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fol/3' .‘l/ 5," RHONA CAMERON Pleasance, 13-19 Aug, 7.15pm.
Rhona Cameron is indisputably East Lothian’s finest comedy turn since Sir Harry Lauder hung up his whiskers. A Fringe veteran and winner of the prestigious ‘So You Think You’re Funny’ award, the muscles from Musselburgh returns home for a few rounds of golf and a blether with her parents, and even plans to squeeze seven nights of sizzling new stand-up into her fraught schedule.
‘I find being back for the Festival very weird,‘ admits Cameron, ‘because I haven’t lived here since I was 24. Back then I was on the dole and everyone was just hanging around drinking, so I still find Edinburgh 3 bit of a melancholic place even though the city itself is much trendier now.’
Cameron’s recent tour, with its blend of sharp observational comedy and songs went down a blinder south of the border, though Scots punters are yet to experience the new material. So, does she relish the prospect of returning home to perform? ‘Yeah, I do. I always enjoy my gigs in Scotland and the reaction from Scottish audiences is definitely different from anywhere else, though I couldn’t pin down exactly why. I think the Scots go mad for jokes and stories about childhood and mums and dads and they’re quite sentimental and nostalgic; but maybe they just like the fact that I’m local.’
The forthcoming Fringe dates are part of an overall game plan, which sees Cameron returning to live work after concentrating on television projects. Sadly, last year’s under-rated sitcom outing Rhona has now been dropped by BBC2 in their (questionable) wisdom. While understandably disappointed by the mixed critical response to the series, Cameron remains philosophical and even seems relieved to have finished with what turned out to be an exhausting, drawn-out experience.
‘Writing a sitcom and seeing it through all the planning stages and meetings with executives is the most difficult thing to do and | feel like if I can do that; I can do
Just doing his own thing
24 THE LIST FESTIVAL GUIDE 2” 1:" Aug: .‘
Homecoming queen comes back to what she knows
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NICHOLAS PARSON’S HAPPY HOUR
Pleasance, 13-27 Aug, 6.15pm.
it is an acknowledged truth that Nicholas Parsons is universally loved. Well. perhaps not universally. but there's no denying that he appeals to a huge spectrum of people. and his longevity is testament to that appeal. Ask him what he puts this down to though. and he becomes charmingly SfllifZ‘llilClllg. ‘lt wetild be conceited of me to say "Oh. I appeal to them because of boom. boom. boom".‘ he says. 'You don't know why yOu appeal to audiences. You just go out there to please. and to entertain and if you succeed then obwously you're appeal- ing to them. but l'm not going to analyse what it is. If I were to analyse it. I would try to manufacture it and it would all probably disappear. You can only do yOur own thing. can't you’?‘ And doing his own thing is exactly ‘.‘.’.’l£ll Happy Hour is all ab0ut. Sixty
absolutely fucking anything,’ she laughs. ‘Sure, I was annoyed that Rhona didn’t make it to a second series, especially when most of the bad reviews came from frustrated comedy writers. But, at the end of the day, it’s only one thing and I’ve got lots of other ideas.’
Cameron is now looking forward to a spell of nourishing stand-up after focusing on that lesser medium. ‘The TV profile means that I can go on tour, but it’s a very difficult medium to work in and, to be frank, I think a lot of television is a load of old cock and people shouldn’t take it so seriously. It’s stand-up that I’m more proud of.’ (Allan Radcliffe)
minutes of j()\.’l£ll chat. with guests. prizes and a great deal of audience participation. ‘| live nei'y dangerously in a prof ESSIOllEll sense] he says. ‘I have an iiitei‘actixe relationship with the audience which is all off the top of my head. It's an entirer spontaneous show. l'm conditioned to what the audience give me as to "for./ much I can give back. All l do is try to whip them up intc a fren/y.’
For a man as accomplished and experienced as Nicholas Parsons. performing an entirely unscripted show does not present too much of a challenge. “If you spread your talent. ‘yOu get a tremendous breadth of experience on which to call.’ he says.
'l.“\./hether as a seiions actor. a coin- edy actor. a stand-up comedian~ a straight man to other comedians. a game SllO.‘.’ ‘10s : SOWCIIHHQ of your- self always shine? through,' And it is that something we all knot: and love. iKirstt. Knaggs;
I Adam Bloom Observations of life. But funny. P/easance, until 27 Aug, 7.05pm.
I Margaret Cho The notorious one shells out the comedic dirt. P/easance, until 27 Aug, 1 1pm. I Johnny Vegas Johnny is back to scare the living hell from us. And we love it. Gilded Balloon, until 27 Aug, 70. 75pm. I BBC New Comedy Awards Final Our own Des Clarke is in the running for this prestigious award. Pleasance Dome, 7 3 Aug, 8pm.
I Boom Chicago Mad American group mayhem takes a dig at Europe and their own President. See review on the following pages. P/easance, until 27 Aug, 70. 75pm.
I Ross Noble Slackers Playtime sees the Noble one back on form. P/easance, until 27 Aug, 8.45pm.
I Lano 8. Woodley Former Perrier winners back with physical mirth and gags galore. See review on the following pages. Famous Spiege/tent, until 26 Aug, 8pm.
I Trev & Simon The former stars of Going Live raise the dead with their Circus Of Evil. See feature. Assembly Rooms, 9—27 Aug, 9pm.
I Garth Marenghi Last year's surprise hit scares us rigid with Netherhead. P/easance, until 27 Aug, 70.25pm.
I Sean Cullen’s Erotic Laser Swordfight A near- perfect show about sexually aroused beams of light and flashing blades. Or something. See review on the following pages. Gilded Balloon, until 27 Aug, 9pm.
I Emo Philips The searing one-liners are still there even if the fringe isn't. See review on the following pages. P/easance, until 27 Aug, 8pm.