I'm camping during the Edinburgh Fringe so I can afford to perform

The National

21 hours ago

Rents of £7000 for one bedroom in a shared flat for a month have made Özenci shell out for a tent so she can bring her one-woman show, Inner Child(ish), to the city.
Özenci first appeared at the Fringe in 2014, creating a stir by performing her show in her car.
'I could only squeeze in four or five people at a time, but it got good feedback, and Mark Watson came to interview me for BBC2's Edinburgh Nights,' she said.
She no longer owns a car so has had to lug her tent to Edinburgh via public transport. And while she has camped before, Özenci, who has autism, has admitted that living in a tent for a month would be a challenge.
Here she documents the first few days – including the problem of ­trying to exit ­Waverley Station and ­meeting ­friendly locals.
DAY ONE
I arrive at Edinburgh Waverley overlayered because it's hot in London. I strategically have packed in such a way that I can carry everything with me.
So I thought. I saw the steps ­exiting the station – it was a ­nightmare. I am only 5ft 4, with ­under-worked woman muscles. ­Someone offered to carry the luggage for me but I was moving already and wanted to get out of there.
I should have said yes. Something was getting caught on the wheels of the suitcase while I was wheeling it. I thought the suitcase was ­broken u­ntil I ­inspected the ­situation.
It was my green screen for my show Narin Oz: ­Inner Child(ish). It now has a giant hole in it, which I have incorporated into the show.
Took the bus eventually after ­finding out how payment works here through a very helpful local.
I arrived and started setting up my tent. It took a while because I forgot how to do it. Thirty minutes later, I managed to put it up, then realised I needed to put the pegs in and I had forgotten my hammer.
I asked someone to borrow their mullet, then realised what I had said. He didn't give me a new haircut, but he lent me his hammer, and it took me ages to hammer in the pegs. I hurt my thumb in the process – tent life.
When everything was up I had a wash then had a nap. I didn't mind the tent too much. Then I had to go into town.
Nighttime in the tent was fine, ­surprisingly. It's very insulated and I was warm. The only problem was that I woke up with a backache.
DAY TWO
I worked out that if I sleep in a foetal position, I don't get a back ache and I was very excited about that – I felt like I discovered ­something brand new that should be patented.
This is what happens when you don't sleep well – your brain ­becomes foggy and you come up with stupid ideas.
I don't spend time at the site ­because I have things to do in town before my show and most of the time, I am living on the Too Good To Go app and supermarkets for food.
I have to make sure my phone is on charge at all times so I have a portable battery to have it on charge.
Narin Oz: Inner Child(ish) is on until August 24 (not the 12th) at the Just the Tonic Mash House