Tiff Stevenson explores sex and politics at Edinburgh Fringe
Stevenson – who has appeared on shows like Mock the Week, 8 Out Of 10 Cats and the Bafta-winning series People Just Do Nothing – spoke with The National ahead of her return to the Fringe.
READ MORE: Gogglebox axes only Scottish cast members after 3 years on TV screens
'It's a festival of ideas as much as it is art … and it's just the most exciting and creative place to be for the month of August', she said of her upcoming return to Edinburgh, where she has been amongst the best reviewed acts five times previously.
'There's still that feeling that when you pull in the train at Waverley station, you get a feeling of sickness in the pit of your stomach. You're like, 'oh, it's about to happen' – it's a mix of nervousness and excitement.'
With this year's Fringe taking place in a political landscape which becomes more and more tumultuous by the day, Stevenson believes it's still important to be able to joke about serious topics.
'The main thing we have to do is err on the side of funny – lead with funny first and make people think second, because I think people now more than ever get turned off by thinking', she explained.
'As a left-wing person, we constantly focus on the minute differences that we have, rather than coming together as a whole in order to kind of make a cohesive change.
'These little, kind of micro-arguments that we have are not necessarily progressive. We have to be able to have difficult conversations, and we have to be able to dip into the grey areas to be able to try and make some headway.
'Comedy should be about making people think or showing them how you think and how you've got there, and they go away and ask some questions – no one wants to feel like they're being preached to.'
She told The National that the show came from thinking about all of the 'wild and wacky ideas' that spring to mind once 'sex is out of the way'.
(Image: Steve Ullathorne)'Maybe the UN should only meet after they've had a good shag', she joked.
'I feel like there's a lot of pent-up aggression in the world that could be released in a slightly healthier way, rather than firing penis shaped missiles and rockets.
'It feels very much like we're on the brink of World War Three at the moment, so I will be talking a bit about that in the show. There will be a combination, if I get it right, of personal, political and social themes.'
Although Stevenson is English, both her father and her husband are from Scotland. She said her husband Paul, the director of Post Coital, keeps an eye on the 'sensibility' of things.
'We make sure we're not just plonking a show in Edinburgh that has nothing to do with Scotland or the people of Scotland', she said.
In past shows, the comedian has touched on several slightly taboo subjects, like ageing in the public eye and our unhealthy dependency on the internet. Stevenson touched on the pressure of maintaining an eternal youth whilst speaking frankly about the lack of information and research on one of the biggest biological changes that women experience: the menopause.
She said: 'I put a video out a few months ago about a perimenopausal vampire and people were saying 'Oh my God, you're putting yourself in an age bracket if you do that'.
READ MORE: Study finds a third of boys believe revealing outfits are 'asking for trouble'
'I don't even know if I am menopausal and the reason that I don't know is because there's no information.
'All women have is asking other women, 'Have you had this?' 'Is this happening to you?' 'Do you feel angry all the time? I feel angry' and so on.
'That is a failing of all the medical institutions that there's no information available for women apart from us talking to each other, because the only the research only goes into illnesses and drug trials with men as the standard.
'So, it's hard, trying to understand the phases of life and what we go through without thinking 'this is everything and this totally defines me', as opposed to knowing that it's a part of life, and a part that we all move through.'
Tickets for Post Coital are available through the official Edinburgh Fringe website. Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Record
22 minutes ago
- Daily Record
Oasis gigs at Murrayfield will have major ban enforced amid concerns about fans safety
Oasis are set to play Edinburgh's Murrayfield Stadium this weekend for the first time in fifteen years. Oasis are set to play three huge shows at Edinburgh's Murrayfield Stadium this week with a no-fly zone being put in place for the gigs. Aviation watchdogs have strictly forbidden drones over the stadium amid worries that a device could fall from the sky and injure fans below. Anyone caught using the gadgets will face a fine amid a huge security operation at Murrayfield. Similar rules were brought in for Oasis' comeback performances in Manchester's Heaton Park and Cardiff's Principality Stadium last month, the Sun reports. Brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher are set to take to the stage in Scotland for the first time in fifteen years this week. They will play three sold out shows on Friday August 9, Saturday August 10 and Tuesday August 12. A source said: 'Banning drones above the gigs is the right move. "All it takes is something to go wrong or someone who doesn't know how to properly fly a drone to make a mistake. "If one falls into the crowd people could end up badly hurt.' A Civil Aviation Authority spokesman added that the ban was 'in the public interest'. An estimated 210,000 fans are expected to flock to the Capital to attend the sold out gigs. Concert goers will face strict rules with metal water bottles, large bags, hip flasks and umbrellas among the banned items. Anyone found with knives, pyrotechnics or drugs will be reported to police immediately. A Scottish Rugby spokesman said security was 'of the upmost importance' at the gigs. The concerts clash with Edinburgh's world famous Fringe arts bash of over 3,800 shows. Police said a 'proportionate and considered plan' is in place' to keep visitors safe. A force spokesman added: 'We are working to ensure the safety of those attending events and minimise disruption.' It comes after an Oasis fan tragically fell to their death during a gig at London's Wembley Stadium on Saturday night. Lee Claydon, who has been described as a "lovely family man" sadly passed away at the gig at the weekend, having suffered 'injuries consistent with a fall'. Lee was pronounced dead at the scene after his fatal fall at the concert. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Oasis have publicly acknowledged his death in a statement as they said they were 'shocked and saddened' to hear of the death during their sell-out Wembley show this weekend. The band said in a statement: 'We are shocked and saddened to hear of the tragic death of a fan at the show last night. Oasis would like to extend our sincere condolences to the family and friends of the person involved.' Oasis played their final gig at Wembley the following evening on August 3 after five nights in the venue. Their next stop is now Edinburgh for three nights at Murrayfield Stadium.
Scotsman
an hour ago
- Scotsman
Comedian Holly Spillar on how working class artists are disappearing from the Fringe
With costs continually on the rise and little financial support to hand, low-income background artists increasingly can't afford to come to the Fringe. Comedian Holly Spillar speaks for and to the comics priced out of this year's festival Sign up to our Arts and Culture newsletter, get the latest news and reviews from our specialist arts writers Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... It's a dangerous time for people from low income backgrounds to try and be artists. Whilst we are more aware than ever of what diversity looks like, and the many kinds of barriers that face artists, class often falls by the wayside. There is little to no support for working-class artists, and the funds and schemes that do exist are effectively working blind. It's impossible to truly 'means-test' support, and the applications for these limited resources are inevitably self-described. And let's face it - almost everyone wants less financial risk, so these funds are hugely over-subscribed. As a result, financial support often doesn't reach the people who need it the most, and the artists who lose out and truly cannot present their work without funding are nowhere to be seen at the Fringe. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad If it wasn't for the Phoebe Waller Bridge bursary scheme Keep It Fringe, this would have been me. I had to borrow money to perform my debut show in 2023, and it took me and my producer a year and a half of working minimum wage jobs to pay that back. Without that bursary, it would have taken me much longer than two years to return to the Fringe. Holly Spillar | By Paul Gilbey The Fringe website claims that the ethos of the festival is 'to give anyone a stage and everyone a seat'. But it's clear that making professional work as an artist is becoming more and more a class exclusive sport. Like the problem of class in the arts in general, the steady disappearance of low-income background artists at the Fringe is easy to overlook. It's painful for me that the comedians that continually inspire me to keep making my work are those who can't afford to bring their own to the Fringe. The Edinburgh Fringe is comedy's moment in the spotlight, and more interviews with comedians fill the pages of papers than at any other time of year. But of course, this coverage won't reach the comedians who can't afford to go, so our awareness of the problem is limited. It's a vicious cycle. Which is why I took the opportunity to speak to some of the comedians unable to bring their work to Edinburgh, about how the financial barriers facing them have impacted their career. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Artists like Nikola McMurtrie, a sketch comedian and writer with commissions from BBC Scotland. Despite being a regular finalist at competitions such as the Musical Comedy Awards and Sketch Off, Nikola has not been able to bring a debut show to the Fringe. She told me: 'I don't think artists should have to go into debt to share their work… I just can't afford to.' Australian comic and clown Alexander Richmond says that for international performers from low income backgrounds Fringe costs are completely impossible. 'To be able to stay here and move onto a new VISA I need to spend well over £5000 - I could not possibly afford to also do the Fringe.' Alex told me that not attending Edinburgh Fringe 'inherently harms' his career. On one hand, this is about missing opportunities, although the financial rewards of Fringe are few and far between. Any potential professional opportunities will benefit few of the over 3000 shows being presented. Instead, the currency of the Fringe is 'markers of success' - reviews, award nominations, buzz - which rarely translate to financial reward. This is high-risk for anyone for whom 'losing money' means not being able to make their rent. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad What we see from the outside is some artists smashing out show after show, and others having to take more time, or never being able to bring work to the Fringe at all. The assumption is: you're not ready. As is often true with class, people don't see poverty - what they see is incompetence. This is the real harm to burgeoning careers. Performers from a low-income background cannot always put their life on hold for a month - especially not when working off the debt of a previous trip to the Fringe. This is without even considering the other demands artists can have on their time - I spoke to working class comedian and mum Freya Benteaux about how parents can feel pushed out of the festival. She told me 'the biggest barrier is the cost - I can't afford to travel through from Glasgow every day, couldn't afford the posters/space in the brochure etc… I also have a neurodivergent child so childcare would be an issue - I can't put my them into holiday clubs and there isn't really a community of artist parents who could help.' Improving access for working class and low-income background artists isn't just about money. It is about understanding what the specific needs of these artists are, and responding with creativity and sensitivity. For Freya, that means 'a pool of childcare providers. If artist parents had a base where they could drop off their child during their show and then look after other artists' kids during their show, that would be amazing.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The Keep It Fringe Fund offers £2,500 to successful applicants - but £500 of that is given after the festival is over. It's a start, but funds like the Keep It Fringe Fund are an absolute bare minimum if the Edinburgh Fringe is to be an arts festival, not a festival of wealth. The arts have to be more than just a playground for the wealthy and well connected. Holly Spillar: Tall Child, Underbelly Bristo Square, 5.45pm, until 24 August
The National
2 hours ago
- The National
Why Craig Murray is lobbying UN ambassadors Scottish independence
His latest – and unofficial – diplomatic role took him to Manhattan, there to rub shoulders with ambassadors and activists in the 'New York radical scene' with the ultimate aim of having Scotland 'decolonised' by the international body. Murray's career as a diplomat culminated with a posting to Uzbekistan as the British ambassador, a post from which he was sacked after raising concerns about human rights abuses in the country. He is now flexing his diplomatic muscles as part of the campaign group Liberation Scotland's attempts to have the UN recognise Scotland as a 'colony', which would put it on course for gaining independence in the same manner as did countries such as Ghana, Cameroon and Somalia. During his visit in June, Murray made an intervention on behalf of the Kanak people of New Caledonia. He told The National that this was because Liberation Scotland supports 'the freedom of other colonies' but admits an ulterior motive. It was 'to show that I understand the legal structures and the legal arguments' around decolonisation, and to demonstrate that the group is 'not disruptive' as it may otherwise be characterised, said Murray. It was a demonstration that the group are approaching the committee sincerely and in good faith. The former diplomat, now an activist, blogger and sometime political candidate, said that networking was fundamental to the trip and met with high-profile activist lawyersMargaret Ratner Kunstler and Dan Kovalik. READ MORE: Top historian of nationalism weighs in on bid to 'decolonise' Scotland His initial pitch to the UN ambassadors with whom he spoke – many will represent countries colonised with the help of Scottish soldiers - was to ask whether they considered Ireland a colony. 'Everyone does, that's a perfectly accepted idea,' said Murray. 'And then explain to them that Scotland's a colony in the same way, we're actually extremely similar cases and that all the things that are said against Scotland being a colony, like the fact that we had a Treaty of Union, the fact that Scottish people used to serve in imperialist forces or benefitted from the slave trade, all of those things are also true in Ireland and that doesn't stop Ireland from having been a colony.' Murray said that despite the baggage of history, his arguments for Scottish independence were met with 'warmth' from those he lobbied. (Image: Getty Images) 'That does bring an initial willingness to listen, which is very important,' he added. By the same token, said Murray, there is a historic and growing anger at the UK in UN circles, especially given Keir Starmer's assault on the aid budget to fund military spending and the perception of Britain as 'one of Israel's closest allies' during the genocide in Gaza. 'People are receptive to breaking up the UK, because they don't like the UK,' he added. June's trip was marked down by Murray as a success and he said that he would reconnect with people he met when he returns to New York in September for the General Assembly. He and a team potentially numbering dozens of others are due in Geneva in the autumn for further UN lobbying. But he concedes that the battle is likely to be a long one and it is 'in no sense a substitute for campaigning at home'. 'We've made a good start, it will take a couple of years and success is not guaranteed,' Murray said. 'But it's a lot easier, it's a lot more realistic than getting Keir Starmer to agree to a referendum.'
