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Take your seat
Barry Ferns, comedian-cum-’venue manager’ of Arthur’s Seat explains why he doesn’t do the Fringe by halves
I f you’re not doing something odd or unusual at the Edinburgh Fringe, then why come to a fringe festival? Just go to a festival. It’s the Fringe. I love the possibilities Edinburgh’s Fringe throws up. Audiences want, and enjoy, something different. Whether you’re asking audiences to send postcards to Nigel Havers, or taking them carol singing, or even on one occasion standing outside post ofi ces untying tethered dogs and putting them into taxis – all things I’ve done – anything is possible.
In 2007 it was my personal mission to make everything in Edinburgh belong to Lionel Richie – with stickers reading ‘This Belongs to Lionel Richie’ on them. I succeeded, though in the process I had to change my name to Lionel Richie by deed poll. To change your name by deed poll costs £35, so I suppose there’s no going back now. Over the years I’ve created a lot of odd Fringe experiences; one year I almost made a living selling ants to people (a trade with very low overheads). Another year I brought a sketch group of OAPs up, which was great except our venue, the very damp Underbelly, made
their rheumatism l are up. One of the least predictable shows I did was Dial-a-sketch, where people would call us and we’d go deliver a show to them wherever they were. We performed in back gardens, public toilets and council chambers that year – the oddest place was on a moving bus! We had to meet the number N30 bus at a particular bus stop and do a show on the top deck. After we i nished we were in Musselburgh and ended up almost missing our main show. This year I’m doing a show every day on top of Arthur’s Seat, which is going to be amazing. I’m the venue manager for Arthur’s Seat – who else can say that they manage an extinct volcano?! I am climbing it every day with an amp and props, rain or shine (or more rain). The biggest challenge will be the physical one; I’ve had to go into training, just to make sure I can do it every day. I’ll be very i t/very dead by the end of the festival . . .
Barry Ferns is performing i ve shows at the Fringe. See thisbelongstolionelrichie.co.uk for details.
For non-fest news see PAGE 97
5 Things . . . MEALTIME SHOWS MEALTIME SHOWS Five performances to munch along to
1 Mind Reading for Breakfast
Psychologist-turned- psychic Rob Bailey gets a bit mental in
the mornings.
2 Chopin After Lunch Digest your afternoon repast with some romantic classical sounds. With shortbread and tea or coffee.
Faye Draper.
3 Tea is an Evening Meal Enjoy a cuppa and some intimate chat with Lancashire lass
4 Dinner with Cole Porter Three courses at Valvona & Crolla with live jazz
accompaniment? Well, did you evah!
5 The Expeditionary Force in The First Supper Satirical sketch comedy with a misleading mealtime name (it’s in the afternoon).
NewsExtra a FREE CITY TOURS ■ Three cheers for the Edinburgh Festival Voluntary Guides Association, who can pride themselves on being the longest continually running event on the Fringe. Now in their 65th year, the association has over 60 guides offering free tours of the Royal Mile from the Castle to The Palace of Holyroodhouse, throughout the festival period. Tours start every ten minutes between 10am and 10.30am and between 2pm and 2.30pm, culminating in eight tours per day, seven days a week. Each tour takes between two and three hours. See edinburghfestivalguides.org more.
2–9 Aug 2012 THE LIST 9