Issue #4 - Weekend - 7-8 August - FREE
STARTING FROM SCRATCH
ITCH: A SCRATCH EVENT TURNS COMEDIANS INTO PLAYWRITES
Hils Barker in Bird in the Hand
Mike Hayley as the extraordinary Clovis Van Darkhelm
Moi, Marcel Lucont’s autobiography, read and perfomed by Alexis Dubus
Last year, The Comedians Theatre Company scored a hit with their irreverent version of classic comedy School for Scandal at the Pleasance. This year they return, in the best tradition of comedy, with something completely different. Itch is fun, new, and involves hordes of Edinburgh’s most talented comic performers, all willing to take a risk in the spirit of adventure. Itch takes new scripts completely from scratch, getting them up in front of an audience for the first time. Throughout 2010, Ed Byrne, Jack Whitehall, Hattie Hayridge, Brendon Burns, Jarred Christmas, and Steve Frost have been amongst the comics who have been applying their expertise and experience to the new material at the Pleasance’s London venue. With this breadth and depth of talent, the results have always been entertaining, often moving, and sometimes entirely unpredictable! In Edinburgh, festival performers will step up to the challenge of a new Itch event every day, performing dozens of the best of the new scripts with minimal rehearsal and maximum adrenaline. Highlights will include Scottish comedians’ Hardeep
Singh Kohli and Wendy Wason’s charming new buddy piece; the satirical Cul-de-Sac scripts by So You Think You’re Funny Winner, Matthew Osborne; Sara Pascoe’s funny and poignant Emily’s Very Sad Play; and Blackadder star Steve Frost in Milton Jones’ endearing new father and son comedy. Jo Caulfield, Simon Munnery, Phil Nichol, and many others will all put in performances along the way. Itch will be varied, spontaneous and daring. It hopes to capture the spirit of Edinburgh with its community of comic performers and audiences, all sharing in and celebrating the fun of the festival. There will be a launch of Itch on the 8th August, 2pm, so get your ticket now for what will be a very special scratch with lots of familiar faces at the Courtyard that day! Itch: A Scratch Event Pleasance Courtyard 4-30 Aug (Not 17, 24) 14:00
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5 Wonderful Websites #flyerface Pictures Bright Is The Ring Of Words Interview
5 WONDERFUL WEBSITES Websites aren’t just a source for information. They can be great fun, entertaining and and visually stunning. Check out some of our shows’ sites... Popcorn Comedy popcorncomedy.com Not only can you watch some great comedy videos on the Popcorn site, you can also submit your own. The most successful could even be featured in one of the live Pleasance shows. There’s information, too, about their iPhone app which helps you find the funniest comedy videos on the web.
Nina Conti – Talk to the Hand ninaconti.co.uk Nina has drawn and coloured in a lovely treehouse for everyone to enjoy. “I can’t sleep. I should have my own room. I built this treehouse damnit”. Check out the ‘Video Den’ and the ‘News Tree Swing’ to find out what Nina’s been up to.
Tall Stories’ New Show tallstories.org.uk The charming productions of Tall Stories are matched by this beautiful and insightful site featuring history information, past shows, photos and more.
I Love You Because iloveyoubecause themusical.co.uk Listen to tracks like ‘Another Saturday Night in New York’ and ‘Because ninaconti.co.uk of You’ from the musical while reading the story of its creation. The perfect prelude to seeing the musical itself. Righteous Money www.righteousmoney.tv tallstories.org.uk Meet CJ, author of ‘Buy The Recession: How to Profit From Disaster’, and watch episode one of his latest show, Righteous Money. You can also listen to financial advice in audio form. popcorncomedy.com
INTERVIEW: BRIGHT IS THE RING OF WORDS Jeffery Mayhew, writer of and actor in Bright Is The Ring Of Words talks to The Pleasance Times about his new show.
What is Bright is the Ring of Words all about? The play is fundamentally looking at an elderly singer with exceptional talent who has hit the drink very heavily over the years and is moving towards the end. In these last few weeks, a young man doing community service has been assigned to him much against his will – as a carer. The young man is aware of the singer’s history and to some extent hates him for it, because he would have relished that chance at success. The action of the piece takes place over the course of one hour in real time in the flat that this singer has
washed up in. It is highly entertaining, and isn’t mean to be selfindulgent or introspective but rather lively, physical and very active. Where did the play originate? It’s personal. Part of it is a homage. I studied opera and it just so happened that my contemporaries (who were all extremely good) became very famous. Although I was alright, I was never going to be that good so I decided not to go down that route. One of my contempoaries in particular was brilliant, and was set to be the baritone of the last half-century. But he drank it away and
eventually died a few years ago. It was such a great, great pity. The play takes his story as a springing-off point. So there’s a genuine musical background to the play? Oh yes. If you’ve got a washed up opera singer, you’ve got the background, the anecdotes, the stories, which he has. He is a funny old drunk; charming, witty and entertaining. The audience do laugh, and they laugh a lot, but the idea is to sensitise them for the more poignant moments. Bright is the Ring of Words Pleasance Courtyard 4-30 Aug (Not 17) 15:25
KIDZONE DROPZONE1HOUR FREE Get one hour of childcare free when you book in with Pleasance’s Kidzone Dropzone. Maybe you’ve spent the morning seeing some of our fantastic kids shows but want to see something more adult in the afternoon; Kidzone Dropzone is your ideal solution. The scheme is run by Premier Creche Services ltd who have been operating shopping centre creches since 1985. To date, they’ve looked after and cared for
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@The Pleasance #pleasancetimes
The Pleasance Kidzone Dropzone 1Hour Free
over 5 million children. All staff are profesionally trained and qualified, and the organisation is appoved by Ofsted.
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RT: @ThreesCompany any interesting fringe dreams? get them interpreted by our REVERIE team - email tom@ threescompany.co.uk #pleasancetimes #edfringe #reverie
EXTRA SHOW GREG DAVIES
RT: @BenGLuke Would strongly recommend Ovids MetamorGreg Davies, star of The phosis at @thepleasInbetweeners amd We Are ance - really playful, Klang, has added an extra show to his Pleasance Run. fast paced piece. Great ensemble. Go! #pleasanHe will perform Firing cetimes Cheeseballs At A Dog in Pleasance One on RT: @npch Saturday 7th 23:40. Get your free tickets for @thepleasance press launch with a veritable sampling of acts. sat 7 aug, noon #edfringe RT: @soyturista Seann Walsh was very funny. I cried twice, in a good way. #edfringe #pleasance #seetheshow RT: @JasminEgner I recommend you see Derevo’s Harlekin @ Pleasance Courtyard even if ur not sure physical theatre is 4 you. It’s haunting! #wosed #edfringe
SATURDAY 7TH AFTER HOURS Pleasance Dome 00:40 SARAH MILLICAN JASON COOK GORDON SOUTHERN CAREY MARX GINGER & BLACK AMUSED MOOSE GANGSHOW Pleasance Dome 12:40 PATRICK MONAHAN GARY DELANEY PAUL McCAFFREY ERIC LAMPAERT NAZ OSMANOGLU RORY O’HANLON CARLY SMALLMAN BBC COMEDY PRESENTS Pleasance Dome 23:00 Chris Ramsey Nick Helm Mick Ferry Pippa Evans Shappi Khorsandi
MERVYN STUTTER’S PICK OF THE FRINGE Pleasance Courtyard 12:55 The Magnets Pappy’s Itch: A Scratch Event Featuring Segue Sisters Bo Burnam Ian D Montford (Tom Binns) Territory Sophie Black NICHOLAS PARSONS: HAPPY HOUR Pleasance Courtyard 17:10 Ali McGregor Jimeoin BEST OF POPCORN COMEDY Pleasance Dome 23:30 Simon Munnery Rob Rouse RONNA AND BEVERLY Pleasance Courtyard 17:45 Alex Zane Sara Pascoe
STORYTELLER’S CLUB Pleasance Courtyard 22:00 Robin Ince John-Luke Roberts Helen Arney James Doweswell Host: Sarah Bennetto VIVE LE CABARET Pleasance at Ghillie Dhu 21:30 Janey Godley Suitcase Royale Loretta Maine (Pippa Evans) Mr B The Gentleman Rhymer The Kitsch Kats Gypsy Charms Kiki Kaboom Hosted by Des O’Connor
EXTRA SHOW
Greg Davies: Firing Cheeseballs At A Dog Pleasance One Saturday 7th 11:40pm
Best of Edinburgh: The Showcase Show Pleasance Courtyard 13:10 Host – Des Bishop Adam Vincent Aidan Bishop Abandoman Tom Wrigglesworth THE DAVE HILL EXPLOSION Pleasance Courtyard 23:00 Ali Cook Brothers Streep ITCH: A SCRATCH EVENT Pleasance Courtyard 14:00 Alexis Dubus (Marcel Lucont) Simon Munnery Jared Christmas, Hils Barker & Gordon Southern SPANK’s James Wren
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