Chris Turner talks about his new show, Observational Tragedy.
1 Tell us about your Fringe show
It’s the only show where you’ll see freestyle rap rub shoulders with academic analysis of Cliff Richard’s discography. Aside from that, there are three jokes about Pac-Man, a cameo from Bargain Hunt’s Charles Hanson, and full frontal nudity.
2 Best thing about the Fringe?
Sharing gigs with brilliant acts that you admire from round the world, and seeing how they approach ‘Edinburgh’ and late night crowds. Last year’s highlight was performing alongside Illinoisan Kyle Kinane, who I adore.
3 Worst thing about the Fringe?
The temptation to stay up late, drink too much, and eat all the fried foods you can find is tremendous fun at the time, but leads to an awful comedown in September.
4 How many years have you been coming to the Fringe?
This will be my tenth year! I first came in 2007 as a wide-eyed 17 year old, excited for the Snakebites and lax licensing laws, and had so much fun that I forgot about the two school plays I was performing in, and pledged to return every year after that - a promise that I have so far kept.
5 Favourite Fringe venue?
My favourite venues are ones I have a relationship with, whether that’s as a performer, or having seen great shows there. Pleasance’s Queen Dome is my favourite for improv, as you can fit a lot of people in, but still have them close enough that you can perform un-mic’ed; and I’m excited to be playing the Pleasance Beside this year, as I’ve seen some of the finest work on the Fringe in there - best of all being Tim Key’s award-winning Slutcracker in 2010.
6 Best Fringe memory?
I think the best times are often the haziest, so a sober memory would be the morning in 2012 when I got a text telling me to get to The Stand at some ridiculously early hour, where I sat with a roomful of comedians and watched Harry Hill struggle onstage with a mattress and proceed to do an hour of delightfully silly comedy.
7 Best heckle?
In 2011, I performed in a late night show called COMX with Tape Face, Carey Marx and Phil Ellis, and a guy in the crowd heckled each of them the moment they stepped onstage. When it was my turn, before I had even reached the mic stand, just as the applause had died down, he shouted, “Christopher! I have very low expectations of this!”. If you want to heckle effectively, address it to the comedian by the name only their parents use.
8 Craziest on stage experience?
Gunging Patrick Monahan in Dave Benson Phillips’ Get Your Own Back last year. Video attached!
9 What’s on your rider?
A 500ml bottle of water, and this year, a huge amount of super sticky Post-Its, that 3M kindly sent me when I asked them.
10 How do you wind down after a show?
For me, post show adrenaline results in me needing to blow off steam, as I tend to get quite hyped up, so I’ll find some friends and hang out, or have a dance back at the flat. If there’s one thing Edinburgh could do with, it’s late night ceilidhs.
11 What do you love about Scotland?
The huge number of incredible castles here. I’ve been lucky enough to visit Aberdeen, Inverness and Arran on my travels, and it’s one time my Archaeology degree feels useful.
12 What do you like about Edinburgh?
The architecture is varied and beautiful; there are some great antique shops perfect for prop-hunting; there’s a varied selection of bars serving excellent beer; Arthur’s Seat is a breathtaking backdrop; the people of Edinburgh who make up the majority of audiences tend to be a perfect blend of discerning yet appreciative.
13 What’s the most Scottish thing you’ve done?
It’s a toss up between performing for and then spending an evening with the Aberdeen branch of the SFA’s Referee Association, or catching the sleeper train from Gleneagles to King’s Cross and treating myself to a Whisky and Haggis supper.
14 What kind of jokes do a Scottish crowd seem to respond to?
I don’t think I’ve ever noticed much of a difference between crowds anywhere in the UK, they’ve only become apparent when performing internationally, like Australia or America, for example. hair.
15 Favourite joke?
One in four frogs is a leapfrog.
16 Favourite Scottish food/drink?
The free Whisky I get whenever I bump into Alan Anderson.
Chris Turner: Observational Tragedy is on at the Pleasance Courtyard until August 29.
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