Michael Griffiths talks about his new cabaret show, Cole.
Tell us about your Fringe show
‘Cole’ is a tribute show to American composer Cole Porter. I sit at the piano and sing his most popular songs from the toe tapping Anything Goes through to the romantic Night and Day and tell stories from his extraordinary life. He came from incredible privilege and married in to wealth but he lived a double life with gay affairs and a crippling horse accident from which he never fully recovered. Lucky for us we are left with all his wonderful songs.
Best thing about the Fringe?
Connecting with and being inspired by other like-minded artists. I’d been performing cabaret in Australia for a few years but when I first came to Edinburgh I felt part of an international scene and started getting noticed at home. It’s where my career began and where I have honed my craft, I can't imagine being anywhere else each August.
Worst thing about the Fringe?
Pushing through crowds in a hurry! I always seem to be running late for a show and crossing the Royal Mile a few times each day doesn’t speed things up. The amount of late night pizza and beer consumed is a worry but I manage to walk most of it off.
How many years have you been coming to the Fringe?
This will be my fourth year in a row. I’m a veteran compared to a couple of Aussie friends who are coming for the first time this year but I feel like I’m a few more years away from feeling like I know what I’m doing.
Favourite Fringe venue?
I had such a great time last year doing my Annie Lennox show in the Bosco, singing her songs in her home country was very special. This year it’s had a name change and a makeover so I have to say my ‘new’ venue the Piccolo in George Square Gardens.
Best Fringe memory?
I love coming out after the show and saying hello to anyone from the audience who stays around for a chat. I’m at the point now where I recognise some faces who’ve come a few years in a row, I’ll be looking out for them again in August. A standing ovation for my first ever Fringe performance of In Vogue: Songs By Madonna was pretty unforgettable too.
Best heckle?
Thankfully I’ve always done an earlier time slot at Edinburgh so my audiences tend to be sober and respectful. I did have a young lady call out to me during my Madonna show a few years back that I threw a chocolate into the crowd ‘like a girl’. I responded that I must have thrown it with strength and grace. That shut her up!
Craziest on stage experience?
I performed for a Saudi prince in a private theatre on a tropical island a few years back and was instructed not to look at him or his immediate companions. I was terrified but the show actually went really well and the audience were up for a good time! Doing Thorn In My Side at Forth On The Fringe last year in the Playhouse and getting over 3000 punters to sing ‘run run run Run’ comes a very close second.
What’s on your rider?
I’m not famous enough for a rider. Frankly, I’m thrilled if there’s free bottled water! I’ll know I’ve really made it when there’s booze and food in my dressing room. If I could have a drink before a show and get away with it I would but I know from experience that alcohol means my fingers won’t always do on the keyboard what they’re supposed to.
How do you wind down after a show?
I do love a beer and a bite to eat after a show. I’m pretty careful about looking after my voice during a long run so I tend to avoid noisy bars but a quiet drink with a friend or two is always the perfect way to wind down.
What do you love about Scotland?
The people and the countryside, I adore them both equally. There’s a friendliness around Scotland that is utterly disarming. One year I’m going to stay on after the Fringe to spend time in Glasgow and travel up north to Inverness and the Isle of Sky.
What do you like about Edinburgh?
It’s the most beautiful city I’ve ever been to, I fell in love with it immediately on my first visit. We don’t have ancient castles on hillsides in the middle of towns in Australia! The sense of history is very present in Edinburgh, I love the cobblestone streets and old town architecture. I’m also a big fan of all the good coffee all over the place, I can’t do a full day of shows without a caffeine fix. The fact Edinburgh is home to the largest arts festival in the world speaks for itself.
What’s the most Scottish thing you’ve done?
I ate Haggis a couple of times and I drank Irn Bru but I’m not sure if I’ve quite converted to them. Every year I promise myself I’ll climb Arthurs Seat on a day off, maybe this year it’ll finally happen! I also am a big fan of a man in a kilt but I’m not sure if I could ‘pull it off’ myself, so to speak.
What kind of jokes do a Scottish crowd seem to respond to?
There seems to be a real synergy with Australian and Scottish humour. We both respond to the underdog and to self-deprecating humour. Luckily for me, my shows are always about the music first so any humour on top of that is simply a bonus.
15 Favourite joke?
Comedy is too hard, that’s why I’m a singer!
Favourite Scottish food/drink?
I can’t go past a big bowl of porridge or a fry up for breakfast and there’s certainly no shortage of either around Edinburgh. And whiskey is always the best way to end a special occasion.
Michael Griffiths new cabaret show ‘Cole’ will be at the Assembly George Square Gardens Piccolo Tent for the month of August for tickets go to www.edfringe.com
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