YOUR FREE GUIDE TO THE EDINBURGH FESTIVAL 2011 MORE AT WWW.THREEWEEKS.CO.UK ThreeWeeks IN EDINBURGH Comedy legends of a different kind: Guest Editor Richard Herring talks to Barry Cryer and Jerry Sadowitz PLUS Pink Noise with Fork ALSO INSIDE THE THREEWEEKS 2011 WEEK ONE/TWO ISSUE: Luke Wright, Rosie Wilby, Anthony Rapp, Paul Nathan, Joe Simmons, Lorraine Kelly, Peters Productions, Theatre Ninjas plus lots of tips for avoiding Fringe Flu, ThreeWeeks Book Festival recommendations and comedy, cabaret, theatre, musical, music and physical reviews “ STARTPOINT threeweeks presents the king’s speech Welcome this week’s quoted as fact. So do your bit by are two of the comedians that I sense you’d have to be a moron only referring to me as the King admire most in the world, despite to be genuinely offended. Some CONTENTS ThreeWeeks Guest of Edinburgh from now on. As if their wildly contrasting styles and shock comics seem to be bullies Editor Richard Herring that’s what everyone does and outlooks. punching downwards (when a only an idiot wouldn’t know that. If millionaire comedian mocks an 04: Festival Hello, it’s me, the King nothing else it will piss off Prince Barry has worked with all the actual 8 year old disabled boy People of Edinburgh. This is an Phillip. comedy greats for over 50 years it surely becomes just cruelty unofficial title that I have decided and clearly still loves comedy and rather than humour), but Jerry 06: Comedy to bestow on myself, partly And maybe I almost deserve it. other comedians. Many others is so low status that whoever he because I know no one else ever After all, this is my 20th Edinburgh from his generation became attacks he is punching upwards 10: Cabaret “will, but mainly because I think if Fringe. I first came up here in bitter about the kind of comedy and his material is so artfully people begin to refer to me by that 1987 with a sketch group called that came after them, but Uncle constructed that he always ends 12: Theatre & moniker (even ironically) it won’t ‘The Seven Raymonds’ (there Baz has stayed engaged and up hitting himself in the face. He be long before the name sticks. were six of us and none of us were interested and happy to pass on is, I believe, the most underrated Musicals called Raymond - genius) and have his undoubted wisdom. I aspire to comedy genius that these islands “Have you seen the King of created or co-created 32 different still be working when I am his age, have ever produced. But perhaps 16: Dance & Edinburgh?” shows since then. Some of you are and to still love the business of the success he deserves would here to get discovered or get on making people laugh as much as destroy the whole conceit. Physical “Who is that?” TV – good luck with that (you fools) he does. 18: Music – but you soon sort the phonies By the way have you seen my “ “Don’t you know? It’s Richard from the slightly less phony by Jerry, on stage at least, is twisted ThreeWeeks quote? Apparently 19: Survey Herring.” looking at who keeps coming here with anger and bitterness and I am “the King of Edinburgh”. I’m once opportunity has knocked. seems to hate other comedians putting that on all my posters. 20: Events “Oh right. OK, if you say so.” almost as much as he hates This is the most humble day On the face of it the two himself. He turns profanity and of my life. 20: Photo Page I’m sure this tactic is the comedians I have chosen to offence into an art form. He will explanation for the success interview in this edition of leave you gasping for breath with Richard appears in ‘What Is Love Anyway’ 22: Kids’ Shows of some of our more notable ThreeWeeks could not be more laughter and then just gasping at at Udderbelly’s Pasture from 3 - 28 Aug at 8.50pm, fpp 140. comics. They started spreading different: the avuncular, loveable the awful things he has said. You He also records a daily Edinburgh Fringe 23: Meet Team fantastical statements about Barry Cryer and the vitriolic, will certainly be offended, unless Podcast at The Stand each day at themselves, which eventually got terrifying Jerry Sadowitz. But they you are a moron, and yet in a 2.20pm. ThreeWeeks WWW.THREEWEEKS.CO.UK | PAGE THREE “OnlyMORE a ONLINE: fool would Look expect out for to Addy come Van away De Bourgh’sfrom an August spent in Edinburgh withFringe a goldenWord Of tan, The but Day, some every years day in the the weather eDaily really does take the piss.” ZoeSubscribe Lyons on Edinburgh’s for free: wonderul www.ThreeWeeks.co.uk/subscribe weather, one of her bad bits - www.threeweeks.co.uk/zoelyons FRINGE PEOPLE THE CARO HELLO Is it really only Week One of also got Q&As with people the free shows app is back: theatre ninjas the Edinburgh Festival? Yes, I from some of the shows that can confirm that it is, though attracted our attention during At last year’s Edinburgh frankly, it feels like it might be preview week – namely dance/ Festival those fashionable about Week Seven. I suspect physical theatre piece ‘A World apps were everywhere you that happens for anyone Without Words’ and a capella looked, as smartphone actually working at the Fringe, extravaganza ‘Pink Noise’ by ownership became the norm. in whatever capacity. The final Fork – as well as an article week or two before it kicks off from the director of ‘The Girl But the one that stood out are a tiring rush, and the first With The Iron Claws’ all about for us was the Theatre Ninjas week feels less like the start what real fairy tales are like, and free tickets service. In fact we and more like the culmination a piece by poet Luke Wright liked it so much we gave the of something: the huge push to on the best and worst of the team behind it a ThreeWeeks be ready to go on time. festival. Editors’ Award at the end of the festival month. The Anyway, here we are, with our This week we also put some Theatre Ninjas are back again Week One/Week Two issue, questions to Broadway star bigger and better for 2011, featuring the guest-editorial Anthony Rapp, talk to musician- so we interrogated team the performers and their venue is the work they have lovingly laboured stylings of newly crowned turned-comedian Rosie a larger audience, which will in turn over to be seen by as many people as comedy-King Richard Herring. Wilby, and discuss children members Rajiv Nathwani and generate publicity through word of possible. Feedback showed that the In addition to his interviews with and magic with Paul Nathan, Caitlin Albery Beavan to find out more. mouth. Lots of Fringe companies groups that used Theatre Ninjas to fill two legends of comedy, we’ve the man behind the ‘I Hate ‘paper’ their shows early on in the up early performances both enjoyed Children Children’s Show’. festival to build audience and word of good early date audiences, and also Elsewhere, Edinburgh veteran TW: For the uninitiated, what is the mouth, but that involves handing out found those free ticket holders spoke Joe Simmons talks to his 2011 Theatre Ninjas service? tickets randomly to people near your about their production helping to chat show co-host Lorraine RN: Theatre Ninjas provides free venue. With Theatre Ninjas you are cultivate future audiences. Chase, and our team of book tickets to shows that have not reaching people keen to see shows all correspondents offer you reached their maximum capacity. over Edinburgh. Plus shows also get TW: Why ninjas? their top tips for the upcoming It allows audience members on a exposure on our site and app. RN: There was beer involved. It Edinburgh International Book budget to see a greater variety of created an identity: you bag your free Festival. work and, most importantly, to take TW: Where did the idea come from? ticket with stealth. You have to keep a risk, and see a show they would CAB: The original idea was formulated the secret codeword close to your not have otherwise picked out of by a group of friends in a pub who chest, keep it discreet and not let All this, and lots of reviews too. the programme: because they have had just seen a theatre show for free on to others in the box office queue Enjoy. little knowledge of the company, via the Arts Council’s free tickets that you’re about to get a free ticket! Caro Moses, co-Editor, ThreeWeeks or lack awareness of the venue, or programme for young people, A That’s ninja-like, right? because it’s a genre that they haven’t Night Less Ordinary. We created previously explored. The benefit for a secret Facebook group to make TW: How was the service received each other aware of other free last year? tickets available via this programme, CAB: It was unbelievable. We hadn’t and to share them out between us. expected the amount of attention From that the idea took off, why not it would receive. During the festival create an app that offered a similar we had over 3,500 downloads, 240 service to everyone? We then noticed companies register with us, and that IdeasTap had relaunched their together they advertised 10,000 Innovators Fund, which could give us a tickets with box office reports little funding – so we decided to bring suggesting an 80% take up.