FESTIVAL COMEDY | Previews
TOP 5: SCARY SHOWS Comedy to make you jump out of your skin
The Dark Room Do you want to escape from a dark room in which a floating head ‘helps’ you win a prize? Interactive fun for the brave and curious (cue manic theatrical laughter). Underbelly, Cowgate, 0844 545 8252, 3–25 Aug (not 14), 8.40pm, £9–£10 (£8–£9). Previews 1 & 2 Aug, £6. Knightmare Live Those who remember the late 80s/early 90s CITV show will be delighted/terrified by a stage version. Are you brave enough to don the ‘immortal helmet of justice’? Gilded Balloon Teviot, 622 6552, 3–25 Aug (not 14), 5.30pm, £10.50–£11.50 (£9.50–£10.50). Previews 31 Jul–2 Aug, £7.
Casual Violence Already compared to Roald Dahl and The Twilight Zone, these five ‘sketch villains’ will bring you House of Nostril, a bleak tale of ‘terror, tyranny and taxidermy’. Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, 5–25 Aug, 3.45pm, £7.50–£9.50 (£6.50–£9). Preview 4 Aug, £6.
Paul Gannon Ain’t Afraid of No Ghost Two years ago, Gannon’s childhood dream to be a ghostbuster (that film has a lot to answer for) came true and here he takes you on a spooky odyssey of psychic theatre tours, haunted houses, co-writing a song with Sigourney Weaver and getting dating advice from Derek Acorah. The Caves, 556 5375, 3–25 Aug (not 13), 5.20pm, £7–£10. Previews 1 & 2 Aug, £5. Comedy Death To the stand-up comedian, there’s nothing more gruesome than a bad gig. Card Ninja guy Javier Jarquin introduces comics telling their tales of woe in a show subtitled ‘True Horror Stories from the Circuit’. Strong stomachs required. Dram House Upstairs, 226 0000, 3–24 Aug (not 12, 19), 3.30pm, free. (Brian Donaldson)
50 THE LIST FESTIVAL 1–8 Aug 2013
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MICHAEL CHE From comfort-performing to Cartoon Violence
You wouldn’t know it from his assured appearance on Letterman, but New Yorker Michael Che is a relative newcomer to comedy. Although he’s about to hit 30, he only started gigging in 2010 after spending most of his 20s painting portraits on the street and scraping a living as a freelance designer. What made him turn his hand to comedy? ‘Depression,’ he reasons. ‘I felt creatively stunted. I felt like I was getting old; I didn’t know exactly what I was gonna be doing and my five-year plan was a shambles.’
Chancing upon an open-mic night, Che dipped his toes and found his calling. ‘I always wanted to try comedy. I had incredible stage fright and I bought a pint of brandy. But I did five minutes and I thought, “Man, I can’t believe I waited this long to try it! This is what I’m supposed to do.” And it wasn’t even a particularly good set, but it was just some comfort-performing.’
Now well into his stride, Che admits he finds it hard to take things easy, maintaining a hectic
gigging schedule throughout the year. ‘It’s an insane blitzkrieg of a pace. You’re out four or five times a night, you’re jumping in and out of cabs, you’re running on stage. It’s exciting: you feel like a rock star but you’re not!’ As well as performing his debut show, Cartoon Violence, Che is excited about catching up with old friends and making new ones. ‘I love David O’Doherty!’ he exclaims. ‘I got to meet him and hang out with him in Melbourne. I can’t wait to just walk the streets with him and have him tell me stories about every single building. I’m also looking forward to finding people I’ve never heard of. That’s the exciting thing about festivals.’ (Murray Robertson) ■ Assembly Rooms, 0844 693 3008, 2−25 Aug (not 12), 10pm, £10 (£9). Preview 31 Jul, £9 (£8).
LAURA LEVITES Seeking therapy through comedy
New York-bred Laura Levites has tried almost everything to achieve a calm state of mind, even having the words ‘breathe’ and ‘fearless’ tattooed on her wrists. But most of her methods haven’t worked. Even the tattoos. ‘Every once in a while, I look down and I go, “Oh, I forgot they’re there: I should do that.” That’s how fucked-up I am; I write “breathe” on my wrist to remember and it still doesn’t work.’
Levites first dipped her toe in the Fringe three
years ago but Selfhelpless – cataloguing Levites’ hapless attempts at helping herself – is her second Edinburgh show proper. If she’s achieved nothing therapeutic in writing
it, Levites at least made one surprising discovery. ‘I thought that the whole self-help thing was something those hokey Americans came up with. Turns out the first self-help book ever written was by a Scottish man! That blew me away.’ (Marissa Burgess) ■ Gilded Balloon Teviot, 622 6552, 3−26 Aug (not 13), 2.45pm, £8−£9 (£7−£8). Previews 31 Jul−2 Aug, £5.
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