Eddie Izzardhas been appointed as the first alumni Patron of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society.
As our first Patron, Eddie will represent the idea that the Fringe Society is the charity that underpins the Fringe and supports the Fringe to fulfil its vision to ‘give anyone a stage and everyone a seat‘.
In 1981, while studying Accounting and Financial Management at Sheffield University, Eddie first came to Edinburgh, and the Fringe, with a vision of emulating her Monty Python heroes who had all played there, but it took her 10 years to get shortlisted for the Perrier Comedy Award in 1991 (now the Edinburgh Comedy Awards).
Eddie performed at the Fringe twelve times over thirteen years to get her career to take off – in sketch comedy, street performing, and finally in stand-up comedy.
Eddie is now recognised around the world, having played in forty-five countries, in four languages, and in venues like Madison Square Garden and the Hollywood Bowl. She has also acted in such diverse Hollywood films as Ocean’s Twelve and Thirteen, Six Minutes to Midnight, Valkyrie, Victoria & Abdul, Whisky Galore and The Lego Batman Movie, as well as Sky’s hit drama Stay Close.
Winner of both Primetime Emmy and International Emmy awards, and nominated for a Tony Award for Best Actor, Eddie is a global champion for creativity, and a vocal supporter for those starting out.
Eddie Izzard said: “The Edinburgh Fringe gives people from all around the world – a wonderful, open door opportunity to perform and be seen. But it is also physically and mentally as tough as hell. It took me eight Fringe festivals to start breaking through, and ten festivals to finally arrive!
“But the Fringe Festival taking place in the dramatic and historic capital city of Edinburgh gives it something else. It gives it grandeur. It is this grandeur, coupled with young people’s intense creative struggle, that has made the Edinburgh Fringe what it is today. A legend.”
Shona McCarthy, Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society Chief Executive, said: “Eddie’s enthusiasm and passion for what the Fringe represents is inspiring, and she speaks from the heart and personal experience of its challenges. We are delighted to welcome her as a Patron of the Fringe Society.
“As someone who has performed at the Fringe since the 80s, she has experienced the festival as an emerging artist, as a street performer, and as a returning performer at the top of her game.
“As an organisation created to support artists in navigating, and maximising their time at the Festival, Eddie’s involvement, through her role as Patron, will resonate with many looking to develop their careers. It is a privilege to have Eddie on board, supporting the work of the Society and working with us to achieve our Fringe development goals and commitments.”
Yesterday’s announcement follows the 2021 appointment of Phoebe-Waller Bridge as the Society’s first honorary President.
In the coming months we will recruit a range of patrons from our Fringe alumni to join Phoebe and Eddie in championing the Fringe vision and development goals.
We want the Edinburgh Fringe to be the best Festival in the world for artists and audiences alike, and it is both welcome and necessary to have the support of brilliant Fringe alumni to help make that happen.
Gabby Killick’s new comedy show Game of Thongs is coming to the Edinburgh Fringe
Award-winning comedian Gabby Killick is set to debut her new show Game of Thongs at the Edinburgh Fringe where she’ll take a hilarious frolic through the modern-day jungle of sex, drugs and cancel culture.
It’s the show that puts the joke in woke with Gabby speaking what others dare not say. It includes her viral pandemic anthems Masturbation in Isolation and Pose and tells the social media generation the truth they don’t want to know, at least not from one of their own.
Performing at the Wee Coo in the world-famous Underbelly George Square tent, the hour-long show will run from 3rd to 29th August* at 7:20pm. It comes witha cast of extraordinary characters from ‘The Apps’ to ‘Shocking Diseases’ and every minute is mesmeric.
Gabby Killick’s previous show was voted one of the Top 3 at the Funny Women Awards and Gabby was described by the Edinburgh Evening News as “one of the most authentic voices of her generation.” Gabby’s shows have also featured in both Time Out and GQ Magazine’s 10 Coolest Things To Do In London.
Game of Thongs is brutally honest, offensive, hysterical and unapologetically about to cause a storm at this year’s Fringe.
Gabby says, “Everyone is so obsessed with cancel culture that, in the social media age, few dare to tell the truth. The great thing about comedy is that it gives us a platform to explore taboos and say it like it really is.
“Game of Thongs is offensive and shocking but it is also hilarious. The characters are a reflection and commentary on the darker aspects of our society in this digital age. I wouldn’t advise coming if you’re easily offended.”
Gabby first played the Fringe back in 2014 and since then has worked on a variety of stage and film projects and has begun releasing her comedic songs on Spotify and YouTube.
Fast-paced, thrilling verse play about marriage and political upheaval, told in blistering verse by one of the UK’s most celebrated poets. ‘Cool poems’ Patti Smith ‘A poet for our day’The Guardian
The Remains of Logan Dankworth is the third and final instalment of Fringe First and Stage Award winner Luke Wright’s trilogy of political verse plays. It looks at trust and privilege in the age of Brexit.
Logan Dankworth, newspaper columnist and Twitter warrior, grew up romanticising the political turmoil of the 1980s. Now, as the EU Referendum looms he is determined to be right there in the fray of the biggest political battle for years.
Meanwhile, Logan’s wife Megan wants to leave London to find a place to better raise their daughter. As tensions mount at home and across the nation, something is set to be lost forever. This gut wrenching and exhilarating slice of new writing won the 2020 Saboteur Award for Best Show with Luke winning Best Performer in 2021.
‘Sensational writing … human, vulnerable, eminently honest and very, very eloquent.’ The Guardian
The first two plays in the trilogy, What I Learned from Johnny Bevan and Frankie Vah, won praise from Fringe and UK-wide critics and audiences alike for their ‘mature, lyrical and politically relevant poetic writing’ (Exeunt), laced with wit, compassion and laser precision.
Luke said ‘The Remains of Logan Dankworth is the most complex and mature thing I’ve written so far. As with my earlier plays there is a personal story occurring against the backdrop of political upheaval.
“Previously I’ve dealt with Thatcherism and the legacy of New Labour, this is bang up to date and features a man approaching middle age excited by the febrile nature of British politics while trying to hold things together at home.”
Luke Wright is a poet and theatre maker who has been writing and performing his work for over 20 years, touring all over the world. He is acknowledged as one of Britain’s top stand-up poets and one of the principle architects of the now thriving spoken word scene.
Flamboyant, political and riotously funny, Luke’s published work includes four full collections, three pamphlets and his three verse plays. He is the winner of a Fringe First, a Stage Award for acting excellence and two Saboteur Awards. The Remains of Logan Dankworth is published in book form by Penned in the Margins.
‘Great! A hurtling headlong hour ’ ★★★★The Stage
The Remains of Logan Dankworth was co-commissioned by Norwich Arts Centre, National Centre for Writing, Colchester Arts Centre, and Freedom Festival. It is written & performed by Luke Wright, directed by Alex Thorpe who also has three Royal Shakespeare Company productions under his belt. Music for the show was written and performed by musician and writer Polly Wright with dramaturgy by Sarah Dickenson and lighting design by Joe Price.
Luke also performs Luke Wright’s Late Night Dance Floor Fillers (poems) at Pleasance Jack Dome 3- 29 Aug (not 15/16/17) at 23.00.
https://youtu.be/OEcE8EoGy4A
Listings information: The Remains of Logan Dankworth
Venue: Pleasance Courtyard, Above (Venue 33)
Tickets: £12-£15.50 (previews 3, 4 Aug £7.50)
Dates: 3-29 Aug (not 15/16/17) First review date 3 Aug
The cast has been announced for Hiya Dolly! ahead of its Fringe 22 run at the Space @ Surgeons Hall.
The true story of how a cute, attention-seeking lamb became the most famous sheep in history, the world’s first cloned mammal. Lab created and born at the Roslin Institute outside Edinburgh, Dolly lived the good life.
A worldwide celebrity who never left her farm. Mother to six lovely lambs. She changed biology forever – and irrevocably changed the lives of all her human parents. Who were they? How did they do it? Where are they now? Come find out how to clone a sheep in this new play by Vince LiCata, laced with Dollified Scottish tunes and plenty of woolly humour.
Hiya Dolly! is a play with live music that explores the science, human relationships, and public reaction surrounding the remarkable cloning of Dolly the sheep at the Roslin Institute outside Edinburgh. At the time many high profile scientists had declared that cloning a mammal was impossible.
It’s a whirlwind excursion through the creation of the world’s most famous sheep and the story of the people who made it happen. Itmixes science, human drama, music, humour and a talking sheep. Its songs are set to traditional Scottish folk tunes arranged by Edinburgh based musician Ciaran McGhee.
Writer Vince LiCata says, “The explosion of publicity about the cloning of Dolly the sheep was outrageous: scientific advances just don’t get that type of public hype.
“And yet all that mania included little about the actual cloning. So Hiya Dolly! is an attempt to tell the story of the cloning itself, but in a way that retains the atmosphere of the runaway circus that surrounded it.”
Director Andy Jordan comments: “I am delighted to be directing Hiya Dolly!, a highly unusual play about a truly remarkable animal. Dolly is an Edinburgh icon who was created, lived and died just outside the city, so I feel honoured to be involved in telling her truly astonishing story.
“This play brings a talking Dolly to the stage with chutzpah, wit and charm, in a way that can only happen in theatre. I can’t wait to meet her.”
Hiya Dolly!
Written by Vince LiCata,
Directed & Produced by Andy Jordan
Music Direction by Ciaran McGhee
Designed by Robbie McDonnell
Listings info
Venue: theSpaceUK @ Surgeons Hall (Grand Theatre)
Dates: Friday 5 to Saturday 27 August No performance 14 Aug
Having temporarily put down their pens and picked up guitars, this crime-writing super-group – Mark Billingham, Val McDermid, Chris Brookmyre, Luca Veste, Doug Johnstone and Stuart Neville – happily murder much-loved songs by The Clash, Elvis Costello, The Beatles, Talking Heads, The Jam, The Pretenders, Johnny Cash and many others who are currently considering legal action.
Between them, they have sold over 20 million books worldwide and won every major crime-writing award, but now they’re rocking out on the stage instead of the page and performing killer tunes in a series of killer shows at major festivals and venues, including this first ever run at the Edinburgh Fringe.
The band have rocked the stage at Glastonbury, blown the roof off The Queen’s Hall, and performed to international audiences from Reykjavik to Toronto. The unlikely band formed at the House of Blues in New Orleans in 2016, when an open mic night at a crime-writing festival got out of hand.
Fuelled by whisky, beer and distinctly murderous tendencies, the Fun Lovin’ Crime Writers deliver the most rocking night out this side of a library. Murder on the dancefloor is guaranteed!
Audience favourite, James Ley’s riotous Wilf triumphantly runs to Traverse 1
This is Paradise, Michael John O’Neill’s award-winning play, enjoys a full Traverse 2 production
Programme also includes the world premieres of Uma Nada-Rajah’s Exodus and Tabby Lamb’s Happy Meal, Liz Kingsman’s smash-hit One-Woman Show, plus a brand-new spoken word performance from the iconic ALOK
£1 tickets available across all performances for those under 25 or in receipt of low-income benefits
Traverse celebrates new stories for a new era ahead of its 60th anniversary in 2023
The Traverse has announced our TravFest22 programme, celebrating a return to full strength across our performance spaces, Traverse 1 and Traverse 2. We are delighted to be welcoming audiences back to a full-scale TravFest through a programme of vibrant and brilliant new work spanning a spectrum of stories and perspectives, from queer rom-coms to the dark heart of show business.
Marking the beginning of a bright new era for the Traverse as we build momentum for our 60th anniversary in 2023, TravFest22 is a celebration of togetherness, and of the incredible resilience and creativity t that theatre, the arts more widely, and every one of us collectively have displayed over the last two years. We are thrilled to offer such a dynamic and varied range of shows for TravFest22, made possible by the determination, ingenuity and passion of everyone involved.
We are especially overjoyed that James Ley’s riotous joyride of a show, Wilf, will be speeding back into Traverse 1, offering audiences a wild tour around Scotland, which, once taken, will never be forgotten … And Michael John O’Neill’s Popcorn Award-winning This is Paradise will justly receive a full-scale Traverse 2 production following a limited staging during TravFest21.
Each of these important and resonant shows have been under further development throughout the past two years, and we are both proud and ecstatic to finally bring them both to full-scale audiences this August.
Making a celebratory return to the streets of Edinburgh is the location-based audio experience Eavesdropping: Walk This Play® by Hannah Lavery and Sarah MacGillivray (ThickSkin in association with Traverse Theatre), which takes audiences on a journey of imagination throughout the festival city, and beyond.
Elsewhere in the programme audiences will be able to enjoy the world premieres of Uma Nada-Rajah’s satirical Exodus(National Theatre of Scotland), Sonya Kelly’s comedic The Last Return (Druid), and Tabby Lamb’s queer rom-com Happy Meal (Roots/Theatre Royal Plymouth with ETT and Oxford Playhouse). Scottish premieres include Liz Kingsman’s universally acclaimed One-Woman Show (Country Mile Productions), ALOK’s new comedy and poetry show ALOK (Soho Theatre), Lauryn Redding’s gig musical Bloody Elle (Cloudrise Productions and Royal Exchange Theatre), Matt Wilkinson’s thrilling Psychodrama (Psycho Productions & Cusack Projects Limited) and the moving Blood Harmony featuring the music of the Staves, co-created by Matthew Bulgo, Jonnie Riordan and Jess Williams (Commissioned and produced by ThickSkin and Lawrence Batley Theatre, in co-production with Watford Palace Theatre and Wales Millennium Centre and supported by the Lowry).
With the generous support of our Festival Companies, we are delighted that a limited number of £1 tickets will be available for each performance in the programme, for those under the age of 25 or in receipt of low-income government benefits, subject to availability.
Further additions to the TravFest22 programme will be announced in the coming weeks.
Linda Crooks, Executive Producer, said:“TravFest22 marks a bold and brave new beginning for the Traverse, ahead of our sixtieth anniversary in 2023. The last two years have undoubtedly been challenging, but we have continued to bring artists and audiences together online, outdoors and when possible, within our spaces to generate new ideas and keep telling new stories.
“Now we are delighted to again be able to present a full-scale, in-person festival programme and welcome our partners, friends and audiences back to a space where they can connect, imagine, plan and get back to those post show debates we’ve all missed so much.
“We are pleased to welcome friends old and new across the programme and cannot wait to share these vital and vibrant pieces of work with the audiences that’s needed to make them complete.“
Gareth Nicholls, Artistic Director, said:“We couldn’t be more thrilled to be worked with so many amazing artists this August – some we know well and others who we are incredibly excited to get to know better.
“The variety and imagination of work on offer this year especially is a testament to everyone who has kept creating throughout these difficult times, and have been unwavering in their determination to keep speaking truth to power, and use their art to confront, comfort and change.
“We are honoured to have them as part of our programme. And it’s especially meaningful for us to be able to bring both James Ley’s ‘Wilf’ and Michael John O’Neill’s ‘This is Paradise’ to full theatres this year, with both pieces sure to offer delight and reflection to audiences. Our hearts are open – and so is the bar – and we can’t wait to see you all here soon!”
TRAVFEST22 PRODUCTIONS
WILF by James Ley
Traverse Theatre Company
Calvin is going to completely revolutionise his life. Escape his abusive boyfriend, detonate his inner sex bomb, see (and shag) the world!
Now he’s found his partner in crime in Wilf, a rusty Volkswagen Polo which, like Calvin, has seen better days. Together they hit the road on a wild and bumpy ride of greasy takeaways, graveyard orgies and banging 80s power ballads – ending up somewhere they never imagined they’d go.
This riotous and heartfelt play from James Ley (Love Song to Lavender Menace), directed by the Traverse’s Artistic Director Gareth Nicholls (Ulster American), takes audiences on a hilarious and unapologetic ride through Scotland as Calvin and Wilf attempt to escape loneliness, cope with mental illness and learn to love themselves, with the help of one another.
THIS IS PARADISE by Michael John O’Neill
Traverse Theatre Company
10 April 1998, Belfast. The Good Friday Agreement is signed, promising peace to Northern Ireland.
Away from all that pageantry, a river is rising in Kate. When a phone call from a desperate young woman compels Kate to return to a relationship she hoped was left in another life, she embarks on a journey which risks breaking the uneasy peace she has since made for herself.
A powerful, intimate and dream-like monologue shot through with the vibrancy of living, Michael John O’Neill’s Popcorn Award-winning This is Paradise, directed by Katherine Nesbitt, explores the ramifications of what happens when one woman is asked to rescue the man who promised to destroy her – and what it takes from any of us to decide to begin again.
Co-created by Matthew Bulgo, Jonnie Riordan and Jess Williams with music by The Staves
Commissioned and produced by ThickSkin and Lawrence Batley Theatre, in co-production with Watford Palace Theatre and Wales Millennium Centre and supported by the Lowry
Soaring music by Atlantic Records artists, The Staves, combines with bold new writing and dynamic physicality in Blood Harmony, an uplifting and powerful new play with songs about love, loss and legacy.
A fractured trio of sisters are pulled back together with news that turns their worlds upside down. When it feels like your world has come to a stop, how do you find a way to keep moving forward?
Award-winning theatre company, ThickSkin makes a thrilling return to the stage with this highly visual and musically charged production. Created by the company behind the five star hit show How Not To Drown (‘Truly stunning’ ★★★★★ The Scotsman).
BLOODY ELLE
by Lauryn Redding
A Cloudrise Productions and Royal Exchange Theatre Production
This heart-warming and belly-achingly funny story is stuffed full of those stomach-flipping-time-stopping moments, a touch, a glance, a kiss, that everyone will recognise.
Bloody Elle is set to an original score, building loops and layers of sound that make you feel like there is a ten-piece band on stage, transporting the audience to a sweaty, packed out gig in the back of a pub or a 10,000 seat arena.
EXODUS by Uma Nada-Rajah
National Theatre of Scotland
How far will a politician go?
In her bid to become the country’s leader, Home Secretary Asiya Rao prepares to make a major policy announcement that will establish her as the front-runner of the political race. Alongside her calculating advisor Phoebe, she embarks on a publicity stunt starting with a photo shoot by the white cliffs of Dover. But rather than the tide washing her reputation clean, something else washes up … An omen or an opportunity? The women are determined to keep their eyes on the prize, no matter the cost, even if it’s a human one.
One final night. One last chance. Five people queue for a ticket to the hottest show in town. All they must do is simply wait in line. But what in life is ever simple?
Who will triumph, who will fail, and who will walk away with… The Last Return?
A new play by acclaimed playwright Sonya Kelly (Once Upon a Bridge, Furniture), The Last Return is a thrilling comedy about conflict, peace and the pursuit of territory at any cost.
HAPPY MEAL by Tabby Lamb (she/they)
Roots / Theatre Royal Plymouth with ETT and Oxford Playhouse
Join us for an online show irl. Travel back to the quaint days of dial up and MSN, where you’ll follow two strangers on their journeys to become who they always were.
A funny, moving and nostalgic story of transition.
The world premiere of Happy Meal is a joyful queer rom-com where Millennial meets Gen Z and change is all around. Exhilaratingly staged by Jamie Fletcher (she/her), fresh from her acclaimed production of Hedwig and the Angry Inch.
ALOK
by ALOK
Soho Theatre
ALOK (they/them) is an internationally acclaimed writer, performer and public speaker. This is their new comedy and poetry show.
A mixed-media artist, ALOK’s work explores themes of trauma, belonging and the human condition. They are also the author of Femme in Public (2017), Beyond the Gender Binary (2020) and Your Wound/My Garden (2021), and have been honoured as one of HuffPo’s Culture Shifters and NBC’s Pride 50.
ONE-WOMAN SHOW by Liz Kingsman
Country Mile Productions
The Guardian’s #1 Comedy Show of 2021 comes to the Fringe for a limited run.
A bold, irreverent, raw, moving and triumphant celebration of adjectives, this blurb will nail down nothing.
Times’ Top 5 Comedy Shows of 2021. Telegraph’s Best Cultural Events of 2021. “The hands-down funniest live comedy show of 2021.. A tour de force” (Guardian) “Do everything legal you can to get a ticket” (Evening Standard) “Fight for a ticket” (Telegraph) “Superbly funny” (Times)
PSYCHODRAMA by Matt Wilkinson
Psycho Productions & Cusack Projects Limited
A gripping, at times hilarious revenge tale about an actress in her 40’s under investigation for the murder of an auteur theatre director.
Set against the backdrop of a stage production of Hitchcock’s Psycho, Emily Bruni (Peep Show) plunges us into the dark heart of show business.
ThickSkin in association with the Traverse Theatre
Don your headphones and get ready to eavesdrop in this latest solo audio experience from ThickSkin (How Not to Drown). Celebrating the stories and people who are the heartbeat and spirit of Edinburgh, Eavesdropping asks who gets to define a city, who gets to be its guide and whose story matters. Eavesdropping takes audiences on an adventure through familiar and unfamiliar streets in Scotland’s capital, revealing new sides to and stories of the people who (may) live here. This location-based walking audio play by Hannah Lavery (The Drift) and Sarah MacGillivray (Traverse Young Writer alumni), the latest in ThickSkin’s Walk This Play® series, will encourage audiences to look differently at the rich tapestry of people you may walk past every day, whether you notice them or not.
LISTINGS INFO
Traverse Festival 2022
Thursday 4 – Sun 28 Aug (previews from Sat 30 Jul)
Razor-sharp wit & near the knuckle material, join one of Europe’s fastest rising stars as he touches on everything from The Royal Family & Cafe Nero, to his brutally unsupportive Grandmother along with his trademark army of dark one-liners. A show not for the faint of heart that will make you gasp and laugh simultaneously.
*Latin – No Refunds
“Ryan Cullen is one of my favourite comedians. Morbidly hilarious you’d think ‘How the f*ck did he end up like this?” – Daniel Sloss
With TV appearances on ‘The Comedy Underground’ and ‘Late License’ for the BBC he’s also starred on viral YouTube channels ‘Facts’ & ‘The Try Channel’ with 500+ million views online and a regular on ‘Sloss & Humphries on the Road’ podcast. Writer for IFTA award winning RTE series ‘Republic of Telly’ & ‘Clear History’.
And has supported shows for Steve-O (Jackass), Theo Von, Jake & Amir & Daniel Sloss
“You think that’s funny? Seriously?” Piers Morgan
Watch Ryan on STV’s Comedy Underground:
Watch the fully un-cut but old set from Ryan at the Laughter Lounge in Dublin
Winner 2019 Outstanding Fringe Show (Amused Moose)
Winner 2018 Scottish Comedy Award – Best MC
Finalist Scottish Comedian of the Year
Finalist English Comedian of the Year
Nominated 2018 Best Fringe Show (Amused Moose)
Nominated 2019 Scottish Comedy Award – Best Mc
Nominated 2019 Scottish Comedy Award – Best Fringe Show
Having amassed tens of millions of views online, multi-award-winning comedian Liam Withnail brings his new show, Hot Sauce, to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and is delighted to be returning to favourite venue in the cityMonkey Barrel Comedy.
Hot Sauce is an hour of Withnail in his element, deftly juggling the big themes of the day in an accessible and always hysterical way. In this show he questions the true cost of the modern conveniences’ that the lockdowns had us accustomed to, be they Deliveroo, Uber, Amazon – or even PornHub.
The big questions raised is … When we’re free to indulge without consequence, can it be good for society? The finale of the show highlights a personal health scare which brings this question into laser focus, all handled with Liam’s typical affable charm.
Liam Withnail has been entertaining international comedy audiences for almost a decade. The award-winning act has performed as far and wide as Japan, Iceland and Australia – as well as regularly around the top clubs in the UK.
A stalwart of the Edinburgh Fringe, his critically acclaimed one man shows have cemented his place as one of the most exciting new voices in UK Comedy. Winner of Best Compere at the Scottish Comedy Awards in 2018, and Outstanding Fringe Show in 2019, Withnail is as comfortable riffing with the crowd as he is with his wide-ranging sharp material.
Within the last year, Liam’s popularity exploded online – clips of his legendary crowd work have amassed tens of millions of views. Often filmed at Monkey Barrel Comedy where he is a resident compere. His TikTok (70k+) followers in particular has alerted a new, far reaching and enthusiastic fanbase.
A regular panellist on BBC’s Breaking The News, Liam has also branched out into writing – with sketches featured on BAFTA winning Scot Squad
What the press have said previously
“Has us constantly in stiches!” ★★★★★ Adelaide Advertiser
“An hour of consistently hysterical comedy” ★★★★★ – The Wee Review
“One of the most complete and affirming shows I’ve seen this year” ★★★★★ Ed Fest Mag
“Fantastic writing. An important story told with humour, humility and style”The Scotsman
Cockroach Party will be a rambling tour through a mind that is on its last legs. It only takes one cockroach to ruin a bowl of cherries. But it takes a cockroach party to save the world. Will include crowd work but don’t worry the water’s warm. Have you ever gone on incognito mode to Google symptoms of multiple sclerosis? Well let’s get this party started.
Topics covered will include:
a) Insomnia (haven’t slept for a year),
b) Getting diagnosed with glaucoma,
c) Being thrown under the bus,
c) Respect,
d) Revenge,
e) Redemption,
f) Regret.
“Hilariously maladjusted hour” ****1/2 Chortle (Melbourne Comedy Festival 2022)
Dan Rath has enough parking ticket debt to cripple a small European country and he has watched his car get cubed by the government. He has been disrespected by his colleagues and is bruised and battered with nothing to lose. His low status means he has heightened cortisol production and is not equipped to take a gentle ribbing. He has a diverse set of interests including prime numbers.
His comedy will appeal to:
a) burnouts with no driver’s license
b) folks who have paid a visit to marijuana island
c) scumdogs
Dan Rath is ready to capitulate to the desires of the audience. All this stammering boob wants is a playmate.
“Meta funny” Herald Sun (Aus)
Read Dan Rath review of Cockroach Party from Chortle at the Melbourne Comedy Festival 2022
Acclaimed shows shine a spotlight on the life and career of two legendary musicians
Two music shows which celebrate the talent of a pair of legendary musicians are set to be staged at the Assembly Festival at the Edinburgh Fringe this summer.
Something About Simon – The Paul Simon Story and Something About George – The George Harrison Story will join the line-up at the UK’s most hotly anticipated Summer event.
The two shows from Something About Productions will run between Thursday 4 August and Thursday 18 Augustin The Bijou – a striking 250-seat Spiegel tent – and will join a busy programme of music, comedy, cabaret, theatre, and family shows planned for the 2022 Fringe. Tickets for both productions are now on sale.
Something About Simon – The Paul Simon Story returns to Edinburgh after triumphing at the Fringe in 2019. It was then chosen for a residency at the Fringe Encore Series at the SoHo Playhouse in New York City, where it playedsix sell-out performances. The show, which was premiered in Liverpool in 2018, then also went on to form part of the programme at the inaugural Liverpool Theatre Festivalin 2020.
Singer songwriter Gary Edward Jones not only recites the music of one of his idols, but also tells the unique story of Paul Simon combining visuals, stage design and, of course, the music.
A natural storyteller with charisma and charm, Gary weaves together songs and stories that cross The Atlantic from New Jersey to the North West of England. He traces the sometimes poignant moments in Simon’s life and career, that occasionally mirror his own.
The show is co-written by Jon Fellowes and features classic ballads like Sound of Silence and America to Wristband, The Boxer, and Bridge Over Troubled Water.
Meanwhile Something About George – The George HarrisonStory enjoys its Edinburgh premiere this Summer. The show pays tribute to the man dubbed the “quiet Beatle”, and was met with acclaim by both audiences and critics when it closed Liverpool Theatre Festival in September 2021.
Now West End performer and musician Daniel Taylor is set to bring it to the Fringe at the culmination of an eight venue UK tour.
Featuring beautiful songs like My Sweet Lord, Something, and Handle With Care, Something About George showcases Harrison’s incredible solo material and music from rock ‘n’ roll’s greatest supergroup, The Traveling Wilburys which was made up of Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Roy Orbison, and Tom Petty.
And any show celebrating one of the Fab Four just has to include a few classics from The Beatles. From heartbreak to hedonism and songwriting to success, Something About George celebrates a life that was anything but quiet.
Daniel is an award-winning actor, producer, and director. He has previously played John Lennon in the award-winning Lennon Through A Glass Onion; Sammy in Blood Brothers; and appeared at the very first Liverpool Theatre Festival in his show, The Very Best Of Tommy Cooper.
Both ‘Something About’ shows will be performed in 60-minute one-act festival version. They are also set to be staged at the Assembly Festival Gardens in Coventry ahead of Edinburgh.
Something About George is written by Jon Fellowes, who co-produces the show alongside Gary Edward Jones and theatre producer Bill Elms. Together they make up Something About Productions.
Co-producer Bill Elms said: “We’re absolutely thrilled to be able to bring Something About Simon and Something About George to the Assembly Festival at the Edinburgh Fringe.
“The Bijou is a really magical and atmospheric venue in which to tell these compelling musical stories. These shows capture and celebrate the life, work, and spirit of two legendary musicians, Paul Simon and George Harrison, and both have enjoyed a fantastic reception from audiences at venues here at home and, in Something About Simon’s case, across The Atlantic too.”
Gary Edward Jones commented: “We had an amazing time when we brought Something About Simon to Edinburgh three years ago. Audiences really responded to the heart in the show and to have the chance to perform it in New York too was very special.
“I’m really proud of what we’ve created, and I’m looking forward to returning and sharing Paul Simon’s story and music again.”
Daniel Taylor added:“There’s nothing quite like the atmosphere at the Edinburgh Fringe, and I can’t wait to get out there on stage and perform for Assembly Festival audiences.
“After all his achievements, George is still one of the most underrated songwriters that has ever lived, and this is a perfect chance to celebrate and shine a spotlight on his musical genius.”
Facebook: /somethingaboutproductions
Twitter: @SomeAboutProds
Instagram: /somethingaboutproductions
LISTING INFORMATION
Something About Simon – The Paul Simon Story
DATE: Thursday, 4 August – Thursday, 18 August 2022
TIME: 1pm
Something About George – The George Harrison Story
DATE: Thursday, 4 August – Thursday, 18 August 2022
