Issue #21 - Friday 27th August - FREE
IN the zone Comedy zone performer Naz Osmanoglu interviews ex-comedyzoNe-performer (And Best newcomer nominee) gareth richards
The Comedy Zone, which annually features four up and coming comedians, has a prestigious reputation and impressive legacy of performers. Following his nomination for the Foster’s Edinburgh Comedy Awards, Gareth Richards talks to one of this year’s Zone stars, Naz Osmanoglu. N: So Gareth, congratulations on your newcomer nomination. How do you feel? G: Rather surprised. N: Why are you surprised? I’m not surprised. G: I only found out just now, someone sent me a text saying “congratulations mate” without saying what it was about. N: You’re a high flyer now, with your nomination, but do you miss The Comedy Zone? G: I should put anything I say about The Comedy Zone in context. Last year I’d had a baby boy six weeks before. It was the most traumatic thing that’s ever happened to me. I was a shell of a man, but we still came to Edinburgh and still did The Comedy Zone N: Did the baby join you? G: Yes. I did a ventriloquist thing with him. N: And how is your hour this year? You’ve been nominated! Is it awesome? G: It is awesome. I’ve been enjoying myself. I really like it. I think it’s good. N: Fantastic. What was your
walk-on music last year? G: Stronger by Kanye West. That’s what the Zone is all about; it makes you stronger, it’s so good for you. Nobody comes to see you specifically, so you can get that over with. They want to see some comedy, but they’re not discerning enough to decide who they want to see. They know they want a Zone of some sorts. N: Did you get any weird heckles? G: I’m a hard man of comedy. That’s what I’m like. People mess with me, they’re going down. Actually, I once got heckled by one of the bar staff. I said that I’d just had a baby and they shouted out “poor kid”. I think they were fired. N: It’s pretty cosy backstage, isn’t it? G: It is a very intimidating room, a tiny box with posters of acts from the last twenty years, along with confidence-undermining graffiti. N: My favourite piece of graffiti is the one above the door which reads “Remember: You’re investing in your future”. So tell me about your final night show? G: Well Chris Ramsey, who was compering, got really freaked out about it because the previous year all the acts had got really drunk and performed each others’ material. By the end, the producer told Tom Deacon that he had to perform
Above: Gareth Richards, Top Right: Naz Osmanoglu’s head
his own material because people had paid for comedy and weren’t getting it. But people ended up heckling Deacon. We ended up writing a song about each other that we performed. What about you? N: There are discussions. Maybe blind date. But we’d have to do that at the beginning otherwise people would have already seen us and it wouldn’t be blind. So we’d have to do a climax that would be even bigger. Paintball? Last question, then: Would you do it again? (I’ve really tried hard with these questions, I think it’s been a very professional interview). G: When we came to your first night, you all did so well, which was disappointing.
We hadn’t come to see people do well. But the thing was, if any emergency happened, if anyone died, we were totally ready to jump up on stage. It’s such a great room isn’t it? Everyone’s just right there, king of the world. Would you do it again? N: Well I’m doing it tonight. I’m financially obligated to do it again, really. The Comedy Zone Pleasance Courtyard 4-30 Aug 22:45 Gareth Richards Pleasance Courtyard 4-30 Aug 18:00
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How To Make A Million Before Lunch Terry Alderton sketch
Rachel Bridge: How to make a million before lunch 1. Don’t Borrow Money Securing a business loan can come with as many headaches as being turned down for one. First off, the raft of fees that come attached to a loan – on top of the interest makes the cost of borrowing very expensive. In practical terms it means that every month the first chunk of money you make goes instantly to the bank. The obvious answer is to start up a business that does not require a loan to get it going. The good news is that it is entirely possible to start up a successful business with little or no money. 2. Don’t Be An Inventor One of the most common misconceptions is that to create a successful business you need to invent a product that is completely new. But it takes years to get an invention from drawing board to the shelves
of Tesco or B&Q and it requires far too much risk and pain for a first time entrepreneur who is likely to be financing it by remortgaging the family home. 3. Make Sure There Is Demand For Your Idea Before you start-up your business, make sure that people will actually want to buy what you’re selling. If they don’t – you won’t have a business. Often first time entrepreneurs get it the wrong way round – they focus on what they would like to do and forget to think about who is going to want their product or service until much later. If you’re stuck for ideas then just look around your world and find something that infuriates you. If you find yourself thinking, well I could do better than this, then there is your answer. 4. Put Your Business Online Even the smallest shops
We all know venues in Edinburgh are often incredibly hot and to be packed into them with an audience, acts and lights can be an uncomfortable experience. It is therefore not surprising to hear that audience members have fainted during a show. The surprise here is that this person fainted not as a result of the heat but because of a prop.
The Real MacGuffins were in the middle of performing a sketch when an audience member collapsed. It was revealed that the person suffered from a severe phobia of potatoes, the object around which the sketch was based. The show was stopped, the audience member recovered and everything
have realised that having their own website can substantially increase the flow of customers to their ‘real life’ store. But why have a ‘real life’ store at all? There are just so many disadvantages to opening a shop, or having a office, and here are just two of them – cost and inflexibility. Contrast that to the benefits of putting your business entirely online. Your costs are limited to setting up a website with an e-commerce function. 5. Ask For Help When you are running a small business it is tempting to think you can and should do everything yourself – but this is not the case. You need to create a team of people around you made up of people who can give you practical help, and people who can
offer you informed advice based on knowledge and experience. It can be hard to admit you need help, particularly if you are surrounded by people who think you are foolish to be going it alone. But practical help can make an amazing difference to getting things done. And advice from someone who has been there before can make a huge difference to your chances of success. How To Make A Million Before Lunch Pleasance Courtyard 17-29 Aug 12:30
Warning: Show Contains potato
was fine but The Real MacGuffins are warning anyone out there with potato based sketches to be aware. Your sketches may not be as fun and harmless as you think. Warning: The Real MacGuffins may not be suitable for anyone who has a sensitive disposition to packets of crisps, potatoes, laminated cards, chairs or suit jackets.
The Real MacGuffins Pleasance Courtyard 4-29 Aug 10:45
A Model for Arts Funding
Christopher Richardson, founder of the Pleasance, spoke to a sell-out crowd at the Charlie Hartill Special Reserve Comedy Benefit on Wednesday night. The benefit, which featured Jack Whitehall, Greg Davies, Tim Key, Idiots of Ants, Tim Fitzhigham and newcomer Daniel Simonsen, raises money for the Special Reserve fund which supports new talent. The fund provides a platform for young acts to perform at the Festival Fringe. This year, four comedians and two plays have received support. “We increasingly need to support more things for ourselves” advised
Christopher. “There will soon be very little support for the arts.” “The Charlie Hartill Special Reserve is an investment fund. We put money into a show and expect to get some or all of it back. Sometimes we even make a profit, which can then be invested in another show. Of course, like any investment, some lose, but kind donations and benefit gigs like this one are able to make up that loss.” Christopher went on to suggest that the Charlie Hartill Special Reserve could provide an effective model for other arts organisations. “We mustn’t just sit and moan about
the lack of public subsidy – we have to go out and do something about it ourselves. There is a sort of natural selection about performance art; good performances will work out with a mild injection of money.” “Perhaps”, suggests Christopher, “this model is a potential way to fund the arts in this crowded and expensive world.”
Pic of the pleasance: terry aldeRton
@ThePleasance #pleasancetimes RT @Pappystweet: It’s Official! Pappy’s All Business Charity Advocaat Special is happening at 11.40pm, Pleasance One, Sunday August 29th. Please RT! RT @dollyface88 Colin Hoult’s show at The Pleasance Courtyard is the best thing I have seen this festival. 4.45, go see it. Astounding character comedy. RT @faiirygirl saw alex zane at the pleasance dome and laughed so much i cried. He is a beautiful, beautiful man. RT @robthelegend: Newsrevue @thepleasance - good as ever, the Coalition Government has given them plenty of new material! #edfringe RT @mmarrow Goodness me, Strassman is a good show. 7pm @ ThePleasance Two.
Terry Alderton performs his unique blend of interaction and set pieces in the Pleasance Ace Dome, here as his alter-ego. Picture by Christopher Richardson
RT @threescompany Just flyered @josielong by accident at @ ThePleasance Dome. Why does that feel like such a faux pas? #Reverie #edfringe
FRIDAY 27TH AFTER HOURS Pleasance Dome 00:40 Reginald D Hunter Andrew Maxwell Arj Barker Andrew Bird Imran Yusuf BBC COMEDY PRESENTS Pleasance Dome 23:00 Jason Cook MC Frisky & Mannish Julian Deane Alex Zane Asher Treleavan
MERVYN STUTTERโ S PICK OF THE FRINGE Pleasance Courtyard 12:55 ANTONIO FORCIONE BABA BRINKMAN MARIA TECCE LAST MINER CAVA NINA CONTI: TALK TO THE HAND Pleasance Dome 20:30 Alex Zane
RONNA AND BEVERLY Pleasance Courtyard 17:45 Carl Donnelly STORYTELLERโ S CLUB Pleasance Courtyard 22:00 Jo Caulfield Celia Pacquola Alison Bice Thom Tuck (from the Penny Dreadfuls) Sarah Bennetto (host) Please note that all line-ups are subject to change. Check the Box Office for the latest information.
THE DAVE HILL EXPLOSION Pleasance Courtyard 23:00 DAN ANTOPOLSKI LUCY PORTER CHRIS RAMSEY JAMES SHERWOOD ITCH: A SCRATCH EVENT Pleasance Courtyard 14:00 Hattie Hayridge (Red Dwarf) Mick Cullinan (Dead Cat Bounce) Carey Marx Alan Francis Steve McNeil Segue Sisters Clovis van Darkhelm
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