A festival to remember Conference Call catches up with celebrated comedians Jimeoin, Daniel Sloss and Craig Hill before they take to the stage at Venue 150 for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe
50,266 performances of 3,269 shows in 294 venues over three weeks in August. The 69th outing of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe is just around the corner, with the EICC’s Venue 150 preparing to host comedians, vloggers and authors, not to mention a string quartet.
Household names Jimeoin, Daniel Sloss and Craig Hill will be in residence at Venue 150 for the full run of the Fringe (4–28 August, excl. 15 and 23). Below, they tell us what inspired them to become comedians and what audiences can expect from their latest shows.
They will be joined by Queen B of Comedy Luisa Omielan who returns to the capital for one weekend only with her smash-hit shows, What Would Beyoncé Do?! (26 August) and Am I Right Ladies?! (27 August). The Guardian proclaimed her as “the biggest stand-up hit of the decade”, so grab tickets while you can.
Also returning to the Festival is Limmy, who will be recounting a new selection of tales from his Sunday Times’ bestseller, Daft Wee Stories (18–21 August). Following the success of her debut, Louise Pentland, aka fashion and beauty vlogger Sprinkle of Glitter, presents a fresh LouiseLIVE (20 August), a glittery show about dating and life as an internet sensation, as well as beauty advice and confidence tips.
Touted as a pick of the Fringe, The Big C in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support (8 August) will be hosted by comedy royalty Ali McGregor, with a special guest appearance from Broadway and Hollywood luminary Alan Cumming. A second comedy gala also takes place on 23 August to mark Barnardo’s 150th anniversary. The special bumper-length benefit will present some of the UK’s best-loved comedians.
“One of the highest profile performances, Flit brings together some of today’s most prominent musicians with stop-motion animation from BAFTA award winning animators”
And it’s not only comedy that will be wowing audiences this year at Venue 150. Hup (11–16, 19–23, 25–28 August) will see a quirky quartet of musicians create a captivating classical music experience for 0–24 month olds and their grown-ups. Another show for small audiences, The Many Doors of Frank Feelbad (10–28 August, excl. 15 and 22) interactively explores the emotions of grief and loss as Frank searches for his mother.
It is the second year that Venue 150 is running a full programme of both Fringe and Edinburgh International Festival performances. EIF shows include Anything That Gives Off Light (16–25 August), a foot-stomping collaboration from Brooklyn-based ensemble The TEAM and the National Theatre of Scotland. Fusing classical Indian Kathak dance and ballet with dream-like animations, Chotto Desh (13 and 14 August) tells the story of a boy who dreams of becoming a dancer, while Raw (27 and 28 August) looks at the world through a child’s eyes. Made by children for children, the high-energy show is dance theatre at its finest.
One of the highest profile performances, Flit (10 and 11 August) brings together some of today’s most prominent musicians including Portishead’s Adrian Utley, Mogwai’s Dominic Aitchison, Becky Unthank from The Unthanks and Adam Holmes. Inspired by stories of human migration, their live music is combined with stop-motion animation by BAFTA-winning animators whiterobot.
Lastly, audiences can enjoy a day of celebrations at the Chinese Arts & Culture Festival (14 August), which will feature a Mandarin-version of Shakespeare’s Richard II, a Peking Opera and a Chinese Puppet Show by Shanghai Theatre Academy.
For more information on any of the shows above, please visit our events page.