Time for the final show in a rather more roller-coaster month than normal for the Edinburgh Fringe. No matter what gets thrown at Scotland’s capital, the show always carries on.

Charlie Wood, director at the Underbelly venues, talks about the Fringe and its impact on Edinburgh in the today’s show as well as the ticketing ‘fun’ and his appointment to the board of The Fringe Society. Before that though the announcement of the winners of The Stage’s Awards for Acting Excellence, and I speak to some of the nominees (Karen Dunbar and Cameron Stewart).

The Fringe may be drawing to a close, but the moment has been prepared for…

The Edinburgh Fringe 2008 Show #24

Brian Atwood
Editor, The Stage

Karen Dunbar - A Drunk Woman Looks At A Thistle
Assembly Rooms

Cameron Stewart - My Grandfather’s Great War
Underbelly

Charlie Wood
Director, The Underbelly

And the awards for Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Group and Best Ensemble

…see you all next year!

It’s the last weekend of the Fringe, and everything really comes alive for this Saturday night, which will be for many performers the biggest night at the Fringe. It’s also the time that many performers start to loosen up and do the occassionaly wild thing (reports that a topless Ed Byrne crashed into Jason Byrne’s shows will need photos… please), so no matter where you are tonight in Edinburgh, it should be a fun one.

And Axis of Awesome are fun! The Australlian musical trio have been packing audiences in at the Gilded Balloon with their Comback show, and one of my favourite tracks from there is on today’s show. Tom Allen (it’s really not Tom O’Connor) and I discuss how to do the perfect interview on radio (or a podcast) while Dan McKee looks back at previous Fringes and where the Fringe is now with Sowerby and Luff.

The Edinburgh Fringe 2008 Show #23

Axis of Awesome - Comeback Spectacular
Gilded Balloon Teviot

Tom Allen - A Voyage Round My Mother
Gilded Balloon Teviot

Dan McKee - Sad Frankie
The Dragonfly

Scotsman Fringe First (Week 3) Winners
Once And For All We’re Going To Tell You Who We Are So Shut Up And Listen
Slick
Crocosmia
The Idiot Colony
In Conflict

Dave’s ‘Best Joke at the Fringe’
Zoe Lyons
Andrew Lawrence
Tim Vine

Malcolm Hardee Award for 2007
Edward Azcel

Carol Tambor Award
Ella Hickson’s Eight

Coming into the final weekend now, and it’s your last chance to see many shows this weekend (remember not every show runs on Monday 25th). If you’ve got a personal favourite you just have to see, make sure when it’s on and get your tickets.

You wouldn’t go wrong stopping by with our guests on today’s show - the laid back Tom Wriggleswroth talks about vinegar and the art of being an MC while storytellers Dan and Jeff bounce round their interview with reckless abandon. The last Sowerby and Luff show (at the Dragonfly) is tomorrow, and if you’ve been enjoying their interviews as much as I have then pop along to their show at the Free Fringe.

The Edinburgh Fringe 2008 Show #22

Tom Wrigglesworth - I’m Struggling To See How That’s Helping
Pleasance Courtyard

Dan and Jeff - Potted Potter
Pleasance Courtyard

Dan and Jeff - Potted Pirates
Pleasance Courtyard

Hayley Jane Standing
The Dragonfly

Hmm, two shows in a row featuring Ukuleles? Must be a conspiracy. At least in today’s show I get my hands on the tiny instrument and a personal instructional course in playing the little blighter from the starts of Learn To Play The Ukulele…

Joining Sam and Donal from that show is comedian Josh Howie, who has had the sort of life that would fill a book, let alone the little author biography you normally get on the first page; while Brian and Georgina catch up with ‘comedian with a guitar and funny songs’ Jay Foreman.

The Edinburgh Fringe 2008 Show #21

Learn To Play The Ukulele in Under An Hour (How George Formby Saved My Life)
Gilded Balloon Teviot

Josh Howie - Chosen
Pleasance Courtyard

Jay Foreman - 20 Songs For Free
Laughing Horse @ Meadow Bar

Carol Tambor Theatre Award Shortlist
Big Bite-Sized Breakfast Show
The Bird
The Bee
Eight
The Idiot Colony
66a Church Road - A Lament Made of Memories and Kept in a Suitcase

If.Comedy Awards Nominees
David O’Doherty
Kristen Schaal and Kurt Braunohler
Rhod Gilbert
Russell Kane

If.Comedy Awards Best Newcomer Nominees
Mike Wozniak
Pippa Evans
Sarah Millican

Death, destruction, war, graves, and falling down on a purple latex stage. It’s all here in a slightly morbid feeling show, starting with Paul Tonkinson, who’s just back from doing stand-up for the UK Forces in action. Steve Blake and Nigel Burch are the composers behind the Vaudeville from the Dead styling of The Cholmondeleys and the Featherstonehaughs in the show ‘Dancing on Your Grave.’

Oh and today is Brian and Georgina’s day off, not for any organisational quirks, but because I really needed to carve out five minute to carry my inteview with the team from… Bouncy Castle Dracula. Really (watch the video here)

The Edinburgh Fringe 2008 Show #20

Paul Tonkinson - The Anti Mid-Life Crisis
Pleasance Courtyard

The Cholmondeleys and the Featherstonehaughs - Dancing On Your Grave
Assembly Rooms - George Street

Bouncy Castle Dracula
Rocket at Demarco Roxy Art House

Rhona Cameron
Gilded Balloon Teviot

Bouncy Castle Dracula
Rocket at Demarco Roxy Art House

Lots of award shortlists are coming up now, and two of the major theatre ones are up for today. For most of these acts, the strapline ‘Nominated for Best Show at the Fringe’ is going to be on their posters and press material for a long time.

Two extremes of comedy today, from the serving policeman of Alfie Moore who has stand-up almost as a hobby, to scottish circuit legend Vladimir McTavish on some of the differences between a regular Edinburgh gig and a Fringe gig. On top of all that, some excellent music (and a look at Mexican cinema) from Elena Duran.

The Edinburgh Fringe 2008 Show #19

Alfie Moore - Blue Light Comedy Tour
Voodoo Bar

Vladimir McTavish - The Top 50 Greatest Scots Of All Time… Ever!
Stand 2 @The Stand

Elena Duran - Mexico of My Heart
Universal Arts Theatre

Total Theatre Awards Shortlist

Experiment and Innovation
Enclosure 44 - Humans by Janis Claxton Dance (Edinburgh Zoo)
The Factory by Badac Theatre Company/Escalator East to Edinburgh (Pleasance Courtyard)
Once and For All We’re Gonna Tell You Who We Are So Shut Up and Listen by Ontroerend, Goed, Kopergiettery and Richard Jordan Productions (Traverse)
Paper Cinema by Night Flyer and Kora (Forest Fringe)
The Office Party by Underbelly Productions and Assembly (Udderbelly’s Pasture)
Wanderlust by Anonymous Ensemble (Underbelly)

Graduate Company
Crocosmia by Little Bulb Theatre (The Space on the Mile @ The Radisson)
How It Ended by You Need Me (C Cubed)
ID by HuNuNunMul at the InvAsian Festival (Club West @ Quincentenary Hall)
1:13 by Dancing Brick (C Soco)

Story Theatre
Before We Remember by Gomito Productions (Bedlam Theatre)
Cloudcuckooland by The Onassis Programme, Festival Highlights (Pleasance)
How The Giraffe Got Its Neck by Tall Stories (C Too)
The Man Who Planted Trees by Puppet State Theatre Company (Scottish Storytelling Centre)
Slick by Tron and Vix Motus (Traverse)
The Zawose Family by RealWorld (The World @ St George West)

Visual Theatre
Circus Oz by 30 Birthday Bash (Assembly Hall)
The Idiot Colony by Redcape Theatre (Pleasance Dome)
Hamlet Episode by Daeg City Modern Dance Company (Rocket@Roxburghe Hotel)
Mime for Laughs by Mono Mime Comedy Theatre (Hill Street Theatre)
Polaris by Adriatic: Vojta Svejda, Benes-McGadie (Zoo)

Young Company
Architecting by The Team and the National Theatre of Scotland Workshop (Traverse)
The Caravan by Look Left look Right (Pleasance Courtyard)
Holdin’ Fast by Dot 54 (Zoo Southside)
In a Thousand Pieces by Paper Birds (Gilded Balloon Teviot)

Musical Theatre Matters: UK Awards Shortlists

Best Book for a New Musical
Departure Lounge - Dougal Irvine
The Jonah Boy - Jane Buckler
On the Island of Aars - Chris Larner

Best Lyrics for a New Musical
Barbershopera! - Toni & the Guys
Departure Lounge - Dougal Irvine
On the Island of Aars - Chris Larner
Tony of Arabia - Chris Bush

Best Music for a New Musical
Departure Lounge - Dougal Irvine
The Jonah Boy - Richard Taylor
Only the Brave - Matthew Brind
On the Island of Aars - Mark Stevens

Most Promising New Musical
Barbershopera! - Toni & the Guys
Departure Lounge - Dougal Irvine
Only the Brave - Matthew Brind (music/lyrics), Stephen Coleman (book/lyrics) and Rachel Wagstaff (book)
On the Island of Aars - Mark Stevens (music) and Chris Larner (book/lyrics)

Dress Circle Award for Best Musical Production
Barbershopera! - Toni & the Guys
Departure Lounge - West End International, Newpalm Productions & Andy Barnes Productions
Funk it up About Nothin’ - Chicago Shakespeare Theater
On the Island of Aars - Quuup Productions and James Seabright for Festival Highlights

Into the last week of the Fringe, and the variety of shows is still as rich as the first few days of the preview week. The same (hopefully) goes for the podcast, as we switch from the ‘making it up as you go along’ delights of Danny Robins putting on his own festivals; a rich and fascinating biopic show of the life of Jack Kerouac; and Georgina reminding me that Sowerby and Luff is a double act…

The Edinburgh Fringe Show #18

Liam McEneaney - Two American Comedians Lose Their Shirts at the Edinburgh Free Fringe
Meadow Bar

Kerouac and All That Jazz
Sweet ECA

Danny Robins - Dannyfest
Pleasance Courtyard

The Edinburgh Fringe Show #16

Davis Wateracre (Pegabovine) - Polite Club
Pleasance Courtyard

Hils Barker - Exhibitionist
Gilded Balloon Teviot

Graffiti Classics
Pleasance Dome

Fringe First Winners
In A Thousand Pieces
The Caravan
Eight
Itsoseng
Terminus
66a Church Road
Paperweight
Motherland

The Stage Awards for Acting Excellence
Best Actor
Ciaran McIntyre for Deep Cut
Simon Merrells for On the Waterfront
Jud Charlton for ABFCAP: The Life and Times of Ian Dury
Will Lyman for The Patriot Act
Jot Davies for Lough/Rain

Best Actress
Rhian Morgan for Deep Cut
Rhian Blythe for Deep Cut
Helen Embleton for Motherland
Kate Donmall for Lough/Rain

Best Ensemble
Kudos for Face in the Crowd
You Need Me for How It Ended
Big Wow for Dark Grumblings
The Paper Birds for In a Thousand Pieces
Traverse Theatre Company and Birmingham Repertory Theatre Company for Pornography
Live Theatre for Motherland
East Productions and Nottingham Playhouse for On the Waterfront

Best Solo Performer
Peter McDonald for Nocturne
Matthew Zajac for The Tailor of Inverness
Karen Dunbar for A Drunk Woman Looks at the Thistle
Cameron Stewart for My Grandfather’s Great War
Jim Jarrett for Vincent
Stefan Golaszewski for Stefan Golaszewski Speaks About a Girl He Once Loved

The Fringe is always portrayed as a somewhat quixotic challenge… many an interview I do could easily be summed up as one question - “Why?” - but Tim Fitzhigham takes personal challenges to a different level. Having previously rowed across the English Channel in a bath, lived in a cave, and ran up the side of a volcano, his latest show talks about his quest to Morris Dance from London to Norwich in nine days.

Every artist and performer looks at Edinburgh as a challenge, and both Rosie Wilby (with her comedy show) and Emma Hutchens (with the one-woman show Not Stalking David Tennant) have taken on the endeavour in their own respective ways.

The Edinburgh Fringe 2008 Show #15

Rosie Wilby - I Am Nesia
Sweet, Teviot Place

Not Stalking David Tennant (a.k.a. Having it All)
The Vault

Tim Fitzhigham - The Bard’s Fool
Pleasance Courtyard

Flanders and Swann - At The Drop Of A Hippopotamus
Pleasance Courtyard

And the Fringe continues. It doesn’t matter what happens around Scotland’s capital - the show goes on, so you might want to pick up The Guardian’s tips to get through any dark mental moments you might have. if that doesn’t work, there’s always the tiny hope of an awards nomination over the weekend…

Matt Kirshen has made his name in the US, with an appearance on Last Comic Standing, but can that translate to a good time at the Fringe? I ask him in today’s show. Someone who has name recognition (albeit from an appearance in Kill Bill) is Samurai Master Tetsuro Shimaguchi, who has brought the impressive Samurai Spirit show to Scotland. Topping out today’s trio, Sowerby and Luff talk to Free Fringe performer John Cooper on the hilarious topic of eczema.

The Edinburgh Fringe Show 2008 #14

Janey Godley - Domestic Godley
Pleasance Dome

Samurai Spirit
Zoo Southside

Matt Kirshen - Keep Smiling Matt
Assembly Rooms

John Cooper - The Thirty Year Itch
Canon’s Gait

The Guardian’s Tips to Get Through the Slump

I know I promised something a touch different today, but the torrential rain yesterday meant that I couldn’t get any outdoor recording done. No matter, the Fringe is nothing but coping with problems as best you can - that show may well be here tomorrow, for now, it’s another packed list of guests.

The recently married Ed Byrne and I sit down to talk about the delights of building a home, and his return to the Edinburgh Fringe at the Assembly Rooms, while Brian continues to find the smaller comics who are on the way up. And Showstoppers put together one of the best improvised songs I’ve heard in a long time - but do leave their fascination with Sondheim unanswered…

The Edinburgh Fringe 2008 Show #13

The Shitty Deal Puppet Theatre Company’s Complete Guide to the Arts
The Vaults

Showstopper! The Improvised Musical
Musical Theatre at George Square

Ed Byrne - Different Class
Assembly Rooms on the Mound

Alyssa Kyria - Woman of the Year?
Pleasance Dome

Tomorrow is the half way point at the Fringe (so it’s going to be a different type of show, and long time listeners will know what to expect), yet there’s still so many people and shows to get around, to raise a laugh, get you thinking, to cry and smile, to just totally enjoy the one-of-a-kind nature that is Edinburgh in August.

Today sees Edinburgh based puppetry company Pangolin’s Teatime talk about The Last Yak, Brian catches up with Mersey based comic Ste Porter, and formerly of The X-Files star Dean Haglund chats about improvising an entire episode every night in one of the most haunted locations in Edinburgh.

The Edinburgh Fringe 2008 Show #12

Pangolin’s Teatime - The Last Yak
Pleasance Dome

Dean Haglund’s X-Files Improv
Underbelly Baby Belly

Ste Porter - The Mersey Comedy Uncut Kollective
Madogs

To put everything in perspective, there are still two weeks of the fringe to go, but now the wheat is being sorted from the chaff, as Mark Shenton, over at The Stage’s blog points out. Everyone has a story to tell about Edinburgh, and that’s one of the goals for the podcast - to get the real Edinburgh to you.

Today see’s the delightfully gothic Terrible Infants, the incredibly popular Rob Paravonian, and the wonderfully nice Sarah Millican, as well as the daily look around Edinburgh at the events and news that the citry runs on in August.

The Edinburgh Fringe 2008 Show #11

The Terrible Infants
Underbelly

Rob Paravonian - Two American Comedians Lose Their Shirts…
The Meadow Bar

Sarah Millican - Not Nice
Pleasance Courtyard

David Benson is a Fringe regular, and his show “My Life with Kenneth Williams” has played here for many years. in 2008, he has brought a new solo show to the Assembly Rooms, “…sings Noel Coward” continues to showcase his impressive talent both for vocal acting, but for carrying off the solo show with experienced ease. Here he sits down with Alex Hastie to talk about that show, his own career path, and his direction of “My Grandfather’s Great War.”

Alex will be back next week with another guest for Sunday Brunch.

Edinburgh Fringe 2008 Show #10

David Beson sings Noel Coward
Assembly Rooms

My Grandfather’s Great War
Underbelly’s Baby Belly

And so the first full week of the Fringe draws to a close. Unlike other festivals though, there’s still 16 days of the programme left to go, and countless shows still on everyone’s must see list. And of course the podcast carries on bringing up the new shows and untapped talent to the world.

Known to watchers of the BBC Talent Search shows, Niamh Perry (I’d Do Anything) and Keith Jack (Any Dream Will Do) bring the house down in Only the Brave, which is debuting at this year’s Fringe. I catch up with them, and air some of the music from the show; Ladies in waiting have a thing for Brown and Yellow (and steroids) so how has that affected the first few shows of Brownie Re-Union; and finally Brian Luff talks to sketch group Delete the Banjax.

PS: The rain is back…

The Edinburgh Fringe 2008 Show #9

Fringe Sunday
The Meadows

Only The Brave
George Square Music Theatre

Delete the Banjax - Your Money or Your Life
The White Horse

Ladies in Waiting - Brownie Reunion
Pleasance Courtyard

Fringe First Winners
Deep Cut
The New Electric Ballroom
Architecting
Speaks About A Girl He Once Loved
The Tailor of Inverness

Herald Angels Winners
Deep Cut
The New Electric Ballroom
Enclosure 44 - Humans
Bale De Rue
Dream of Cat
Richard Hamilton - Protest Pictures

The sun is back! We can go around Edinburgh and not have to avoid a sea of umbrellas. Of course now there arte three days of flyering and promoting for people on The Royal Mile to catch up on, but you can’t have everything, can you.

Who’s on the show today? Well, ex-World Record holder Tim Vin (499 jokes in one hour) returns to Edinburgh after his spectacular poster of two years ago; Ella Hickson has a new theatre experience in Eight; and Brian catches up with Jon Brittain before his Chortle Student Comedy Final next Tuesday.

Edinburgh Fringe 2008 Show #8

Equity at Edinburgh - Schedule of Events

Equity’s Social Media Workshop (Facebook)

The Edinburgh People’s Festival

Jon Brittain Chortle Student Comedy Awards Final
Pleasance Dome

Ella Hickson - Eight
Bedlam Theatre

Tim Vine - Punsligner
Pleasance Courtyard

“Apres Mort, Le Deluge,” to corrupt a well known phrase. The rain cannot dampen our spirit, and the Fringe will continue, no matter the weather. Which is good because the best transport around town yesterday could have been a speedboat.

But the weather never stopped a podcast, especially one with comedian Nick Helm talking to Brian and Georgina, martin Oldfield and Mark Butt from Pierreppoint - The Hangman’s Tale, and Australlian comic Damian Callinan and his impotency.

The Edinburgh Fringe 2008 Show #7

Nick Helm - Comedy O’Clock
Laughing Horse @ Espionage

Pierrepoint - The Hangman’s Tale
Sweet Grassmarket

Damian Callinan - Mmm… They’re Small
Gilded Balloon Teviot

The rain in Spain… has been exported to Edinburgh. It’s coming down in buckets, but that doesn’t dampen the spirits of the Fringe. The bars are all nicely under cover, so the only dilution is from the ice.

Speaking of bars (and the podcast visits a lot of them during August), Brian Luff catches up with some more acts from the Free Fringe in the Gilded Balloon Library bar, while I catch up with Philip York to talk about his portrayal of media tycoon Robert Maxwell, and performer Felix Dexter, in Edinburgh with his stand-up show Not Just Another White Guy Lost In The Shuffle.

The Edinburgh Fringe 2008 Show #6

Lies Have Been Told - An Evening with Robert Maxwell
Assembly Rooms George Street

James Shakeshaft - Songs of Music
Holyrood Too @ Faith

Felix Dexter - Not Just Another White Guy Lost In The Shuffle
Pleasance Courtyard

The sun stayed out all day yesterday, which made it the perfect time to be bouncing around theatres and shows throughout the day - big hint for everyone is to bring a little bottle of water to any show, and if you have a program, use it as a fan. Thanks to the weather this year, sitting under stage lights, in makeshift theatres with lots of black curtains can be like a mini-sauna. So be prepared!

Which is a motto that would clearly be from Boys of the Empire, a comedy Boys Own adventure from Glenn Chandler, the creator of Taggart. Add in the delightful country sound of Wilson Dixon, and whoever Brian has found on the Royal Mile today, and you have another perfect day in Edinburgh at the Fringe.

The Edinburgh Fringe 2008 Show #5

Wilson Dixon Rides Again
Pleasance Courtyard

Judy - The Musical
Augustine’s

Boys of the Empire
C Chambers Street

Onto the first full week of the Fringe, and after a pretty good weekend for ticket sales (and not so good for weather), the buzz on hows perforers and places to be is building up. Charlie Victor Romeo is one of my picks for theatre this year, and I’ve made a point to see it (and interview the team behind it) as early as possible.

Fiona “One World Sapphire” O’Loughlin took on a massivly frustrating trip from Alice Springs to get to Edinburgh, and hadn’t even settled in before popping in for an interview on the Podcast. Finally Brian Luff chats to “back for the difficult second year at Edinburgh” sketch double act Girl and Dean.

The Edinburgh Fringe Show #4

Charlie Victor Romeo
Underbelly Cowbarn

Fiona O’Loughlin
Gilded Balloon

Girl and Dean
Pleasance Courtyard

The Fringe really is like an extended family, no matter where you look old friends pop up for a quick ‘hello’ (and the invariable flyer handed to you for their show), but that’s all part of the fun. Spot where I suddenly spy some people in today’s show.

Speaking of old friends, Stephen K Amos is the first interview of today - having appeared on the Fringe podcast every year I’m worried that if I don’t have him I’ll jinx the show. In any case he’s one of the stars of British stand-up, and deservedly so. I also caught up for the first time with The Stage’s review team, and ask them what shows have drawn their eye as they flip through the program.

Finally, Guy Hollingworth is one of the greatest close-up magicians Britian has produced. many years ago, he had a rough and ready show at edinburgh called ‘Expert at the Card Table.’ It’s now back, with Neil Patrick Harris directing a fascinating look into the world both of magic, and of cheating.

Do leave your comments on the website or email me on ewanspence@gmail.com.

The Edinburgh Fringe 2008 Show #2

Stephen K Amos - Find The Funny
Pleasance Courtyard

Stephen K Amos - Weekend Chat Show
Gilded Balloon Teviot

Guy Hollingworth - The Expert at the Card Table
Assembly Rooms George Street

Charlie Victor Romeo
Underbelly Pasture

New Electric Ballroom
The Traverse Theatre

The Gymnast
Pleasance Courtyard

On The Waterfront
Pleasance Courtyard

Sammy J in the Forest of Dreams
The Underbelly

Ben Moor - Not Everything is Significant
Pleasance Courtyard

August the first, and the starting gun on both the Edinburgh Fringe and the Edinburgh Fringe Podcast has fired. Which means a month of daily podcasts from the biggest arts festival on the planet are going to be heading towards you at top speed (or whatever your broadband is capped at). For the opening show, I thought it was time to dig a little deeper into the relationship between the festival and Scotland’s capital city, so I spent some time with Councillor Steve Cardownie, the Edinburgh Festival and Events Champion.

On the show front, one of my favourite groups, Tha Martians, are back with a new show called Greyfriars Twisted Tales, and I caught up with them at a rehersal to talk about the show and grab some unplugged music from the show. It’s also your first chance to meet Georgina Sowerby and Brian Luff, who are running their own daily show at the Fringe - they’ll be popping back with their guests and thoughts on Edinburgh from a behind the scenes perspective throughout August.

Do leave your comments on the website or email me on ewanspence@gmail.com.

The Edinburgh Fringe 2008 Show #1

Councillor Steve Cardownie
Edinburgh City Council, Festival and Events Champion

The Martians - Greyfriar’s Twisted Tales
at the Musical Theatre, George Square

Sowerby and Luff - Sex Tips for Pandas
at The Dragonfly (Part of PBH’s Free Fringe)