Further Frivolity
Good morning Edinburgh. After a breakfast so good it meant we didn't need to eat again for the rest of the trip, it was back in to the fray to soak up more Fringe wonder. After a quick coffee stop at St Andrews Square, we headed towards Laughing Horse at The Newsroom for Puppet Fiction. (I know, too good a title to miss). Part of the free fringe, New Zealand troupe 'Present Company Included' ingeniously use puppets and humour to re-create Pulp Fiction. Alternating between different narrative threads on different days, today it was Vincent Vega and Marcellus Wallace's wife. Clever, hilarious and squeezing in as many jokes as possible, you don't have to be a Tarantino nut to enjoy. This puppet show had everyone in stitches.
Fringe Tip 4: Carry a tote bag (or a plastic bag, or a bag for life - whatever floats your boat.) Trust me on this, it's easier and nicer to accept the millions of leaflets and flyers you will be handed as you meander through the streets. It's like the Vegas strip just somewhat cleaner. Plus you'll undoubtedly discover something you fancy seeing.
Next up and a little trot over the bridge to Whistlebinkies, to watch Gareth Richards, The Halo Effect. People were already starting to mill around the bar and after the shortest sound check in history, we were in and ready to go. With his trusty Casio perched on the stool behind him, Gareth led us through tales covering vasectomies, Build a Bear workshops and Hitler versus Saville. Scattered between his anecdotes and awkward thoughts, he whipped the Casio out for a tune or two, tackling the important issues of the day, such as equality and printer ink. Random and always funny, I left with a huge grin.
No time to rest, it was straight on to Just the Tonic at The Caves to see sketch show 4 Minute Warning from Decent Peeps. Little did I know that less than an hour later the boyfriend would have proposed and been married off (just not to me). He had a busy day. Decent Peeps consists of Sasha Ellen and Daniel Collard bringing to life a host of different characters dealing with that pesky 4 minute end of the world warning. Hilarious, fast and clever, the pair raced through the hour in a plethora of different guises. One of course being a women who just has to get married; cue the normally shy and retiring boyfriend. I have a feeling he may dine out on his 'fringe performance' for some time to come. Do check the show out, I have a feeling we will be seeing more of Decent Peeps.
Fringe Tip 5: Slow down and smile! Don't get me wrong, the city wasn't as busy as I feared it would be but there are a LOT of people. You ain't getting anywhere that quickly. But who cares? Enjoy it, you don't need to bulldoze your way through the streets. Look up, take your time and smile - everyone here is incredibly friendly (I know, weird isn't it?!)
After refuelling and a walk up roughly 141 steps (in reality I lost count) we arrived at the Assembly Roxy for Tiff Stevenson (Seven). Hitting the stage in her unicorn jacket, she seemed relaxed, chatty and verbose - the sort of mate you could end up meeting for one drink and falling out of the pub with after closing time. Seven is a show taking a look at the current state of the world, both politically and personally and Tiff has the ability to craft jokes intelligently around important subjects. Relatable, funny, crude and honest, she seems to say it as she sees it, which is what we all need. And let's face it, with Kim Kardashian jokes, it was always going to be a winner.
Fringe Tip 6: Wear comfortable shoes. I wish I didn't feel the need to say this but when you're covering this much ground, your feet deserve a little consideration. Please note however, comfortable does not mean ugly. There is never an excuse for ugly shoes. Crocs, you know who I'm talking too.
Alas, my time in Edinburgh was coming to a close, I'd given some friendly American tourists directions and found a pub selling wine for £4.00 a glass. My work here was done and with a heavy heart but a smile on my face I bid the city goodbye. Thanks Edinburgh, keep the laughter bubbling for next year.
Went to:
Laughs provided by:
Puppet Fiction - Laughing horse at The Newsroom / Twitter @PuppetFiction
Gareth Richards 'The Halo Effect' - Whistlebinkies / Twitter @garethrichards
Decent Peeps '4 Minute Warning' - Just the Tonic at The Caves / Twitter @Decent_Peeps
Tiff Stevenson 'Seven' - Assembly Roxy / Twitter @tiffstevenson