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Scotsman
10 minutes ago
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Kate Copstick: "The church of the clown has never been broader."
Cabbage the Clown: Cinemadrome | Lina Sakoviča Our comedy critic Kate Copstick meets a wide-ranging cavalcade of clowns performing at the Fringe this year. 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... From court jesters and village mummers, via Pierrot and Pagliacci , through Grimaldi's circus rings strewn with the doors of exploded cars, it seems the clown in all its complexities has always, somewhere, been with us. Now though, the church of the clown has never been broader, and Edinburgh is offering communion with them all this year. Dan Lees created both the Malcolm Hardee Award winners The Establishment and The Flop and if modern clowning has a Grand Master, he would be it. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'I think clowning, maybe in its purest form, is an ability to take the simplest idea and make an audience laugh," he says. "Basically this is because we are not laughing at the idea but at the idiot who thinks it is genius. Someone clever said, 'a comedian tells a joke, a clown is the joke'. We laugh at the clown, and they are happy to be laughed at.' There is, nowadays, so much 'me' in 'comedy' that there is less room for those laughs. Look at the comedy programme and so many shows are about me and my diagnosis of something or other, me and my issues, me and my problems. For clowns, the audience is the thing, the laughter is the thing. Having spent some comedy time doing spots at The Stand, Mr Twonkey was persuaded, 'as an experiment', to do the 2009 Fringe. His venue thought he was a children's show and put him on at noon, with his underwater circus and 'far too many props'. It did resemble 'a children's show gone horribly wrong', says the man himself. Twonkey never saw himself as a clown like 'all the ones who have been to the clown schools and have all the formats and techniques.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Dan Lees doesn't see that as necessary, but most definitely useful. 'I think the baseline is the likability of the performer.' he says. 'Do we like them? Then the next step is to create a world they can play in. But ultimately charm is the baseline.' Twonkey has charm in ladlefuls and plays in marvellous self-made multiverses that are not always appreciated by everyone. He was banned by The Stand in 2009 for covering the entire stage in treacle in a puppet related comic debacle. He also created the legendary single official performance of Twonkey's Custard Club which submerged the performance space, audience and performer in shaving foam, and destroyed his laptop. 'I hadn't thought it through,' he says. 'If people start enjoying it and laughing I have a tendancy to keep going until it all ends in tragedy." And that is my kind of clown. Elf Lyons: The Bird Trilogy | Elf Lyons Lady clowns are rarer. Or perhaps they just come in different forms. Elf Lyons cites Marilyn Monroe as having 'phenomenal' clown comic timing in many of her early roles, 'She used physical comedy because she wasn't given as many lines as her male co-stars,' says Lyons. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The Fringe is showcasing increasing numbers of female funnies. Could the award-winningly hilarious 'Legs' of the Duncan Brothers have stood astride the Fringe in 2019 without the trophy-laden comedy talents of Julia Masli ? I suspect not. Julia is, of course, back in Edinburgh this year with Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha. As the title subtly indicates, it is very funny. Elf herself has been entrancing Fringe-goers since Swan in 2017, but it was not an easy debut. 'The constant critique from - often male - reviewers was that it was 'silliness for silliness' sake'. Now, in 2025, those same comments are directed at male clowns by the same publications but as praise, not criticism. Because for men, that kind of performance is allowed and we are so much more used to men being silly.' She is Gaulier trained, although, incredibly, not in clowning, and 'I would never say 'I am a clown' because I wouldn't have the audacity to, but I do say I use clowning. If someone says they're a clown, they should be able to make me laugh immediately just from being.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad This is a high bar to set. 'I still think it's political for women to be silly," says Lyons. "It's still subversive when we do it, and that pressure can push us to have to reveal trauma or tragedy at the cliched 40 minute mark in order to show we have earned the right to be there. Which is ludicrous. If I want to be an octopus, let me be an octopus, I shouldn't have to have some tragic subtext to get there.' This is, she says, why women make stronger bouffons (dark clowns). 'They have more anger and more to say and more things to blaspheme against." Talking of which, Narin Oz – well known part-clown part-bouffon, who describes herself as 'an overexcited clueless child alien trapped in a sexy Turkish Cypriot adult body' is back in Edinburgh trying to reconcile her inner and outer selves in Inner Child(ish). And, in the tradition of suffering for one's art, in these days of rocketing accommodation costs, is planning to camp for the month. As is Fulbright scholar and queer clown Edu Diaz. Although not in a 'freezing in a tent' sort of way. Clowning and magical realism are his things and A Drag Is Born is his show. The story of a man of advanced age, abundant body hair, and limited talents, who becomes Carnival Queen. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Typically, we wait ages for one truly queer clown show and then two come along. Self proclaimed 'tragic fool' Cabbage the Clown's drag-clown debut hour, Cinemadrome, comes on digital wings of eight million adoring online fans. 'A buffet of genres,' apparently. Look out for the popcorn. Dan Lees: The Vinyl Countdown, Greatest Bits!, PBH's Free Fringe @ Banshee Labyrinth, 10.10pm, until 24 August Twonkey's Zip Wire to Zanzibar, Laughing Horse @ Dragonfly, 8.15pm, until 24 August Elf Lyons: The Bird Trilogy, Pleasance Dome, 8pm, 12-25 August, Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Julia Masli: ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha, Pleasance Dome, 11.15pm, 11-24 August, Narin Oz: Inner Child(ish), Just the Tonic at the Mash House, 4pm, until 24 August A Drag is Born, Zoo Playground, 6.05pm, until 24 August
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Which King would Holly Jackson take to a desert island?
What Book... ... are you reading now? Blake Crouch's Recursion. I haven't read a huge amount this year as I've been so busy writing season two of the TV series of A Good Girl's Guide To Murder. When reading for 'fun', I like to have a break from crime thrillers as they feel too close to work, so sci-fi is what I reach for. I'm enjoying Recursion and its very unique take on time travel. ... would you take to a desert island? For nostalgia reasons, but also for practical reasons as it's very, very long, I'm going to say The Stand by Stephen King – the uncut version so that we can get all that extra material in and keep me entertained in my solitude (or if I need any extra pages to light a campfire). I first read it when I was around 14 years old, which was vastly inappropriate but I loved it. I re-read it again recently – it's the apocalyptic book that keeps on giving. He's truly the King for a reason. ... first gave you the reading bug? I think the first time I truly fell in love with reading was with a series of books called The Edge Chronicles, written by Paul Stewart and illustrated by Chris Riddell. And it wasn't just one series: it's a vast universe of connected trilogies, full of fantasy and adventure. It kept me very busy and entertained as a kid. And just to cheat slightly, something else which gave me the reading bug, but wasn't a book at all, was a 1994 movie called The Pagemaster – in which a boy becomes trapped in a library and is thrown into the different worlds of classic literature. I would rewatch it over and over again, and it truly pushed me towards books and the adventures they can take you on. ... left you cold? I'm going to take this question very literally and answer with Thin Air by Michelle Paver. It takes place up a mountain in the Himalayas, so it is a very, very cold book due to its setting. And in addition to the environmental kind, you might also shiver with fear, as it's a creepy ghost story. I thoroughly enjoyed it, so the colder the better I say.
Scotsman
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
How the last train home inspired a Fringe show…
The last train home is many things to many people – for Edinburgh-based comedian, Jay Lafferty, it's an insight into life, and inspiration for her latest Fringe show… Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, 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... Some people will cut their night out short to avoid it, whilst others are happy to embrace the unique experience that is the last train home. But for Greenock-born and Edinburgh-based comedian Jay Lafferty, taking the last train from Glasgow to Gourock one night last year proved to be an inspiring experience. 'I was visiting family back home in Greenock with my husband and young son last summer and, because I'd had a gig in Glasgow, I found myself on the last train home. It was the 'summer of hope', the Euros were about to kick off and everyone in Scotland – especially my fellow passengers – believed that this was the year that Scotland would bring home the trophy. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'There was a bit of a party atmosphere on the train, most people were laughing, singing, and trying to keep their night out going a wee bit longer. It felt quite special – and uniquely Scottish. I don't think the last train from an English city would've had the same vibe' says Jay. Jay Lafferty's show Ooft! will be at The Stand this August 'It felt like Scotland in miniature, and the more I looked around the more I could see. There were the obvious party people, but also some distinct personality types and wee dramas. There was the organised person who'd stopped at the chippy on the way to the station and who was inadvertently driving everyone nearby with the smell of their fish supper. "There was female friendship in action, as a crying woman with tear smudged make up was comforted by her pal who was raging on her behalf. There were even a couple of pre-teen kids who were simultaneously freaked out and fascinated by what was going on around them and who were trying to politely get out of talking to the friendly drunks in the seats nearby' says Jay. 'At the time I didn't think too much about it – it was just your typical last train home, but as I was putting my new Fringe show together, I kept thinking about that journey more and more, and about how it reflected a lot of the things I wanted to talk about in my show.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad As a comedian gigging across Scotland – and beyond – Jay is no stranger to late night travel, 'it's fascinating, especially when you've been working and are one of the few sober people on the train' says Jay 'you see every aspect of life on there and I often find myself making up stories about the people around me, which is probably part of the reason that journey inspired my show' says Jay. A late night train journey inspired Jay Lafferty's new Fringe show 'The last train is the only place where all types of people and every generation – from those who are old enough to know better, to random kids who should be at home asleep and who are trying to ignore the tipsy folk who are trying to befriend them – are all having the same experience. The vibe and the mood are uniquely Scottish and it's something I'm really looking forward to introducing to people who've never had the pleasure of experiencing it for themselves' says Jay. It's not just late night travel and Scottish life that have inspired Jay this year, she's also got plenty of stories about being the Mum of a young son, 'I've noticed so many huge differences between my own upbringing and that of my son' says Jay 'for example, my son comes home from nursery singing about consent and boundaries – whereas the songs my generation, were things, like 'The Farmer Wants A Wife' which pretty much endorses the patriarchy. I think it's great to see these differences and it gives me real hope that Gen-Alpha is going to save us all; but obviously as a comedian, it's a great source of material as well.' As you'd expect from a regular panelist on BBC Radio Scotland's Breaking the News, Jay won't be shying away from big topics and societal issues such as misogyny and the rise of influencers such as Andrew Tate. 'I think it's an important issue that can't be ignored and I hope that by making jokes about it I can help show just how ridiculous some of the attitudes we're seeing really are'. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Jay is back at The Stand Comedy Club this year, taking to the very stage where she performed her first solo Fringe – Mockingjay – back in 2015. 'It feels right to be back on the stage where it all began ten years ago, The Stand is such a special place to perform and to be there during their thirtieth anniversary year makes it even better' says Jay. Not only is 2025 the tenth anniversary of Jay's first solo Fringe show, in January this year she made her debut on Radio 4's News Quiz. 'I think every comedian dreams of being on News Quiz' says Jay 'so I'm thrilled that I'm now able to tick it off my bucket list!'. Jay Lafferty: Ooft! 31st July – 25th August (not Monday 11th) 17:00 (1 hour) Stand 1 at The Stand Comedy Club, 5 York Place, Edinburgh EH1 3EB
Scotsman
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
New Scottish comics to see this Fringe
With thousands of international acts descending on the city this Edinburgh Festival Fringe, there's a host of top comedians to choose from. The Scottish comedy scene is going from strength to strength, with five of the top new comics set to make their debuts. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, 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... Ayo Adenekan A Leith local, Ayo Adenekan is already making waves on the comedy scene having supported the likes of Sarah Keyworth and Olga Koch and performed everywhere from The Stand comedy club to the King's Theatre in Glasgow. His debut hour tells the story of growing up Black and queer in Edinburgh, the ways he tried to fit in and find identity and belonging, and all the awkward moments in between. A star on the rise, Ayo is set to be a big name in the Scottish comedy industry. 'Black Mediocrity', 30th July - 24th August, 1.30pm at Monkey Barrel Jack Traynor 'Before I Forget' Alana Jackson Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Glaswegian comic and 2024 winner of newcomer comedy competition So You Think You're Funny?, Alana Jackson's debut hour features tales of her time drinking and working in pubs. Alana's Glaswegian quick wit,sense of humour and on-the-nose impressions paints a hilarious picture of living in London as an aspiring actress and the characters she meets along the way. 'Last Orders', 30th July - 24th August, 5pm at Gilded Balloon, Appleton Tower Jack Traynor Alana Jackson 'Last Orders' Hailing from Cumbernauld, Jack Traynor has made waves in LA and London, placing 4th in a global Roast Battle League and performing against top comics from around the world. Now, Jack's debut show combines his razor-sharp wit and rollercoaster comedy to tell audiences the stories he does and doesn't want to forget - from the bizarre to the brilliantly relatable. 'Before I Forget', 30th July - 24th August, 9.55pm at Pleasance Amanda Hursy Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad A highly anticipated Fringe debut, Glaswegian stand-up Amanda Hursy brings a fearless, riotous hour of comedy to Edinburgh with the real-life story of making it from the back of a police van to the front of the stage. A show which navigates the funny side of failure and the chaos of real life. Ayo Adenekan will make his debut with 'Black Mediocrity' 'Carted', 30th July - 25th August, 6.20pm at Gilded Balloon, Patter House Hannah Campbell Local Edinburgh comic Hannah Campbell's debut hour is a Fringe show that avoids the trama and instead focuses a joyful, offbeat take on life, identity and embracing your selfhood. Making a name for herself at top venues including The Stand and Monkey Barrel, Hannah's debut is a feel-good hour of comedy. 'Me!', 30th July - 25th August, 4.20pm at Gilded Balloon Patter House
Scotsman
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Spreading the Fringe further across the city makes a lot of sense
The Stand comedy club celebrates its 30th year with a special exhibition With only three weeks to go until the start of this year's Fringe there's already a sense of excitement among creative businesses in the city. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, 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... Posters for festival shows are already going up in pubs and shops across town. The year-round venues like The Stand and Monkey Barrel are already giving a big push to their Fringe line-ups, and there's still another 20 days until the opening night. In two weeks' time, like it or not, it will be impossible to ignore it. It looks like there is going to be much livelier Fringe presence in the New Town this year, which can only be a good news for local businesses and festival punters alike. There is a much more relaxed vibe north of Princes Street, away from the mayhem on the other side of town. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The Old Town, particularly the Cowgate, is well beyond saturation point. With crowds spilling off pavements onto the roads, getting from A to B on foot is time-consuming and dangerous. Likewise, the University quarter is similarly over-crowded, despite the Teviot Building undergoing renovation. Queues at bars and food outlets in these parts of the city can be prohibitively long. It's exciting to be out and about among crowds of people, but the festival experience is somewhat diminished if you have to wait in line for 15 minutes to buy a pint. It will make for a better atmosphere city-wide if the Fringe has a larger geographical spread. This year, for the first time there will be events in St James Quarter and at Edinburgh Street Food next to the Omni Centre. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The Free Festival are opening new venues alongside the Assembly Rooms in George Street and St Andrew Square Garden will be hosting shows once more, which is very welcome news indeed. The Famous Spiegeltent returns there for the first time in eight years and The Stand are staging an exhibition which charts the 30-year history of this Scottish comedy institution. This will include some fascinating archive photos of the club's beginnings, plus some audio and video material which can be accessed by scanning a QR code. The Stand itself will have a full programme in its four venues on York Place, including my show. On sale now. Only three weeks to go.
