Liz Truss’s Unintended Comedy Act at Edinburgh Fringe

Monday

A tale of two powerful women as the Edinburgh fringe enters its opening week. Nica Burns, a West End producer and the impresario behind the Edinburgh comedy awards, launched the fringe with her state-of-the-comedy-nation address. She praised comedy’s role in the festival, saying it needs the spotlight. “I love this festival,” says Burns, noting no other event offers the same exposure for comedians and comedy as a genre.

Her enthusiasm is understandable. The Edinburgh comedy awards thrive on the fame of past winners. After Richard Gadd’s global success with “Baby Reindeer,” the awards have another alum to celebrate.

Speaking of celebrating, Liz Truss is in town. However, her appearance at the fringe, discussing her “Ten Years to Save the West” shtick, didn’t go as planned. Truss faced heckling during Iain Dale’s All Talk chat show, with one interjecting to demand an apology. Truss retorted, “that is why the country is in the mess we are in.” Pot, meet kettle.

An Edinburgh comedy award seems unlikely for Truss, but could there be a new Netflix series about heckles, harassment, and a psychological breakdown on the horizon? It wouldn’t be surprising.

Tuesday

Everywhere, posters. Everywhere, a show. The Edinburgh fringe is topsy-turvy, a place where art takes over life. By day, I’m mostly in shows or bombarded by images and flyers promoting them. While it’s a privilege to be here, after continuous engagement, sometimes you crave a break from this overwhelming entertainment.

However, this year might be an exception. Real life outside the fringe bubble isn’t looking great. The far-right riots in the UK haven’t significantly registered in Edinburgh. This year’s festival doesn’t feel particularly political, with few exceptions like Sam Ward’s play “Nation,” which touched on xenophobia. Perhaps artists will respond to the summer’s upheavals next year. Until then, issues like far-right disturbances remain distant, much like the many crises that coincide with the fringe.

Wednesday

I’m loving what consent culture has done to audience participation. In my years as a comedy reviewer, I’ve often been wary of being humiliated by comedians. Daniel Kitson termed it “the commercialisation of schadenfreude,” reflecting the mixed feelings of guilt and relief when someone gets dragged onstage.

Audience participation, or “interactive performance,” remains popular, but it’s now more respectful. You aren’t manhandled onstage anymore; you’re asked politely. For instance, comic Garry Starr asked for a volunteer to get naked onstage but made it clear they didn’t have to. Natalie Palamides asked an audience member for a kiss but only “if you feel comfortable doing so.” After two decades, it’s a relief for critics like me.

Thursday

Where’s the buzz at this year’s fringe? That’s the thrill we’re all chasing: discovering the next big thing. Joe Kent-Walters’ late-night show “Frankie Monroe: Live!!!,” a portal to hell in a Rotherham working men’s club, is generating buzz. Katie Norris with “Farm Fatale” and Jordan Brookes with his pretend Titanic musical “Fontanelle” also have great shows. In contrast, established names like Bobby Davro and Miriam Margolyes aren’t where the excitement is focused.

One critic mentioned a show running until 2 a.m., featuring a man eating three wheels of cheese. Whether that’s buzz or trauma remains unclear. The most talked-about pre-fringe play was “Terf,” imagining the Harry Potter cast confronting JK Rowling. However, it hasn’t fared well with critics.

The trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney is also in town, reliving the backlash from her stint as the face of Bud Light. The fringe feels fabulously queerer than just a few years ago. Even the Edinburgh Military Tattoo now seems more camp and Eurovision-like. Comedian Zoë Coombs Marr reflects in her new show on this changed landscape, noting that she now gets more affirmation than laughter.

Friday

The fringe is a marathon, not a sprint—or at least it used to be. Due to the high cost of a month-long stay, many shows now opt for shorter runs. When Sam Campbell won the comedy award two summers ago after performing for only two weeks, it sparked controversy. Tonight, Rose Matafeo, another past winner, opens a short run of her new show. Also opening is “Willy’s Candy Spectacular,” a musical about the disastrous Willy Wonka Chocolate Experience in Glasgow.

Another brief but contentious run involves Jimmy Carr, performing three nights at the Playhouse Theatre outside the fringe. With tickets at £40 and the venue seating 3,000, fringe promoters worry about empty seats as 15,000 attendees might choose Carr’s show instead. Carr made his name at the festival long ago, but this return doesn’t sit well with the “spirit of the fringe.”

As someone once said, “If you’re not greedy, you will go far.” Perhaps it’s time for Carr to take that lesson to heart.

Source: The Guardian