Issue #12 - Tuesday 17th August - FREE

MORE INSIDE...Stuart Goldsmith moves from the street to the stageThe Real MacGuffins fend off an honorable heckler

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TARTAN RIBBON COMEDY BENEFIT

Tonight, an extensive line-up of top Pleasance performers will entertain audiences in the name of charity. Waverley Care has a long-standing relationship with the Pleasance. Since 1992 when the partnership began, the charity has raised around £150,000 from bucket shaking in the courtyard and from this headline event, The Tartan Ribbon Comedy Benefit.

Previous performers at the benefit have included Rhod Gilbert, Stephen K Amos, Ivan Brackenbury and Tim Vine. This year’s line-up includes some of the very best talent from around the Pleasance, both new and established.

Performing at tonight’s benefit are Alex Zane, Abandoman, Terry Alderton, Ian D Montfort, Bo Burnham, Justin Moorhouse, Pete Firman and David O’Doherty, all of whom have their own shows at the Pleasance.

Waverley Care provides support to people whose lives are affected by HIV or Hepatitis C. Since their foundation, the focus of their work has moved away from caring for people with terminal illnesses and towards supporting people with a long-term chronic contition. Waverley Care helps to make a positive difference to the lives of many adults, children, patients, families and friends here in Edinburgh, as well as beyond.

HIV has long has a stigma attached

“Help Waverley Care make a positive difference”

BO BuRnhAM, Alex ZAne, PeTe FIRMAn, JuSTIn MOORhOuSe, DAvID O’DOheRTy ABAnDOMAn & TeRRy AlDeRTOn

to it. Stigma has a major impact on the mental wellbeing of all those associated with HIV, and can severely damage self-esteem. As part of Waverly Care’s ongoing work, a social media campaign #laffoffstigma accompanies this year’s festival drive. #laffoffstigma encourages Facebook and Twitter users to add a logo to their profile and use this tag topic in order to counter the effects of stigma.

Comedians such as those in tonight’s line-up and past acts have shown incredible support for Waverley Care by entertaining audiences and generating huge amounts of revenue. In fact, fundraising activities at the

Pleasance supports a large amount of Waverley Care’s year-round activity. If you see the bucket shakers in the Courtyard, do brighten their day by dropping some money into the buckets and help Waverley Care make a positive difference.

The Tartan Ribbon Comedy BenefitPleasance Courtyard, Grand

17 Aug 20:00

Bo Burnham, whose Fringe debut has been hugely successful, will perform

Every comedian runs into the occasional drunken heckler, not many are quite like the one that sketch group The Real MacGuffins were treated to on only the second

You came to the fringe many times as street performer?Yeah, over the 14 years that I was coming here I did two different shows – one solo and one double act called The Unknown Stuntmen.I saw your list of accolades…Less a list, more like three.Still a list!As a double act we came second in the Australian busking championships and third in the Scottish ones. Then with my solo show I came third in the world street performer championships... which I suppose isn’t all that bad, really.Impressive. What skills and talents earned you those?I started early, and then

INTERVIEW: STUART GOLDSMITH FROM THE STREET TO THE STAGE

went to circus school when I was 18 where I learned… how difficult circus was! I learned that lesson hard, every day. I can juggle pretty much anything: knives; burning knives; chainsaws; burning chainsaws; anything. I used to be pretty good, although not so much any more. I quickly realised that the banter element of shows was my strong point, and the part I enjoyed the most. It’s the thrill. I like going out onto the street with a case and just having to make something up.Does that thrill diminish now that you’re doing organised gigs?In some ways, yes, but it’s a different kind of excitement. It certainly isn’t as raw. People at a gig are expecting a gig, whereas

people on the street can be surprised. When I started doing straight stand-up in 2004/5 I swore to myself I would never take props on stage, despite peoples’ suggestions. For me, the thrill is all about bombing and not having a trick to save you. I’ve pushed myself quite hard with putting together The Reasonable Man, but I also enjoy having absolutely nothing prepared and throwing myself into a crisis before trying to find a way out of it.Hence the affinity for chainsaw juggling?Well no, actually, juggling chainsaws is rarely a crisis – it’s just about the safest thing you can do. Honestly!

The only people who juggle chainsaws are people who definitely know that they can juggle. That’s the same for most ‘death-defying’ tricks, they’re usually so rehearsed that there’s no risk whatsoever.[DISCLAIMER - Please do not juggle chainsaws on Stuart’s recommendation that it is ‘safe’. It isn’t.]

Stuart GoldsmithTh Reasonable Man

4-29 Aug (Not 18) 19:30

THE REAL MACGUFFINS FEND OFF A HECKLERnight of their month long Edinburgh run.

Not only is it pretty bad form to heckle a sketch group, but this drunken man stood up in the middle of the show, staggered to

the fire escape, needed help opening it, then stood there, launching a tirade of four-letter words into the room before quite literally falling out of said fire escape.

This type of story, though unusual, is not unheard of. However, the drunken, sweary man turned out to be a member of The Northern Ireland Assembly who had to make a speech the next day. The Real MacGuffins discovered this yesterday when they flyered someone on the Royal Mile who knew him.

Apparently the Right Hon heckler had no memory of the incident.

The Real MacGuffins thought about going to heckle his speech on ‘Measuring the Effectiveness of Parliamentary Legislature’ but decided that a) it sounded like a bit of a boring show and b) heckling isn’t big or clever.

The Right Hon heckler declined to comment (not that we’ve asked.)

The Real MagGuffinsPleasance Courtyard

4-29 Aug 22:45

SYLVIA PLATH WRITES TO TED HUGHES (VIA SADIE HASLER)

@ThePleasance#pleasancetimes

RT @dreadfuls: Don’t miss our tribute act, The Penny Brilliants, on straight after us, 7.20pm, Pleasance 1 http://bit.ly/dmTuha #edfringe (@pappystweet)

RT @EllieQuinnThanks to @ThePleasance staff in Dome for finding my favourite jacket from NY that I was stupid enough to lose whilst hammered other night

RT @MissHClose@zoefell I’m sure you might already have had this tip Zoe, but The Pleasance Dome is THE place to see comedians just hanging out afterhours.

RT @LizzlieTim Fitzhigham just announced doors opening with a bugle, from aloft on a ship in the Pleasance courtyard! I am very impressed!!

Letter from Sylvia Plath - the famous American poet who killed herself - to her husband Ted Hughes who was also a poet, but not as good?

Dear Ted,Oh, hi Ted. Ok - so the fringe is totally swell, except the stuff that isn’t swell. No

matter - it’s still all pretty swell, and swell is as swell is and does, but then isn’t but is, you know?

Anyhoo. I have been having some super fun lark-os with people who tell jokes. Comedians. Say it quickly and it’s like choking on moist cake. They’re like slippery foals trying to stand up - some pretty much don’t make it and get shot before they’ve even smelt the grass - others gallop like mighty steeds, and others do big ca-ca-poo-dos but people breath it in like the countryside is good for them. So, I laugh-cry, I cry-cry, I cry some more, and the especial funny stuff makes me remember the time when we were standing in a fish market in Maine, confused about whether to buy that Gleeper with the sad eyes but the happy tail? Good times.

I’m in a place called The Pleasance Dome, and gee-whizz, is it. It’s like an empty breast filling with joyleakings from the eternal mother-sky-nipple-teat. I don’t even like milk- it tastes of a white death, but I’m still having a pretty yippo-bastard time.

Gotta go Ted - am queueing for Dan Antopolski, because his name has ‘sk’ in it. Sk. Sk.

Love until it hurts like cystitis, Sylvia

Sadie Hasler: Lady BonesPleasance Courtyard

4-30 Aug 15:30

On 17th August, award-winning show expectations will be hosting a special post show discussion with prominent experts in the field of childhood disability. Dr David R Fitzpatrick is a consultant geneticist at the Western General Hospital in Edinburgh; Sophie Dow is the founder of Mindroom, a charity dedicated to helping children and adults with learning difficulties and Bonnie McKerracher is from Unique, a support group for families affected by any rare chromosome disorder.

ExpectationsPleasance Dome

4-25 Aug 12:40

During the day The CIAO! Ark is the heart of Pleasance’s children’s area, Kidzone. During the nighttimes every Tuesday and Wednesday, late into the night, the adults take over. A crew of bold adventurers clamber aboard the Ark and steer it into choppy waters.

Acclaimed storyteller Rachel Rose Reid and festival favourite Tim Fitzhigham present bedtime tales and literary wizardry for grown-ups, from a variety of special guests. Tales from the Crow’s nest is a cosy hour, served with the addition of Midnight Rations and the occasional sea shanty. This week we welcome award-winning spokenword star Dizraeli, the Roundhouse Poetry Collective, stalwarts of the UK storytelling scene Katrice horsley and Dominic Kelly, telling tales high seas and pirate queens, as well as the cast of Piramania thrown in for good measure. Tickets are only £6.50 and we’ll be back in harbour by midnight.

Tales From the Crow’s NestPleasance Courtyard

17, 18, 24 & 25 Aug 23:00

Waverley Care #laffoffstigma

MIDnIGhT vOyAGe exPeCTATIOnSDISCuSSIOn

TUESDAY 17THBBC COMEDY PRESENTS

Pleasance Dome 23:00Seann SEAN WALSH

TOBYNAZ OSMANGLU/WITTANK

DAN ATKINSONSARAH MILLICAN

BEST OF EDINBURGH: THE SHOWCASE SHOW

Pleasance Courtyard 13:10MC JO CAULFIELD

PATRICK MONAHANRAY GREEN

MANDY MUDENABANDOMAN

JUST FOR LAUGHS SHOWCASE

Pleasance Dome 22:40MC DES BISHOP

MIKE KEATMARCEL LUCONTJOE ROWNTREE

SAMMY JSEANN WALSH

ROB ROUSEGARY DELANEY

MERVYN STUTTER’S PICK OF THE FRINGE

Pleasance Courtyard 12:55Frances Ruffelle

Marcus MachiavellianCircus Trick Tease

Tom AdamsTales of Midnight Chorus

The Fragility of X

RONNA AND BEVERLYPleasance Courtyard 17:45

Sue PerkinsChris Addison

Please note that all line-ups are subject to change. Check the Box Office for the latest information.

TALES FROM THE CROW’S NEST

Pleasance Courtyard 23:00PASSENGERS & PARTICULARS

ROUNDHOUSE POETRY COLLECTIVE

KATRICE HORSLEY DOMINIC KELLY

DIZRAELI

TARTAN RIBBONPleasance Courtyard 20:00

ALEX ZANEABANDOMAN

TERRY ALDERTONIAN D MONTFORD

BO BURNHAMJUSTIN MOORHOUSE

PETE FIRMANDAVID O’DOHERTY

VIVE LE CABARETPleasance at Ghillie Dhu 21:30

DES O’CONNOR (HOST)DILLIE KEANE

GARETH RICHARDSMR B THE GENTLEMAN

RHYMERKIKI KABOOM

PIPPA THE RIPPERGYPSY CHARMS

TOM KATCIRCUS TRICK TEASE