.?
An d does it en d O K for our protagon ist? D oes
h e f igur e it all out?
?It?s goin g to be on e of th ese plays wher e
people w ill en d up w ith dif fer en t en din gs in
th eir h ead. T h e Str aw M an doesn?t give
an swer s, h e asks question s? ?
Ar e th ey th e r igh t question s to be askin g at
th is tim e? Sh ouldn?t Er icsson stick to th e
h istor y plays? I n th e supposedly
f r ee- th in kin g Fr in ge, it?s str an ge th at th ough t
even com es to m in d.
T h e Str aw M an
Assembly Rooms
2 - 25 Aug (not every day), 2.50pm
Full interview on theweereview.com
25

Fringe Sur vival Kit
Tickets booked, elbows sharpened to push through the crowds
and hands warmed-up for excessive clapping. All that?s left is
work out what to take! The Wee Review's Emily Christie reveals
what she puts in her Fringe survival kit!
T h e B ag
I n th e Fr in ge's weir d an d won der f ul ven ues
big bags get in th e way, so pack ligh t w ith a
sm all satch el or backpack th at you can sh ove
un der a ch air. You'll accum ulate a r idiculous
n um ber of br och ur es, leaf lets an d f lyer s.
Stor e th em to r ead in quiet m om en ts an d
you m igh t f in d a gem of a sh ow !
Sn ack s
Avoid becom in g h an gr y by br in gin g a few
sm all sn acks. Br in g som eth in g sm all like a
cer eal bar th at you can eat easily in a queue
or joggin g to your n ext sh ow. Also, br in g
water an d stay hydr ated. You?ll last lon ger an d
en joy th e sh ows better.
Footw ear
Yes, th ose vin tage viny l platfor m s w ith th e
gold star s ar e in sta-wor thy, but just im agin e
stum blin g on cobbled str eets an d str ugglin g
up h ills. Keep it sen sible.
Cl oth i n g
D itch th e f ash ion an d go for som eth in g ligh t
an d br eath able. Br in g a ligh t coat or car digan
you can sh ove in your bag. It?ll also be h elpful
if you sit dow n on th e f loor (it?ll h appen).
Ph on e Ch ar ger
W h en ever y str eet an d ven ue begin to look
th e sam e an d ever y m em ber of your gr oup
gets separ ated in a quick toilet stop in a pub,
you?ll f in d google m aps an d iM essage
r un n in g your batter y dow n . Br in g a por table
ch ar ger, don?t r ely on plug sockets in cof fee
sh ops or in a ven ue. Also you n eed to be able
to like an d follow ever y per for m er on social
m edia. It?s on ly polite.
M ed i ci n e
D on?t for get par acetam ol an d blister patch es
for th at in evitable m om en t you r ealise you
r ead th e tickets w r on g an d h ave to spr in t to
th e oth er side of th e city.
Photo:
M ink M ingle

FRINGE THEMES:
Unsatisfactory mothers
Som e m oth er s m ay ?ave ?em , but som e of
?em do h ave m oth er s to com plain about,
too. A clutch of Fr in ge sh ows put
m oth er h ood an d its ef fect on of f spr in g
un der th e m icr oscope, in cludin g th e
self- explan ator y It?s All M y M other?s Fault!,
Rom in a Pum a's cath ar tic stan d-up sh ow.
O n th e oth er side of th e coin , Elin or
Colem an lets us in on what it?s like to be a
youn g sin gle m um w ith h er sh ow Baby
Daddy. Elsewher e, r eal- life m oth er- an d-son
duo L ucy an d Raedie put for war d a case for
un itin g th e prosecution w ith th e defen ce in
th eir Sia- based dan ce piece, T he Ballad of
the Apathetic Son and his Narcissistic M other.
Br in g your dear old m aw alon g for th e r ide!
Hal Branson
You must be joking!
T h e jok e th at w or k ed bu t y ou ar e n ot so
p r ou d th at i t h ad ?
I h ad a joke th at used th e wor d ?m idgets?in
th e pun ch lin e, which I am ash am ed to say I
h adn?t r ealised was so of fen sive. I h ave sin ce
tr ied m any oth er var ian ts an d little ch an ges
an d n oth in g h as got a laugh . Ser ves m e r igh t.
T h e com ed i an (s) th at m ad e y ou w an t to be a
com ed i an ?
I r em em ber gettin g a Billy Con n olly VH S for
m y 12th bir th day. I can still vividly h ear th e
clun k an d scr eech of it bein g r ewoun d so I
could watch it again an d again . T h at m ade
m e wan t to be com edian so I could af for d to
r eplace th e n ow wor n out VH S player. An d
seein g Reeves & M or tim er on T V for th e f ir st
tim e. T h e un br idled joy of th eir idiocy an d
th e f act it was th eir job is a good th in g to
r em in d your self of on a day w r itin g n ew
m ater ial.
T h e l ast th i n g th at m ad e y ou cr y w i th
l au gh ter ?
Br exit! Can I h ave a Radio 4 sh ow n ow please?
H al B r an son : M bol o
Just T he Tonic at the M ash H ouse Bottle Room
2 - 26 Aug (not 13,14), 6.10pm
Photo: Garrod Kirkwood
27

When Love Can
Be For gotten...
Known for playing the likes of Thatcher and Hitler in solo shows,
Pip Ut ton's new one is more personal. He tells Robert Peacock
about And Before I Forget I Love You, I Love You, the Alzheimer's
story inspired by his Mum
W h at w as y ou r m oti vati on f or d oi n g th i s
p i ece? W h y n ow ?
N ow is th e easiest to an swer. I ?m n ow 66
year s old an d m y m um was diagn osed w ith
Alzh eim er ?s at 68. So tim e m igh t be lim ited!
I 've also lef t it un til n ow because it?s sever al
year s sin ce M um died an d I n eed to be able
n ot to blub all th e way th r ough .
T h e dr eadf ul ef fects on suf fer er s an d car er s
ar e im m en se an d yet th er e ar e always
m om en ts of ligh tn ess, h um our an d gr eat
love th r ough out th e progr ess of Alzh eim er ?s.
I wan ted to r ef lect on th at w ith out bein g too
sen tim en tal, too super f icial or too
depressin g.
H ow d i d i t f eel p u tti n g i t togeth er , gi ven i ts
p er son al r eson an ce?
T h e r esear ch open ed m any old woun ds an d
th e tear s of ten f lowed. To watch th e
dim in ish in g of self- awar en ess in suf fer er s
an d th e pain th eir loved on es exper ien ce is
dif f icult to say th e least.
28

I h ave h ad to tr y to detach m yself as m uch as
I could w ith out tr eatin g it too coldly. It's n ot
been easy or com for table, I am f in din g it to
be on e of th e m ost em otion ally dr ain in g
th in gs I h ave don e for a lon g tim e.
W h at i s i t l i k e ?bei n g? som eon e w i th
A l zh ei m er ?s? W h at sor t of i n si gh t d o y ou
f eel i t?s gi ven y ou ?
En or m ous feelin gs of f r ustr ation , an ger, fear
an d a total lack of un der stan din g what is
h appen in g to you. Slowly but sur ely you live
in a wor ld n o on e else com preh en ds. W e all
dur in g our lives feel physical an d m en tal
pain an d distr ess, so we can em path ise to
suf fer er s of disease to a cer tain exten t. But I
don?t th in k we can possibly im agin e h ow it
can feel h avin g th e wor ld you live in
disappear an d yet you still ?live? in it. T h e
biggest r evelation h as been th e patien ce an d
love th at loved on es con tin ue to feel an d give
as th ey watch th e per son th ey love disappear
so lon g befor e th ey even tually die.
H ow p r ep ar ed d o y ou f eel f or a m on th of
som eth i n g th i s em oti ve? I t m u st be ver y
d i f f er en t f r om a m on th p l ay i n g Ch u r ch i l l
or T h atch er .
I ?m n ot expectin g th at I w ill com e out
boun cin g w ith sm iles an d laugh s af ter th e
sh ow, an d yet I h ope th at any tear s w ill be
h ear tfelt an d r elatively sh or t- lived. It is, af ter
all, par t of th e job; to be able to convey
em otion s h on estly but n ot to take th em out
in to th e r est of th e day. T h is m igh t soun d
clich éd an d old-fash ion ed but I always th in k
of W in ston Ch ur ch ill?s advice to or ator s
(actor s by an oth er title!):
?Before he can inspire them with any emotion he
must be swayed by it himself. When he would rouse
their indignation his heart is filled with anger.
Before he can move their tears his own must flow.
To convince them he must himself believe.?
W h at d o y ou h op e th e au d i en ce to tak e
f r om i t?
I wan t m y audien ce to be able to laugh , sm ile
an d cr y w ith m e. I don?t wan t th em to com e
away th in kin g ?what was th at about?? I wan t
th em to r ecogn ise th e ch ar acter an d
em otion s as bein g f am iliar an d to go away
talkin g about it for a while.
A n d B ef or e I For get I L ove You , I L ove You
Pleasance Courtyard
1 - 26 Aug, 2pm
Par t of D eath on th e Fr i n ge 20 18
FRINGE THEMES
Adulthood
Ah , th e gr adual gr aduation f r om
adolescen ce to adulth ood. At on e en d of
th e scale, th is un iver sal exper ien ce h as
in spir ed m any a classic Bildun gsr om an of
liter atur e an d cin em a? at th e oth er, we
h ave th e Edin bur gh Fr in ge. T h is year,
Adulting (f r om Tash Yor k), an oth er Adulting
(f r om Ash ley Stor r ie), Awakening (f r om
Em pty W allet Pr oduction s) an d It?ll
Probably Be Alright (f r om D an Collin s) deal
w ith th e both er som e m atter of m atur ity
via th e decidedly im m atur e m eth od of
m akin g a Fr in ge com edy sh ow out of th e
whole or deal. W h eth er it?s spen din g
m or tgage f un ds on par kin g tickets or
tr y in g to r eassem ble th e f r agm en ts of yet
an oth er n igh t of in ebr iation , th er e?s sur e to
be plen ty of r elatable m ater ial on of fer.
29

H ow d i d th e sh ow an d p od cast star t?
M y f ir st Fr in ge was in 20 10 . I fell in love w ith
it all an d was deter m in ed to com e back w ith a
sh ow.
A f r ien d suggested I do som eth in g w ith clips.
An h our later it just sor t of popped in to m y
h ead. I prom ptly bor ed ever yon e in ear sh ot
th at even in g an d h ave been doin g so ever y
year sin ce!
T h e podcast cam e f r om lovin g talkin g about
f ilm s w ith com edian s. It?s gr eat h avin g an
oppor tun ity to talk to som e h er oes.
Fi l m h as obvi ou sly f or m ed p ar t of an
i n ten se bon d betw een y ou an d y ou r d ad .
W h at w as th e f i l m or f i l m s th at cau sed th i s
m u tu al sp ar k ?
It's r eally tr icky to just pin it dow n to on e but
I talk about th e m ajor on es th at m ean t th e
m ost. I luckily gr ew up befor e th e EastEnders
Sun day om n ibus so we always watch ed a f ilm
on th ose af ter n oon s.
O n y ou r p od cast, ar e th e ep i sod es w h er e
y ou d i sagr ee w i th gu ests m or e f u n to d o?
Totally. I foun d it dif f icult at f ir st. I 'm n ot
good w ith even m in or con f r on tation , but it
can lead to som e f un conver sation s. You can't
be polite for th e sake of it, especially when
som eon e says th ey love Skyfall.
W h at f i l m d o y ou absol u tely d etest?
Skyfall. It h as a special place of h atr ed in m y
wor ld. It's so bad. People say, "but it's a Bon d
f ilm , it's supposed to be silly !" T h e problem is
th ey tr ied to pitch it as a r ealistic Bon d an d
it's any th in g but. Plus it's th e on ly Bon d f ilm
wher e th e bad guy succeeds in h is m ission .
10 Films With... Podcast
Sweet Novotel
6 - 10 & 20 - 24 Aug, 12pm
10 Films With M y Dad
Sweet Grassmarket
3 - 26 Aug (not 15), 8pm
T he Vicar's H usband
Sweet Grassmarket
3 - 26 Aug (not 15), 2.40pm
Aidan
Goatley
Fringe regular with his
10 Films... show and
podcast also has a
new show about being
a vicar's husband.

FRINGE PITSTOPS
Baba Budan
Arch 12, 17 East Market Street, EH8 8FS
Baba Budan is n estled away un der r ailway
ar ch es in on e of Edin bur gh?s n ewly
r ef ur bish ed quar ter s. T h eir cof fee would
satisf y m ost gour m et tastes (an d th er e's 10 p
of f if you br in g your ow n cup), th ey do
br eakf ast at th e weeken d but th e h om em ade
dough n uts ar e th e star of th e sh ow. T h ey ?ll
keep your day tickin g alon g ver y n icely.
Car toons by:
D am i an Cl ar k : Ex tr a Sh ow
Gilded Balloon Teviot
1 - 26 Aug, 10pm
Shor t Com
The Wee Review
Ed i tor : Ch r is Aitken in fo@sh or tcom .co.uk
M ai n A r ti cl es: T h om as Black,
@tam black1985 Paul D an ce @dan ce_ paul
Car toon s: D am ian Clar k #Com icCom ic
@D am ianClar k
Sh or t Com Con tr i bu tor s 20 18: Stuar t
Addison , Euan Ten n an t, Patr ick D alziel,
Keir an Bur n ett, N eil Gr een .
Visit Sh or t Com th r ough out th e Fr in ge for
r eviews an d our n ew podcast T h om as Black
W ould L ike To Kn ow w ith special guests.
shortcom.co.uk
@ShortComReviews
Ed i tor : Rober t Peacock
M ai n A r ti cl es: Em ily Ch r istie, Kevin
I bbotson -W igh t, Ken W ilson
Revi ew s: Tam ar in Foun tain , L uke H oom an ,
M atth ew Keeley, Aislin g M cGuir e, Ker r y
Teakle, Adam T h or n ton
Fr i n ge Pi tstop s: Clair e W ood
Fr i n ge T h em es: Jon ny Sweet
theweereview.com
@theweereview
31