John Gilkey talks on Buster Keaton and running off stage
Tell us about your Fringe show...
Many people dream of opening a show at The Fringe and eventually taking it to Las Vegas. We are doing it the other way around. We opened our show in Vegas, lost tens of millions of dollars, and will now play the Fringe with what little we have left.
How does it feel to be playing the Fringe for the first time?
I'm just glad I know so little. That has always worked well for me.
Best live act seen at Fringe?
I saw Cirque Archaos at the 1991 Fringe. Complete madness. I think they are all dead now. RIP.
Best thing about the Fringe?
I get to go.
Worst thing about the Fringe?
I have to leave.
If you were not a performer/comedian what would you be doing?
Wishing I were a performer. And a little gardening.
What do your family think of your show?
I won't let them near it.
How do you combat pre-gig nerves?
I avoid food. And children.
Worst on stage experience?
Running off stage to retrieve I prop I'd left behind while 2,500 people waited and the band vamped awkwardly. I still cringe. It hurts. It really still hurts. Please make it stop.
How do you recover from a hefty heckle? Do you have a set of stock replies?
Generally, I will say something that turns the entire audience against me.
What do you love about Scotland?
The one time I was there I felt strangely at home. Somehow I fit in more there than anywhere else.
What do you like about Edinburgh?
I'm from California. Anytime I see an actual castle I my mouth says wow. Edinburgh Castle got several wows.
What’s the most Scottish thing you’ve done?
Not sure this counts but I worked a caber toss gag into one of my bits for a Cirque du Soleil show. I put it in just for me and a friend. Beyond that I don't know if anyone else appreciated it. Though someone else is performing that role now, the gag is still there, thirteen years later. It’s likely very lonely.
Who’s your favourite Scottish comedian?
Sadly, I'm not familiar with many comedians because they frighten me, but I dig that Craig Ferguson dude and what he's done with the talk show format in The States. In particular I loved his loose and playful approach to the opening monologue. Plus he had puppets.
Favourite joke?
Anything Buster Keaton didn’t say.
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules here