AWARDS SPECIAL: 21ST AUGUST 2013
THE NOMINATIONS ARE IN THE FOSTERS COMEDY AWARDS
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ow in its 33rd year, the Fosters Edinburgh Comedy Award has been recognising and rewarding the best acts in comedy since 1981. Back in the year of its conception the award was given to a then unknown mix of students in the Cambridge Footlights who are now some of the country’s biggest
CARL DONNELLY
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fter a previous nomination for the award, Carl is back to battle it out for the Fosters Comedy Award with his show Now That’s What I Carl Donnelly, Volume IV. Carl is known for his conversational comedy, engaging the audience in his shows from the very start and dealing with his own life and universal
Described by Fest as “impossibly effortless” concerns in his set. This year Carl offers a series of witty observations on current affairs from Operation Yewtree to equal marriage and slightly more trivial matters about his own life, such as his new life as a vegan with a moustache. Described by Fest as ‘impossibly effortless’ it is no surprise that Carl has been nominated for this prestigious award once again.
talents and included Emma Thompson, Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie. Since that first year the award has gone to a range of acts that have appealed to the panel with their varying styles but always demonstrated originality, innovation and most of all generated side splitting laughter. From last year’s silent clown show from Doctor
JAMES ACASTER
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uirky, surreal and in every way alternative to your conventional stand up, James Acaster makes a claim for the main Fosters Award for the second year in a row after last year’s nomination for his show Prompt. Taking on life’s greatest concerns such as why Yoko Ono definitely did not break up The Beatles, why the only truly committed band were the musicians on the Titanic and his desire to set up the first ever ice cream refill van, James’ show Lawnmower is a hilarious hour of absurdity and fun.
Charasmatic in the most awkwardly understated manner Charismatic in the most awkwardly understated manner, James has an exceptional stage presence which in itself could be enough to bring him victory this year.
Brown to comedic poet Tim Key and musical comedian David O’Doherty to character comic Laura Solon, all genres have been represented and the winners have consistently gone on to exciting careers in comedy.
main award with five out of the seven acts nominated performing across the Pleasance. Here Pleasance Times takes a look at the acts competing for the award, what their nominated shows entail and why each deserves to claim the comedy crown on Saturday.
This year the Pleasance once again dominates the shortlist for the
NICK HELM
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rash, bold and truly bombastic Nick Helm joins the nominees for this year’s award with his show One Man Mega Myth. Known for his invasive style of musical comedy, Nick’s show is not for the faint hearted but those who dare to brave it will be truly rewarded.
Those who dare to brave it will be rewarded Sharp, quick and explosive, the show combines a rock concert with not so heartfelt poetry and details Nick’s celebration of the famous dare devil Evel Knievel. You won’t see anything quite like Nick Helm at the festival and his individual approach to stand up comedy means his place on the shortlist is very well deserved.
MAX & IVAN
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he only sketch or double act to be nominated this year, Max and Ivan’s place on the shortlist is both unsurprising and incredibly well deserved. Their nominated show – The Reunion – is an intricate hour of narrative sketch which tells the tale of a school reunion and the various classmates who return to see how the lives that were once close to them have changed. Directed by Pappy’s Tom Parry the show is a spectacular hour of clever lines, inventive sketches and moving chemistry between the pair.
A spectacular hour of innovative sketches This is an original piece of contemporary comedy which stands a strong chance of claiming the prize on Saturday.
SEANN WALSH
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he Lie In King Seann Walsh will be a familiar face to many from his TV appearances on Stand Up For The Week and panel shows such as 8 of 10 Cats and a number of others.
Seann’s show has been an all round hit this year This year he has been taking the Cabaret Bar in the Courtyard by storm each night with his observational storytelling, pointing out moments in life that you might not know to be hilarious until Seann shares them with the audience. Personal, self deprecating and frighteningly funny, Seann’s show has been an all round hit this year with audiences and critics alike.
THE WINNER OF THE FOSTERS COMEDY AWARD 2013 WILL BE ANNOUNCED ON SATURDAY 24TH. JOIN US AT THE PLEASANCE ON THE 25TH FOR THE OFFICIAL AWARDS SHOW, 20.30 IN THE GRAND Edited by Jonathan Bucks & Emily Tanner. Photography by Jassy Earl
THE AWARDS SPECIAL
22ND AUGUST 2013
THE NOMINATIONS ARE IN THE TOTAL THEATRE AWARDS
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ver the past 15 years, the Total Theatre Awards have recognised the work of innovative, experimental and exceptional works of theatre. Encompassing a wide range of theatrical genres, the awards consider work within the fields of devised theatre, live art, physical theatre, mime, puppetry, immersive theatre, site specific theatre and many more, meaning that virtually all works of theatrical performance are eligible. This year the Pleasance has received a nomination in each of the three categories – shows by an emerging company or artist, physical or visual theatre, and innovation, experimentation and laying with form – so is set to stand a good chance of coming away triumphant when the awards are announced later today.
I COULD’VE BEEN BETTER
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irst on the list of nominations is Idiot Child’s, I Could’ve Been Better which is competing in the Shows by an Emerging Company or Artist category. The show has received wide acclaim throughout the festival with Three Weeks giving the show a 4 star review and describing it as ‘powerful, bittersweet and wistful’ and has attracted a large audience each day. Through a combination of theatre, stand up, film and storytelling, this one man show details the life of mundane tragedies and minor disappointments of 33 year old aspiring swimming champion James, and takes a look at the need for human intimacy.
CREDIBLE LIKEABLE SUPERSTAR ROLE MODEL
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n Credible Likeable Superstar Role Model, Bryony Kimmings, a performance artist who won a Total Theatre Award in 2010 performs alongside her nine year old niece, Taylor, in their joint search for a suitable role model for young pre-teens. The show is truly innovative and combines spoken word narrative streams with highly physical and visual displays of emotion on the stage. Aptly the show has been nominated in the category for Innovation, Experimentation and Playing with Form and though a competitive category to be competing in, surely stands a firm chance of winning the award.
TANGRAM
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angram by Stefan Sing and Christina Casadio has been nominated in the Physical and Visual Theatre category. With a narrative caught up in themes of love, scorn and power, the show questions what it is to surrender to love and ask the audience to consider just who is in control. Combining circus skills from Stefan who has been practising his unique talents since 1985 and Christina’s ballet and contemporary dance, the show is strikingly visual, individual and technically stunning.
BALLAD OF THE BURNING STAR
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lso representing Pleasance in the Innovation, Experimentation and Playing with Form category is Theatre Ad Infinitum’s Ballad of the Burning Star. This piece has to be considered a strong contender having already received a collection of 4 and 5 star reviews from The Scotsman and Guardian. This piece examines a conflicted Jewish State through the life of an Israeli man and the mix of music, killer heels and a lethal troop of divas, all tied together by Israeli-born writer and director, Nir Paldi.
THE WINNER OF THE TOTAL THEATRE AWARD 2013 WILL BE ANNOUNCED TODAY AT THE POTTING SHED FROM 17.30
PLEASANCE TIMES MEETS ALEXANDER WOLFE After last year’s success with The Trench, singer-songwriterAlexander Wolfe is back with a new ensemble and his own secret one-off show found modest fame with Jamie Cullum
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ou wouldn’t know it from meeting him, but Alexander Wolfe, a voice festooned with the lilting warmth that has seen his folk music garlanded with praise, is one of a long line of French aristocrats. In fact, only two generations separate this south London boy and a certain Count Henri de Menthon. “He was never really a part of our life,” Wolfe explains. “There was always this shadow of French aristocracy we never talked about. We were never really in contact with them.”
before forging a career in his own right. His first two albums, Morning Brings a Flood and Skeletons, released in 2010 and 2012 respectively, have garnered considerable critical acclaim from both sides of the Atlantic. Thespians, however, will recognise his as the spellbinding voice that floats alongside Les Enfants Terribles’ tale of an entombed miner in the First World War, a venture he became involved in with Oliver Lansley, the play’s writer and director, and his best friend.
However, the singer-songwriter owes a debt of gratitude to this side of the family. When his grandfather died, Wolfe was bequeathed a Rembrandt print, an item which he duly sold and with which he bankrolled his first album in 2010.
“I feel a lot more pressure in my normal job as a singer because it’s only really me entertaining everyone,” he says. “The Edinburgh crowd is much more receptive, I’ve never really had that kind of pin drop audience before.”
We meet in a quiet Pleasance Dome, the gentle susurrus of Fringe-goers poring over flyers the only distraction. He has just finished his show and is still slightly daubed with streaks of face and body paint. Wolfe is back in Edinburgh for a second year with the critically acclaimed The Trench, a tour de force for which he wrote the score and sings throughout. He has also returned to Edinburgh to perform his one man gig in Pleasance Two.
Although theatre and music often go hand in hand, Wolfe has tried to wed the two in an entirely innovative way. “I’m not a fan of musicals per se; I wanted the music to be a hammock for the story to play itself out. The music’s not directly about Bert’s (the play’s protagonist) quest, it’s about his sense of grief about what’s happened. I saw my job as reminding people of what’s actually important here.”
“I’ve loved being back in Edinburgh. I love it here; it’s like a universe in its own right. People keep emailing me and texting me from London but it’s like they don’t exist. Everything changes and it’s a completely different life. A lot of what I do as a musician is quite a solitary thing so I’ve really enjoyed the camaraderie.” Wolfe is a singer-songwriter who
One review of The Trench concluded that Wolfe was guilty of “emotional manipulation”, an unfair charge in his eyes as it intimates a malicious quality to his music. “The idea is to heighten the feelings that this guy (Bert) is going through. It’s very filmic, definitely more of a film score than a musical in that sense.”
One every day, Wolfe has ensconced himself in coffee shops to write and record his third album. “The Trench has been really good for my music. I felt like I was a little bit stuck in a rut after the last album,” he suggests.
about me on a record. I felt like that could have become a comfort zone, a sort of conveyor belt. The Trench has informed this new album massively. I’ve helped the show and it’s helped me. We’ve certainly been scratching each other’s backs.”
“I was a bit bored of writing songs
Catch The Trench at 14.45 in Pleasance One
However, there’s no let-up from the day job. Whilst not appearing in Pleasance
LATE NIGHT FUN AT THE DOME
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ith one final weekend of the 2013 Edinburgh Fringe left, you know you need to make the most of every single hour there is to spare. After a day of shows and socialising, why stop as the day turns to dusk when you can party until the small hours at both the Pleasance Courtyard and Dome, each open until 5am.
Image of the day: Last week’s Fringe hit The Boy Who Kicked Pigs tells a deliciously gruesome tale set in the drab and dreary time when teenagers had nothing better to do than plot mass destruction, poison their sisters and kick pigs
Over the weekend, the Dome offers an eclectic selection of shows until 2am so you don’t have to stop dancing and laughing until you really want to. Mixed bill show The New Wave, showcases some of the most exciting, alternative comedy of the festival whilst Set List: Stand Up Without a Net, asks comics to improvise around a set list they have never before seen, resulting in late night chaos and fun.
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For those who like to pull on their dancing shoes and party on through the night, Cassetteboy vs DJ Rubbish is a truly unique club night which combines visuals and a DJ set with comedy and laughs. The act has been gathering a real following throughout the Fringe so on this final weekend of festival frolics you need to grab your tickets before you miss out. Fans of the Courtyard will also find an array of late night shows including AAA Stand Up Late, Lili La Scala Another F*cking Variety Show and the Comedy Zone so whatever your plans for this weekend, make sure you head over to the Dome or hang about in the Courtyard for some late night laughs and music to dance through the night to.
Edited by Jonathan Bucks & Emily Tanner. Photography by Jassy Earl
NEVER MISS OUT WITH THE PLEASANCE’S EXTRA SHOWS As David O’Doherty takes to the Grand for two extra dates, Pleasance Times looks at the extra shows taking place this week
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ue to overwhelming demand, and sell out run this year in Pleasance One, David O’Doherty will play two extra dates in the Pleasance Grand this Friday and Saturday. Armed with his retro Casio and quick witted ditties, David will play two dates, giving everyone a chance to see his stunning, sell out 2013 show; David O’Doherty Will Try To Fix Everything. Over the festival David has played anumber of mixed bills to give as many people as possible the chance to catch his comedy yet even appearances on sell out shows such as the Tartan Ribbon on which David appeared have still left many wanted more of the DOD.
But it’s not just David whose successful regular run has led to extra shows being programmed this year at the Pleasance. Mischief Theatre’s The Play
That Goes Wrong has had a tremendously seccuessful run this year and they company have added an extra show tomorrow, 23 August Sketch fans who missed out on tickets for Wittank and The Beta Males can catch the troupes on the 24th and 23rd respectively whilst Peacock and Gamble are also playing extra shows on both those dates. The Pleasance has also programmed in an extra show from Radio 4 writer and Chortle Award winner star Joseph Morpurgo. Joseph’s daily show at the has been generating queues around the block and leaving many fans disappointed as they have been unable to squeeze into the venue each day. For anyone who has missed Joseph or just wants to see what all the fuss has been about then head over to Beside tonight (22nd) and check him
18.00 in the Cellar each day then his extra show in the beautiful Bunker on 24th is a must.
out.
With a schedule already jammed packed full of treats, the extra shows on offer at the Pleasance are great
With a schedule already jammed packed full of daily treats, the extra shows on offer this year at the Pleasance are great for anyone who has missed out on tickets for big names such as David O’Doherty or who just want to relive their favourite performances again.
Another young comic who has been storming the Fringe is Ivo Graham. At just 22, Ivo has been nominted for a number of esteemed awards including the Leicester Mercury Comedian of the Year and has been entertaining audiences this year with his tales of sibling rivalry and the price of rice pudding in London. If you haven’t had chance to catch his show at
For full details of all extra shows, check out www.pleasance.co.uk, the extra show boards or ask at the Box Office
WORK IN PROGRESS
Catch some of the hottest acts in intimate venues as they present work in progress shows
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ou would usually expect to find the biggest names in stand up comedy selling out arenas, playing huge Edinburgh shows or just not even bothering with the Fringe at all. Why would you, many may ask, bother with a rough and ready Edinburgh show when you can make hundreds of pounds each night playing to audiences who love you from TV or radio? Yet this year the Pleasance is playing host to an array of stand up stars who are using the Fringe to premier new material in top quality shows which give a sneak peek of what they have in store. This year three massive names of comedy will be debuting brand new work at the Pleasance. Comic poet Tim Key, a Fringe favourite who last year performed his show Masterslut to 750 people in the Grand, has returned this year with his show Work in Slutgress which he is performing in the significantly more intimate setting of the Queen Dome. On performing a work in progrees Tim has commented that: “Doing a work-in-progress has been really, really nice. No reviewers, no expectation, no pressure. I took the room late because it became free late, and have bopped about in it trying to make a new hour work. Not that it’s not ambitious, I’m trying my hardest and I like how it looks. I wanted to get close to having “a show” by the end of it and I think I’m getting close now. Before, I’ve only come up when I have something “finished”. But I’ve loved doing it this way, using Edinburgh as a fun lab rather than somewhere to dangle something pretty and polished. Last few days now, so I might start
polishing, but it’s work-in-progress so I might also hack and smash it about again, too.” Just announced to perform a work in progress show is 8 out of 10 Cats star Jon Richardson who made his Edinburgh debut in 2006 and quickly rocketed to success. A familiar face to many, Jon is known for his self deprecatory sense of humour of observational style and will be trying out new material on the 25th August in Pleasance Upstairs. Although used to performing down camera lenses and to hundreds of fans in large capacity venues, this show will allow Jon to showcase his latest material in a comfortable, cosy setting. Jack Whitehall will also be making an appearance this festival, preparing new material for his 2014 show and donating all proceeds to the Charlie Hartill Fund, which helped launch his career when he came to Edinburgh as part of The Comedy Reserve. High demand has meant Jack’s show is now sold out so you’ll have to wait for the polished product to catch his latest work. Finally, Simon Amstell plays Pleasance Forth on the 22nd, 23rd and 24th, his first new material to be performed since the worldwide tour of 2012’s outstanding show Numb. After his recent foray into situation comedy with the show Grandma’s House – written by Simon and in which he starred as a version of himself – Simon will return to stand up at the Pleasance with material which is set to be as insightful, philosophical and personal as his smash hit shows Do Nothing and Numb.
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PLEASANCE TIMES
PICTURE SHOW
STOP PRESS: TARTAN RIBBON COMEDY BENEFIT LINE UP! The Boy With Tape On His Face David O’Doherty Tim Vine
Image of the day: Backstage at the tech rehersal as Scroobius Pip prepares for this debut Fringe show, Words
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croobius Pip does not seem like a star of the UK hip hop and electronic scene. He is understated, grateful and truly humble as he talks about his show, Words, the reception it has so far received, his work in the music world and love of comedy, and does not for one moment seem anything but a normal guy, albeit an incredibly talented one.
View exclusive photos of our acts, backstage shots and Pleasance pictures taken by our photographer.
@ThePleasance CONGRATULATIONS Carl Donnelly @CarlDonnelly, James Acaster @JamesAcaster Max and Ivan @maxandivan Nick Helm @helm & Seann Walsh @seannwalsh
ISSUE 6: 10TH AUGUST 2013
WORD PLAY: SCROOBIUS PIP SHARES HIS WORDS
Published every two days during the festival catch up on previous editions online
“Being around comedians and pretending I’m meant to be here is great”
A spoken word performance at a festival best known for comedy and theatre may seem like a slightly odd fit and something many performers wouldn’t initially consider doing. “When I toured it in December,” Pip begins as I ask what made him bring a spoken word show to the Fringe this year, I wanted to play in rock venues to show people you can have a good night out at a spoken word gig (in fact, Pip comments that one of the reasons he chose the Ace Dome was because it has a bar) and Tim Key and Brett Goldstein caught it and suggested I bring it up the Fringe this year. Just to have them think I could do something at the Fringe was great as I’m a massive fan of them both.” The good time ethic Pip sees as key to his work was there at the birth of Words when he
premiered the show during the Saturday night headline spot at Latitude Festival last year. Initially expecting an audience of two or three hundred people he arrived onstage to find a 4000 strong crowd Pip was overwhelmed with the show’s initial reception . “It was the Saturday night headline slot,” he almost shakes his head in slight disbelief, “You would except people to want to go out and go dancing but they’d had to stand everyone up as there were about 4000 people in the tent. And they stayed there, and listened to the whole thing and it meant the world to me. It was so overwhelming, such a wonderful reaction.” Known also for his work in music, something which may well have drawn the impressive Latitude crowd, often with Dans Le Sac, Pip notes he often forgets people know him foremost for this and ask if he’ll be doing “any of the songs” in his set. “Well,” he smiles, “I think yeah, but the delivery won’t be the same and the inflections too, some of ‘the songs’ will be there but it will be different.” Scroobius Pip has always engaged with society in his work. Whilst many poets and spoken word artists can be concerned with introspective subjects life Pip’s work constantly strives to connect to the wider society. “I do this partly because I’m a fan of hip hop,” he begins, “Along with spoken word it’s always the quickest to respond to things. A great example is the Treyvon Martin case, where artists reacted to the ‘stand your ground law’ in America during the trial, It’s such an instant response.”
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Although Pip mentioned he was a comedy nerd at the beginning of our conversation, I was still surprised by his knowledge and response
Slightly Fat Features
“It was so overwhelming, such a wonderful reaction” when I asked what he’s most excited to see at the Fringe this year. As we talked of ex-rapper Doc Brown, Doctor Brown and his silent comedy, Tom Rosenthal and many others Pip is keen to catch, Pip is constantly enthused and passionate about something he clearly loves. “Being around the comedians and pretending I’m meant to be to be here is great. Chris Ramsey came along to the show last night and it was great to chat and hang out after. It’s not a comedy show but there are some light-hearted moments, and having people like Brett and Tim previously credit my work is amazing. The main focus is me trying to play it cool around these comedians without being all ‘you know who I am!’”
Mat Ricardo And Many More TUESDAY 13 AUG PLEASANCE COURTYARD
Scroobius Pip has words a plenty to share. You can catch his show Words until 26th August in the Pleasance Dome at 21.40.
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@colleentoomey Extraordinary, powerful #TrashCuisine by Belarus Free Theatre a must-see @ edfestival. We’re still talking about how to be more proactive
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