Issue #23 - Monday 30th August - FREE
TRIPLE AWARD
Three edinburgh comedy awards, three pleasance winners
BEST COMEDY SHOW:
RUSSELL KANE
Russell Kane has come out on top at this year’s Foster’s Edinburgh Comedy Awards. Russell, who has been nominated for three consecutive years, picked up the prize on Saturday afternoon following an extensive judging and decision-making process. Kane beat off fierce competition from hundreds of other eligible acts to be nominated alongside a shortlist of four others, including Pleasance performers Greg Davies with his show Firing Cheeseballs At A Dog and Bo Burnham’s Words, Words, Words. Shortly after the announcement, Kane sent a tweet saying “Cripes! I only went and won the thing! So happy!” He described himself as “utterly humbled” by the award. Kane’s show, Smokescreens and Castles, simply concerns his childhood. “It is about the council house I grew up in - The Castle. I go room by room and explore my childhood home. The previous shows were about big ideas. This year’s show was really personal. I thought it was really simple but sometimes when you boil it all down gems start to appear.” Nica Burns, who produces the awards, heaped praise on the winner, saying that “Russell Kane takes the audience by storm with his boundless energy and enthusiasm. An extremely funny show from a very talented comic.” The award carries a prize of £10,000, but also places Russell Kane in the history books alongside previous winners such as Al Murray, The League of Gentlemen, Dylan Moran, Frank Skinner and, most recently Tim Key. If you haven’t caught Russell’s show during the Festival, don’t worry. He and other nominees will be performing at The Foster’s Edinburgh Comedy Awards Show at 8pm tonight in the Pleasance Grand. Tickets will sell fast, so make sure you snap them up quickly. Russell Kane, Pleasance Courtyard, 4-30 Aug 21:10
BEST NEWCOMER:
ROISIN CONATY
Roisin Conaty won the Best Newcomer Award at the awards on Saturday, along with the £5000 associated prize fund. Conaty’s show Hero, Warrior, Fireman, Liar looks at how the world has changed since her school days from the political euphoria of 1997 to the doom and gloom of 2010. She competed for the prize against five other nominees, including Pleasance performers Asher Treleaven, Late Night Gimp Fight and Gareth Richards. Roisin Conaty, Pleasance Dome, 4-30 Aug 18:15
PANEL PRIZE:
BO BURNHAM
Bo Burnham has enjoyed meteoric success at his debut Edinburgh Festival Fringe appearance. His widespread internet success translated to the stage with seeming effortlessness. The judges saw this as “proof that online sensations with millions of fans will still flock to the cramped streets of Edinburgh.” Impressed with Burnham’s achievement, the judges awarded Bo Burnham their Panel Prize.
INTERVIEW: ANTHONY ALDERSON, important part of our PLEASANCE DIRECTOR very audience, and it’s great to 2010 - a good festival? I’ve had a lovely festival. It has been a challenging but great festival. What have been the challenges? Every day presents different things, starting way back in January. But we get through them, and so this festival has been one of our finest. What are you most proud of? Ultimately, the people who work in it, the companies who perform in it and the people who come to it. For 28 days we come together to create a sort of beacon of festive light. It’s an extraordinary event and an extraordinary charity, made very special by the people who work in it. What values does
Pleasance hold most dear? The ethos of Pleasance is often misunderstood. We are a charity whose aim is to assist those people who work in the arts to experience, to grow, to change, to learn something, to move on, to find friends, fall in love, have babies. The Festival represents some of the best things we have in our lives. It’s important to recognise the values that Pleasance had at the start when Christopher founded it. It’s important to hang on as tightly as we can to those values and to protect them. Pleasance have catered more than ever before for kids – has it been a success? Kids have always been a
keep building that up. We’ve always done kids shows, but now we’ve added all the bits that surround those. Kids are the future of this event and it is important that we get them excited about creativity as early as we can. Back to London now – what are your plans there? London is a hugely important part of pleasance. It is designed to support Edinburgh. It provides a platform for people to develop work and skills, and to promote all things Pleasance. What we want to do in the future is provide a new platform, an environment where anybody, and I mean anybody, can come with an idea and it be taken on its merit alone.
How has Pleasance and the Fringe affected you personally? I’m moved by all of it. To think back over the years, with all the shows we’ve done and the shows that have had a major impact on my life. What I love about this festival is that you are constantly surprised. 2010 has been a true representation of what Pleasance, and the people within it, are capable of.
THE PLEASANCE TIMES AWARDS Many congratulations to these, the winners and runners up of the inaugural Pleasance Times Awards...
Most Inventive Show Title Winner: Seann Walsh – I’d happily punch myself in the face Runner Up: David O’Doherty: Somewhere Over The David O’Doherty
The Nightingale Award for Tweeting Excellence Winner: Reverie Runner Up: The Penny Dreadfuls Best Hair Winner: Terry Alderton Runner Up: Radio HooHah
Most Commonly Mispronounced Show Winner: Hans Tewene / Hans Teeuwen Runner Up: Bob Urnham / Bo Burnham
Spotted: The Best Celebrities (Non-Fringe-Performers) Winner: Charlie Brooker Runner Up: Christopher Lee
Best Show Poster Winner: John-Luke Roberts Distracts You From A Murder Best Flyering Technique Winner: “Excuse me, could you hold Runner Up: Arthur Smith Best Fringe Venue this for me” Winner: Pleasance Courtyard Runner Up: Pre-meditated Funniest Runner Up: Pleasance Dome (or spontaneous) nudity Customer Queries Runner Up: Pleasance at Ghillie Dhu Winner: “Hello. I’ve got a very poorly puppy. Is it OK if I pop him in a bag Food That’s Got Us Thank you to all those who voted, Through The Festival and bring him along to the show?” to the nominations panel and to the Winner: Baguette Express Runner Up: “Does the Pleasance do vote ajudicators ; It could not have Runner Up: Mosque Kitchen costume hire?” happened without you!
PLEASANCE’S 12 MONTH FRINGE We’ve reached the end Islington opened in 1995 create some of the most of the festival. That’s it. Pack up, go home, relax and wait it out until August 2011. Right? Actually, for Pleasance, August is just one month in a full twelve month programme of activity. The Pleasance Theatre,
both to provide a launch pad for Pleasance’s Edinburgh activity and to bring some of the Festival spirit to London. Since then, huge numbers of practitioners and productions have found a home at Pleasance Islington, helping to
impressive work of recent years. Even more importantly, Pleasance provides support for young talents of the future. Expansion is planned at Pleasance Islington. “Enormous strides are happening at Pleasance
Islington” tells director Anthony Alderson, “we have embarked on one of our most adventurous projects to date.” Pleasance are building a creative development centre, including four rehearsal studios, three recording studios, a cabaret space, arts café and offices. If you’ve enjoyed your time with Pleasance this August, how can you get involved with Pleasance from September through July?
@ThePleasance #pleasancetimes
The outdoor courtyard at Pleasance Islington, leading to theatre and rehearsal spaces
COMEDY Pleasance Islington hosts big name comedy acts on a regular basis. Eddie Izzard, Russell Brand, Dara O’Briain, Simon Amstell and Tim Minchin have all performed, and up and coming comedians have made their name there too. Why not check out, for example, Idiots Of Ants’ regular night, Crash Test Comedy, featuring the very best stand up and sketch comedy. THEATRE A thriving theatre programme exists throught the year at the Islington theatre, featuring both Fringe previews and productions in their own right. Look out for Charlie
and Lola Best Bestest Play this December. SPACE HIRE Creativity needs space to flourish. For those looking to rehearse, experiment or create performances, Pleasance’s rehearsal rooms and performance spaces could provide the ideal solution. With Pleasance’s imminent expansion there will soon be even more capacity for facilitating creativity. SUPPORT AND ADVICE As a charity, Pleasance is committed to supporting new and young talent, particularly in preparation for the Edinburgh Festival. Schemes like the Charlie Hartill Special Reserve Fund directly encourage
young talent in theatre and comedy by providing financial support, as does the Young Pleasance Company. Staff are also committed to advising and supporting anybody else who has an interest in performance or theatre management, so all you need to do is ask. EVENTS In addition to the regular programme, look out for extra events, parties and goings-on at Pleasance Islington. Be sure to hear about events first by signing up to be a Friend of the Pleasance which, in return for a £25 donation, provides updates, discounts and selected free tickets.
RT @brgtownsend If you stand too close to a wall in the Pleasance Courtyard, you WILL be mistaken for a queue and people will line up next to you. Awkward. RT @lauralexx dear saturday night at the pleasance courtyard, you are pleasing me. Love laura xxx RT @johnbeecher Off to see Two Episodes of Mash @ThePleasance, because one episode is not enough. Lets see what they do with those crumpets. #edfringe RT @sidewayssawney Goodbye from your Pleasance Times editor. It’s been lovely. I’m off round the world. More of this greatness at blog. sideways.me.uk. See ya!
MONDAY 30TH BBC COMEDY PRESENTS Pleasance Dome 23:00 BBC Comedy Presents.... Songs & Jokes! Expect top acts telling jokes and singing karaoke TOP SECRET NAMES Party atmos to celebrate the end of the run
FOSTERโ S EDINBURGH COMEDY AWARD SHOW Pleasance Grand 20:00 Russell Kane Roisin Conaty Sarah Millican Compere: TBC Please note that all line-ups are subject to change. Check the Box Office for the latest information.
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Enjoy your last Festival day! See you all next year for Pleasance 2011...