Head of the C ass
He may have performed for Bill Clinton, but DAVID CROWE isn’t above chatting about weird oral sex in America. Doug Johnstone is spared very few details.
ayid (‘rowe is a restless thing. He’s
yisited seyeral do/en countries in his
lifetime. spent his 2()th birthday with a small tribe of Ania/onians hunting for piranha fish. and for a summer job takes tourists on trekking holidays up the yolcanoes surrounding his Seattle home. 'Yeah. I don‘t know what I'm looking l'or.‘ he chortles down the phone. about to go on just such a trip into the wilderness. All that trayelling has certainly giyen him a tad more pet‘specti\'e than the ayerage American. something which comes across in his open—minded and acerbic stand— tip routine.
24 THE LIST FESTIVAL MAGAZINE '
‘.'\ lot of Americans don’t trayel much. In fact they liaye a reaction to somebody who does. which is like: “America’s not good enough for ya'.’ You think you're better than tis'.’"’ (‘rowe‘s liberal routine sees him taking in eyerything from politics and religion to sexual repression and worldwide cultural differences. and he's especially looking
t‘orwar‘d to trying out some of his political stuff
in front of a more receptiye audience in lidinburgh.
‘l’ye got a whole routine comparing (ieorge Bush to Shakespeare's Henry V which I can‘t wait to do oyer in Iidinburgh.’ he says. ‘lt gets a pretty lilat response in the t'SA most of the time. either for political or literary reasons. I don‘t know which.‘ Wheneyer politics raises its ugly head in his comedy. which it does pretty
often. he iiiyariably gets l'lak from a number of‘
unenlightened locals. ‘Some people are such blind followers of the Republican Party because there‘s an ()rwellian media campaign oyer here to brainwain people.’ he says. ‘lf‘ you bring up something that‘s eyen quasi-political. it diyides the audience: people think you‘re against the troops because you don’t like baked beans or something.’ llaying won umpteen comedy awards in the States and eyen opened for Bill Clinton. (‘rowe is not aboye knocking tip new material on the hoof for an lidinburgh audience. 'l‘ye written a bunch of stul‘l‘just for the Fringe.. he says. ‘\\'e tune a law in some states in the ['8 where oral sex is illegal. which is ridiculous. But that means the (ieorgia State legislature had to debate that on the floor. so then I imagined it it had been debated in the House of (‘ommonsf While he's
this new material. he's honest enough about how it might
pan out. ‘Yeah. well see how that goes.’ he chuckles. ‘I)on't come on the first night. that‘s all I'm saying.’
Edinburgh Comedy Room, The Tron, 226 0000, 20 Aug, 1.30pm, 21-28 Aug, 10.30pm, £10.
neyer performed much of
David Crowe compares George Bush with Shakespeare’s Henry V
As he’s doing just one show at the Festival, could FRANKIE BOYLE be resting on his Iaurels? Rachael Street finds this couldn’t be further from the truth.
Frankie Boyle is a busy man these days. The last couple of months have seen him working on more material for Mock the Week and FAQ U. and he has just returned from filming more episodes of Eight Out of Ten Cats. In addition to this. the feisty laiighter-‘meister will be regularly hosting the Stands Pick of the Fringe nights in Glasgow. so it's little wonder that he has opted to only do one solo show in the capital this August. While some fans of the Glaswegian firecracker will be disappointed. he explains that it's not just work fatigue that has prompted the decision. ‘l've got a little daughter now. so I can't really spend an entire month travelling over to Edinburgh every night.’
While his work on shows like Mock the Week and the Stands own A Kick Up the Tah/o/ds have gained him something of a reputation as a topical comedian. Boyle is keen to show there's more to his act than this. ‘In this show. there's quite a bit of character comedy stuff. which people don't normally expect of me. You can get pigeonholed really easily so it's important to force yourself to go and do something different.‘
And this single show is certainly that. With little chance to practice and gauge his material beforehand. it will be a challenge to come up with the hottest gags on demand. ‘l'm a bit of a perfectionist really. although you might not know it from my acts.‘ he laughs. 'I want every ioke to be the best.’
I P/easance Courtyard. 5:36 (5:350. 22 Aug. 8.30pm. 5‘] 1.50 ($10.50;.