Issue #4 - Weekend - 7-8 August - FREE

MORE INSIDE...5 Wonderful Websites

#flyerface Pictures

Bright Is The Ring Of Words Interview

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STARTING FROM SCRATCH

Last year, The Comedians Theatre Company scored a hit with their irreverent version of classic comedy School for Scandal at the Pleasance. This year they return, in the best tradition of comedy, with something completely different. Itch is fun, new, and involves hordes of Edinburgh’s most talented comic performers, all willing to take a risk in the spirit of adventure.

Itch takes new scripts completely from scratch, getting them up in front of an audience for the first time. Throughout 2010, Ed Byrne, Jack Whitehall, Hattie Hayridge, Brendon Burns, Jarred Christmas, and Steve Frost have been amongst the comics who have been applying their expertise and experience to the new material at the Pleasance’s London venue. With this breadth and depth of talent, the results have always been entertaining, often moving, and sometimes entirely unpredictable!

In Edinburgh, festival performers will step up to the challenge of a new Itch event every day, performing dozens of the best of the new scripts with minimal rehearsal and maximum adrenaline.

Highlights will include Scottish comedians’ Hardeep

Hils Barker in Bird in the Hand

Mike Hayley as the extraordinary Clovis Van Darkhelm

Moi, Marcel Lucont’s autobiography, read and perfomed by Alexis Dubus

Singh Kohli and Wendy Wason’s charming new buddy piece; the satirical Cul-de-Sac scripts by So You Think You’re Funny Winner, Matthew Osborne; Sara Pascoe’s funny and poignant Emily’s Very Sad Play; and Blackadder star Steve Frost in Milton Jones’ endearing new father and son comedy. Jo Caulfield, Simon Munnery, Phil Nichol, and many others will all put in performances along the way.

Itch will be varied, spontaneous and daring. It hopes to capture the spirit of Edinburgh with its community of comic performers and audiences, all sharing in and celebrating the fun of the festival.

There will be a launch of Itch on the 8th August, 2pm, so get your ticket now for what will be a very special scratch with lots of familiar faces at the Courtyard that day!

Itch: A Scratch Event Pleasance Courtyard

4-30 Aug (Not 17, 24) 14:00

ITCH: A SCRATCH EVENT TURNS COMEDIANS INTO PLAYWRITES

INTERVIEW: BRIGHT IS THE RING OF WORDS

Websites aren’t just a source for information. They can be great fun, entertaining and and visually stunning. Check out some of our shows’ sites...

Popcorn Comedypopcorncomedy.comNot only can you watch some great comedy videos on the Popcorn site, you can also submit your own. The most successful could even be featured in one of the live Pleasance shows. There’s information, too, about their iPhone app which helps you find the funniest comedy videos on the web.

Nina Conti – Talk to the Handninaconti.co.ukNina has drawn and coloured in a lovely treehouse for everyone to enjoy. “I can’t sleep. I should have my own room. I built this treehouse damnit”. Check out the ‘Video Den’ and the ‘News Tree Swing’ to find out what Nina’s been up to.

Tall Stories’ New Showtallstories.org.ukThe charming productions of Tall Stories are matched by this beautiful and insightful site featuring history information, past shows, photos and more.

I Love You Becauseiloveyoubecause themusical.co.ukListen to tracks like ‘Another Saturday Night in New York’ and ‘Because of You’ from the musical while reading the story of its creation. The perfect prelude to seeing the musical itself.

Righteous Moneywww.righteousmoney.tvMeet CJ, author of ‘Buy The Recession: How to Profit From Disaster’, and watch episode one of his latest show, Righteous Money. You can also listen to financial advice in audio form.

What is Bright is the Ring of Words all about?

The play is fundamentally looking at an elderly singer with exceptional talent who has hit the drink very heavily over the years and is moving towards the end. In these last few weeks, a young man doing community service has been assigned to him - much against his will – as a carer. The young man is aware of the singer’s history and to some extent hates him for it, because he would have relished that chance at success. The action of the piece takes place over the course of one hour in real time in the flat that this singer has

washed up in.It is highly entertaining,

and isn’t mean to be self-indulgent or introspective but rather lively, physical and very active.

Where did the play originate?

It’s personal. Part of it is a homage. I studied opera and it just so happened that my contemporaries (who were all extremely good) became very famous. Although I was alright, I was never going to be that good so I decided not to go down that route. One of my contempoaries in particular was brilliant, and was set to be the baritone of the last half-century. But he drank it away and

eventually died a few years ago. It was such a great, great pity. The play takes his story as a springing-off point.

So there’s a genuine musical background to the play?

Oh yes. If you’ve got a washed up opera singer, you’ve got the background, the anecdotes, the stories, which he has. He is a funny old drunk; charming, witty and entertaining. The audience do laugh, and they laugh a lot, but the idea is to sensitise them for the more poignant moments.

Bright is the Ring of Words Pleasance Courtyard

4-30 Aug (Not 17) 15:25

Jeffery Mayhew, writer of and actor in Bright Is The Ring Of Words talks to The Pleasance Times about his new show.

5 WONDERFUL WEBSITES

ninaconti.co.uk

tallstories.org.uk

popcorncomedy.com

@The Pleasance #pleasancetimes RT: @ThreesCompany any interesting fringe dreams? get them inter-preted by our REVERIE team - email tom@threescompany.co.uk #pleasancetimes #ed-fringe #reverie RT: @BenGLukeWould strongly recom-mend Ovids Metamor-phosis at @thepleas-ance - really playful, fast paced piece. Great ensemble. Go! #pleasan-cetimes RT: @npch Get your free tickets for @thepleasance press launch with a veritable sampling of acts. sat 7 aug, noon #edfringe

RT: @soyturista Seann Walsh was very funny. I cried twice, in a good way. #edfringe #pleasance #seetheshow

RT: @JasminEgnerI recommend you see Derevo’s Harlekin @ Pleasance Courtyard even if ur not sure physi-cal theatre is 4 you. It’s haunting! #wosed #ed-fringe

http://flyerface.tumblr.com/#flyerface

KIDZONE DROPZONE-1HOUR FREE

Get one hour of childcare free when you book in with Pleasance’s Kidzone Dropzone. Maybe you’ve spent the morning seeing some of our fantastic kids shows but want to see something more adult in the afternoon; Kidzone Dropzone is your ideal solution.

The scheme is run by Premier Creche Services ltd who have been operating shopping centre creches since 1985. To date, they’ve looked after and cared for

over 5 million children. All staff are profesionally trained and qualified, and the organisation is appoved by Ofsted.

EXTRA SHOW GREG DAVIES

Greg Davies, star of The Inbetweeners amd We Are Klang, has added an extra show to his Pleasance Run. He will perform Firing Cheeseballs At A Dog in Pleasance One on Saturday 7th 23:40.

The Pleasance Kidzone Dropzone 1Hour Free

SATURDAY 7THAFTER HOURS

Pleasance Dome 00:40SARAH MILLICAN

JASON COOKGORDON SOUTHERN

CAREY MARXGINGER & BLACK

AMUSED MOOSE GANGSHOWPleasance Dome 12:40PATRICK MONAHAN

GARY DELANEYPAUL McCAFFREYERIC LAMPAERT

NAZ OSMANOGLURORY O’HANLON

CARLY SMALLMAN

BBC COMEDY PRESENTSPleasance Dome 23:00

Chris RamseyNick HelmMick Ferry

Pippa Evans Shappi Khorsandi

Best of Edinburgh: The Showcase Show

Pleasance Courtyard 13:10Host – Des Bishop

Adam VincentAidan BishopAbandoman

Tom Wrigglesworth

THE DAVE HILL EXPLOSIONPleasance Courtyard 23:00

Ali CookBrothers Streep

ITCH: A SCRATCH EVENTPleasance Courtyard 14:00

Alexis Dubus(Marcel Lucont)Simon Munnery

Jared Christmas, Hils Barker & Gordon Southern

SPANK’s James Wren

MERVYN STUTTER’S PICK OF THE FRINGE

Pleasance Courtyard 12:55The Magnets

Pappy’sItch: A Scratch Event -

Featuring Segue SistersBo Burnam

Ian D Montford (Tom Binns)Territory

Sophie Black

NICHOLAS PARSONS: HAPPY HOUR

Pleasance Courtyard 17:10Ali McGregor

Jimeoin

BEST OF POPCORN COMEDYPleasance Dome 23:30

Simon MunneryRob Rouse

RONNA AND BEVERLYPleasance Courtyard 17:45

Alex ZaneSara Pascoe

STORYTELLER’S CLUB

Pleasance Courtyard 22:00 Robin Ince

John-Luke RobertsHelen Arney

James DoweswellHost: Sarah Bennetto

VIVE LE CABARETPleasance at Ghillie Dhu 21:30

Janey GodleySuitcase Royale

Loretta Maine (Pippa Evans)Mr B The Gentleman Rhymer

The Kitsch KatsGypsy CharmsKiki Kaboom

Hosted by Des O’Connor

EXTRA SHOWGreg Davies: Firing Cheeseballs

At A Dog Pleasance One

Saturday 7th 11:40pm