(no subject)
so, i'm back from edinburgh. i did say in my last entry that i intended to write blog entries from up there, but to do that you need both a computer and a wireless internet connection. i had neither. therefore no journal entries - curse you technology! as always it was an action-packed, emotional rollercoaster filled with friends and all forms of comedy but - unique to this year - not a drop of alcohol. compared to previous years though the lows were not as low and the highs were much higher, so we're feeling dead good. i spent a lot of time with okse (in the linsay's pub, which i took to calling the garden of broken dreams as it is full of comedians talking about single-figure audiences and reviews) and josie (in whereever the hell she could sneak me into. i found myself backstage at the edinburgh international conference centre at one point, being offered free drinks and food from the rider! i have the backstage pass to prove it!), and it was amazing to get to spend so much time with them both. i also saw owen a fair bit although not as much as i'd have liked (bless the boy, he has had a rough festival), and other friends who i don't get to see very often let alone run into them on the street three times a day. i took it pretty easy, just wandering around seeing what took my fancy rather than developing timetables (like my flatmate). this meant that i did miss some stuff i wanted to see (most notably, daniel kitson [NO TICKETS LEFT BOOOO!] and isy suttie) but that's the nature of the festival! i had a delightful time. these are more notes rather than a write-up. the grammar is horrific but i just can't be bothered!
my favourite top 5 edinburgh shows 2007 (in no particular order):
- kristin schaal 'as you've probably never seen her before' (amazing, amazing, amazing comedian from new york. she is unlike anyone i have ever seen before in my life, the jokes are amazing and the ideas that form them are so out of left-field it's ridiculous. the show is basically formed of skits but feels so completely natural and somehow manages to flow beautifully. amazing amazing amazing.)
- lawrence leung 'lawrence leung learns to breakdance' (super comedian from australia. he is so friendly on-stage, the show is so tight and funny and sweet. i wanted to phone my brother up and tell him he rules as a result of it. the finale is incredible.)
- sarah kendall 'my very first kidnapping' (a stand-up/play hybrid, superbly written by sarah and masterfully performed by sarah, justin edwards and joanna neary. very very funny and very very engaging.)
- josie long 'trying is good' (i don't think she's aware of it, but josie is a sage for our generation. she's so uniquely funny, but you could also live your life from the ideas she constructs in this, and her other, shows.)
- toss-up between pappy's fun club and stewart lee. both were brilliant.
special mention also to rick shapiro. clearly was having an off-night when we went, but if you want to see the antithesis to slick, professional comedy then rick is your man. every word is genuine, and for that his performance is incredible. a truly unique artist who could well be a genius - but for all that he'd be the least bankable comedian in the world.
i also got to see: jon richardson 'spatula pad' (not bad, sort of hoped it'd be better), psister psycho (nunsploitation! brilliant), david o'doherty (great as always, i was shattered when i saw him though which didn't help), alex horne (a bit disappointing really as i've loved alex's shows in the past but this one didn't feel as good), brendon burns (clever but all the alpha-male posturing left me a bit cold), all at sea with the laughter gang (lovely stand-up by friends), andrew mcclelland's mixed tape (feel good a-go-go), the gently progressive behemouth (delightful), duncan oakley's 68 bumcrack special (meh, too much bitterness), james sherwood's somewhat premature review of 2007 (very good. sherwood is a legend.), joanna neary's little moments (very nice, although i think sarah kendall's show may be a better vehicle for joanna than her own show!), the lost tapes of tom bell (a bit so-so, someone the day before had said it was magic but i thought it felt a bit tired), niblock vs gig-a-tron (ultra rare limited run! niblock is a hero), nick doody (excellent, "there aren't that many paedophiles otherwise capitalism would be catering for them, it doesn't have a conscience" could be my favourite routine of festival), tschaikowsky and other russians (we met a delightful american man at the assembly rooms running around yelling SHOSTAKOVICH and he gave us tickets to his show. it was perfectly enjoyable), umpteen things (OKSE! OKSE! OKSE!) and wunderkind (as always i wanted to see lots of plays and saw just one, it was so-so, in the nick hornby bloke-lit vein of things).
basically i've been totally inspired to do something next year. pete and i are going to begin writing some comedy stuff and workshop it from september. if it goes well, we're going to book a venue and do AN EDINBURGH SHOW next summer! hooray! we're also planning of running a late show, because all the ones (with the exception of storyteller's club, brilliant) are shit. i went to spank and wanted to die.
my favourite top 5 edinburgh shows 2007 (in no particular order):
- kristin schaal 'as you've probably never seen her before' (amazing, amazing, amazing comedian from new york. she is unlike anyone i have ever seen before in my life, the jokes are amazing and the ideas that form them are so out of left-field it's ridiculous. the show is basically formed of skits but feels so completely natural and somehow manages to flow beautifully. amazing amazing amazing.)
- lawrence leung 'lawrence leung learns to breakdance' (super comedian from australia. he is so friendly on-stage, the show is so tight and funny and sweet. i wanted to phone my brother up and tell him he rules as a result of it. the finale is incredible.)
- sarah kendall 'my very first kidnapping' (a stand-up/play hybrid, superbly written by sarah and masterfully performed by sarah, justin edwards and joanna neary. very very funny and very very engaging.)
- josie long 'trying is good' (i don't think she's aware of it, but josie is a sage for our generation. she's so uniquely funny, but you could also live your life from the ideas she constructs in this, and her other, shows.)
- toss-up between pappy's fun club and stewart lee. both were brilliant.
special mention also to rick shapiro. clearly was having an off-night when we went, but if you want to see the antithesis to slick, professional comedy then rick is your man. every word is genuine, and for that his performance is incredible. a truly unique artist who could well be a genius - but for all that he'd be the least bankable comedian in the world.
i also got to see: jon richardson 'spatula pad' (not bad, sort of hoped it'd be better), psister psycho (nunsploitation! brilliant), david o'doherty (great as always, i was shattered when i saw him though which didn't help), alex horne (a bit disappointing really as i've loved alex's shows in the past but this one didn't feel as good), brendon burns (clever but all the alpha-male posturing left me a bit cold), all at sea with the laughter gang (lovely stand-up by friends), andrew mcclelland's mixed tape (feel good a-go-go), the gently progressive behemouth (delightful), duncan oakley's 68 bumcrack special (meh, too much bitterness), james sherwood's somewhat premature review of 2007 (very good. sherwood is a legend.), joanna neary's little moments (very nice, although i think sarah kendall's show may be a better vehicle for joanna than her own show!), the lost tapes of tom bell (a bit so-so, someone the day before had said it was magic but i thought it felt a bit tired), niblock vs gig-a-tron (ultra rare limited run! niblock is a hero), nick doody (excellent, "there aren't that many paedophiles otherwise capitalism would be catering for them, it doesn't have a conscience" could be my favourite routine of festival), tschaikowsky and other russians (we met a delightful american man at the assembly rooms running around yelling SHOSTAKOVICH and he gave us tickets to his show. it was perfectly enjoyable), umpteen things (OKSE! OKSE! OKSE!) and wunderkind (as always i wanted to see lots of plays and saw just one, it was so-so, in the nick hornby bloke-lit vein of things).
basically i've been totally inspired to do something next year. pete and i are going to begin writing some comedy stuff and workshop it from september. if it goes well, we're going to book a venue and do AN EDINBURGH SHOW next summer! hooray! we're also planning of running a late show, because all the ones (with the exception of storyteller's club, brilliant) are shit. i went to spank and wanted to die.