Australian Invasion at Edinburgh Fringe
August will soon be upon us and another army of Australian comedians are preparing to descend upon the worlds largest arts festival, the Edinburgh Fringe.
One Aussie with a guaranteed ticket to Edinburgh is this year’s Raw Comedy winner “Neil Sinclair”:comic. He will take on other newcomers in the “So You Think You’re Funny”:http://www.edfringe.com/shows/detail.php?action=shows&id=443 competition.
Some Australian acts are frequent visitors to the Fringe. “Tim Minchin“:comic is performing a new show “Ready For This?”:http://www.edfringe.com/shows/detail.php?action=shows&id=141 and last years If.Comedy Award winner and ex pat “Brendon Burns“:comic has a new show entitled “F&k You I’m Brendon Fx%x%king Burns Part IV Again”:http://www.edfringe.com/shows/detail.php?action=shows&id=780. Fans of “Adam Hills“:comic expressed disappointed that he will not be performing a show at Fringe, however they can be comforted by his appearance alongside “Jason Byrne“:comic for a limited season of late night shows, “Adam, Jason and Friends”:http://www.edfringe.com/shows/detail.php?action=shows&id=229.
Two of this years Moosehead recipients are making the trek. “The Axis Of Awesome”:comic (“Lee Naimo“:comic, “Benny Davis“:comic and “Jordan Raskopoulos“:comic) are extending their “Comeback Spectacular”:http://www.edfringe.com/shows/detail.php?action=shows&id=1119 to Scotland while “Sammy J“:comic, “Heath McIvor “:comicand a cast of puppets are performing “Sammy J in The Forest of Dreams”:http://www.edfringe.com/shows/detail.php?action=shows&id=942.
After tours covering most of Australia, comedians often use Edinburgh as the next logical audience for their most recent show from the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. “Jimeon“:comic will be “On Ice”:http://www.edfringe.com/shows/detail.php?action=shows&id=416 and “Fiona O’Loughlin“:comic will perform her current “stand up show”:http://www.edfringe.com/shows/detail.php?action=shows&id=426. “Pig Island“:comic are performing their current show “Simply Fancy”:http://www.edfringe.com/shows/detail.php?action=shows&id=1146 while “Frank Woodley“:comic performs his solo show “Possessed”:http://www.edfringe.com/shows/detail.php?action=shows&id=251. “Interactive Theatre Australia“:comic are bring the chaos of “Faulty Towers: The Dining Experience”:http://www.edfringe.com/shows/detail.php?action=shows&id=592to Scotland’s culinary crowd and “Sean Choolburra“:comic will perform his show “Live & Deadly”:http://www.edfringe.com/shows/detail.php?action=shows&id=277 . The guys/girls from “The Grease Lightnin’ Drag Show”:http://www.edfringe.com/shows/detail.php?action=shows&id=415 will be bringing Rydell High to life while “Robert Yule“:comic stars in “Beautiful People (Don’t Travel Economy)”:http://www.edfringe.com/shows/detail.php?action=shows&id=20.
There are other performers who decide to use a proven show to introduce themselves to a foreign audience. “Dave Bloustien“:comic is making his Fringe debut with his show “Beastly”:http://www.edfringe.com/shows/detail.php?action=shows&id=1184, “Alison Bice“:comic is performing her Moosehead assisted MICF show “The Wizard Of Bice”:http://freefringe.org.uk/programme/index.php?option=com_comprofiler&task=userProfile&user=228&Itemid=56 and “Geraldine Hickey“:comic is revisiting her acclaimed debut MICF show “One Week In Paradise”:http://www.edfringe.com/shows/detail.php?action=shows&id=1581. This concept also applies to Fringe veterans with “Damian Callinan“:comic is performing his show “Spazznuts” to Edinburgh under the new title of “Mmm…They’re Small!”:http://www.edfringe.com/shows/detail.php?action=shows&id=1123, “Greg Fleet“:comic is performing “Secrets & Lies”:http://www.edfringe.com/shows/detail.php?action=shows&id=450, a show that seems to be a reworking of his “Word Up” show of 2006, and Wilson Dixon (“Jesse Griffin“:comic ) will make the trek from Cripple Creek to perform “Wilson Dixon Rides Again”:http://www.edfringe.com/shows/detail.php?action=shows&id=736.
Formerly of Perth, “Richard Brophy“:comic is performing in “The After Dinner Society”:http://www.edfringe.com/shows/detail.php?action=shows&id=1573 shows at Free Fringe as well as appearing in “International Stand Up”:http://www.edfringe.com/shows/detail.php?action=shows&id=336. Another expat “Marcus Ryan“:comic is performing in “A Cold Slap Down Under”:http://www.edfringe.com/shows/detail.php?action=shows&id=1241 with Canadian James Uloth.
Despite not being a stranger to the Fringe “James Hazelden“:comic will be in Scotland in a different guise. He appears minus his “Man Bites God“:comic band mates for a solo show entitled “Freeloader”:http://www.edfringe.com/shows/detail.php?action=shows&id=1561.
All the best to the Australian contingent.