- 1 year ago
The Scotsman at The Edinburgh Festivals with Jane Bradley - Episode One
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00:00Welcome to The Scotsman at the Edinburgh Festivals. I'm Jane Bradley, Arts and Culture
00:12Correspondent at The Scotsman and I'm here today to showcase the things that we've been doing this
00:17week in the first few days of the Edinburgh Festival. I spoke to Dion Owen who is a comedian
00:22from Montreal Quebec where he runs his own bike shop as well as his comedy career and he's going
00:27to tell us all about his cyclopath scheme where he leases just over a hundred bikes to performers
00:34during the French. Thank you for having us. So we are here in a room with lots and lots of bikes.
00:39You have come from Montreal, so where have you got all these bikes from? All the bikes have come from
00:44a wonderful organisation called The Bike Station which I have in my official shirt. They're an
00:48amazing bike charity. I've worked with them the last few years and they upcycle all sorts of used bikes
00:52and they're very kindly enough when they get some donated and they're not quite ready to be resold
00:57they'll loan them to me for a month. I give them a light tune-up and then I send them out to artists.
01:01Fantastic. So you lend all of these bikes to artists who are visiting the fridge?
01:05Mm-hmm. It expends past artists too. We sometimes get producers or pretty much anyone who comes out
01:10and helps us right in front. Whether you're a local Scott who needs a bike or you're coming in from
01:14Australia and you're helping run a circuit show, we want to get you on two wheels and zip it around.
01:18And you're not an animal local, so how did this come about? You came over as a performer.
01:23I came over as a performer and the first year we boarded a few bikes from a gentleman,
01:28I stayed with the Recycle Hosting Group and I was like, this is really helpful. Me and my three
01:32other comics, we all had bikes. So the next year I went to visit The Bike Station. I was like,
01:36hey, can I loan out some bikes? I think it started at about 20. And then the first year the program
01:40really got rolling. I think we got people on 50 free bikes. Last year we did 70 and then this year I think we're
01:46at 86 bikes that I've gotten ready and getting people on. And demand has kept on burden. Demand is through the roof. So we have,
01:52I think around 300 requests this year, so there's no way I can match that. I've tried to get some
01:57funding through the council and Cycling Scotland, but no luck so far. But there's demand for, yeah,
02:03at least 300 people could use a bike. So it's nice to do 86, but it still means that over 200 people
02:10aren't getting a bike who could use it. And you're a bike enthusiast yourself, aren't you? A huge, yeah,
02:14I'm just going to describe myself as a professional comedian and a bike advocate. So everywhere I go,
02:19I try to volunteer with bike organizations and it's just a, it's a nice way to give back. It's
02:23something to help me, help my mental health. So the more people I can help bike, the better.
02:27Fantastic. Thank you so much.
02:29Thanks for coming, Jane. All right. I hope you guys, yeah, you can look into the program. It's online
02:34and make sure you go out and support all the people coming for the Fringe. We appreciate your school in
02:37Edinburgh. I know it's a lot, but this is incredible. So thanks so much for all your
02:41support and letting us come fill your city for a month.
02:44Carl Donnelly is a comedian who's performing at the Monkey Barrel this year, who is taking
02:49advantage of Dion's free bike program. Tell me how that happened.
02:53Well, basically I was planning on getting a bike. I've been looking online at eBay and Gumtree for
02:57buying a bike. I've got to buy one, give it to charity at the end. It's pretty expensive,
03:01everyone's looking at it. I've also had my daughters with me, so I've got to put her seat on and all that.
03:06And then I did a weekend of gigs in Glasgow with Dion about three weeks ago. We had a lovely weekend,
03:12just sort of hanging out together. And then he told me about this and I sort of said,
03:16I'm looking for a bike. And it was like a real, you know, sort of coincidental meeting.
03:20And now he's really sort of saved the day. I'd have to spend a chunk of my Fringe budget,
03:27which is already quite big, on buying a bike to fit me and my daughter to ride around Edinburgh.
03:33And how vital is that for you getting around town during the Fringe?
03:35Well, it's really, I mean, it's not just vital, but it also just makes the Fringe a much nicer,
03:39you know, in terms of having a kid to be able to take her around the place and not,
03:42you're sometimes going to be just stuck in the centre and I want to take her up to,
03:45you know, different nice parts, down to Leith and all that. And, and then obviously with the way
03:49the Fringe accommodation's gone over the years, like you end up staying a bit further out every year.
03:53So I'm just sort of over on the other side of Bruntsville this year. You know, it's about a good
03:57half an hour walk, you know, so suddenly, you know, expecting a five-year-old to constantly traipse around.
04:03You know, I felt a bit, I felt a bit guilty last year, traipse around everywhere. So it'd be nice this year to be able to do it like we do in London, man.
04:10I was proper on the bike and proper on the road.
04:12Yeah, so you're keen cyclists at home?
04:13I am, yeah, yeah. And my daughter is as well. So it's nice to be able to just keep that going while we're up here.
04:19Yeah, absolutely. Brilliant. So have you got your bike yet?
04:21Um, no, it's currently, it's just here, it's currently being built. Dion's already tested my daughter's seat on it.
04:26He's given us a basket. I've not got a basket at home. That's exciting. Got the old paneer racks.
04:31Yeah, I mean, it's basically, um, it's looking like a version of mine at home, just with a basket.
04:37Great. And where's your first ride going to be, too?
04:39Um, I don't know. Well, do you know what? We actually haven't got helmets yet.
04:43I'm quite a safe rider and I've always made sure my daughter's wearing a helmet.
04:47So I think the first thing is I'm going to ride it off with no helmet. It's my shame to buy us both helmets.
04:54She's like, I brought up a few other bits with a bike from home, but I thought, you know, your suitcase is too full.
05:00Like, you know, bike cameras is a bit much. So it's screeching to a suitcase when you're away from five weeks.
05:05Yeah. Great. Well, enjoy. I hope you guys see you lots of Edinburgh while you're here.
05:11This is Brian Doby, who is Operations Manager at The Fairtree, The Counting House and West Knick Records,
05:16which are venues here at Fringe. Hi, Brian.
05:19Hiya.
05:20You've been involved with helping to fund Dion's free bike loan initiative for the last few years.
05:27Can you tell me a little bit about that?
05:28Well, Dion first came to us here as one of the comics at the Axe.
05:31We've got, it's a madhouse, this place with 67 different shows a day on in here, comics.
05:36So he's been doing the cycle pass comedy routine that he does here.
05:40And he told me of his idea to make sure and try and get bikes out here. Comedians are saying a little bit of money during the Fringe.
05:46Everything's that expensive during the Fringe.
05:48It is. He's saving them money on Ubers, like food towards accommodation, which is sky high anyway,
05:54but he's trying to save some money. And we're doing a bit betterment for the planet as well,
05:57which the Prairie House and the Counting House has always been about. It's the environment.
06:02That's great. And have you used any of Dion's bikes?
06:04I haven't. Dion has offered on more than one occasion to service my bike,
06:09which has been in my garage, sadly, for about four years.
06:13But I do have for bikes when he keeps off into servicing for me. I've not taken advantage of that yet.
06:17And do you find quite a lot of the performers who are performing at your venues have taken
06:22advantage of the scheme and have found it very useful?
06:23Yeah, last year there was quite a few of them had them. And then Dion made sure that he was
06:28given them the opportunity to purchase helmets as well, because we had a few scatterbrain comics
06:33that I was a bit concerned. I went to Dion's. I don't think he should have a bike without a helmet here, mate.
06:37So he's been organising that as well.
06:39That's great. And are you going to continue to support the initiative in the future?
06:42Absolutely. It's one of our green initiatives, so we'll be supporting that here to come.
06:47Amazing. Imogen Tracelle works at a production company called Show and Tell, where she's working
06:53on various shows across the fringe. And she has just gone bike from Dion's free bike scheme.
06:59So what are you going to be using it for?
07:01Just getting around Edinburgh, really. It's a lot quicker, obviously, than walking around.
07:07If you're going to invite a few venues, I think it'll be really quick just to get in between.
07:11And have you used a bike during the fringe before?
07:14No, I've been a strictly pedestrian before. So it's nice, yeah, to cycle a lot in London.
07:20So it'll be nice to cycle in London.
07:21Yeah, great. Thank you very much.
07:24Yes, thank you. Thanks.
07:25Next we met Donald Trump's wife Melania, otherwise known as American comedian Laura Benanti.
07:31So let's see what she had to say.
07:33I'm here outside the American consulate in Edinburgh with a very special guest today, Melania Trump.
07:37Hello. Hi, Melania. What are you doing here today?
07:40Well, I am here because my husband is not.
07:43So you didn't fancy joining him in Aberdeenshire?
07:45Oh, no, no, no, no. I don't need to watch him swing his clubs and try to put his whatever into
07:50as many holes as possible.
07:52Fair enough. So today outside the consulate, are you going to visit some of your compatriots?
07:56No, I'm here to protest the demonic show Laura Benanti, Nobody Cares.
08:01This woman, she makes fun of me all the time on the late show with Stephen Colbert.
08:05Do I deserve it? Of course. But is it nice?
08:08No. So I don't ban people to go. And I'm waiting for the other protesters to show up.
08:12I've been waiting for four hours. I'm sure they'll be here at any minute.
08:17So Laura Benanti, you want her show cancelled?
08:20Cancelled. Cancelled completely.
08:23And of course, you are Laura Benanti and you are one of the best known Melania Trump impersonators
08:27who has been on the late show with Stephen Colbert, which has unfortunately recently been cancelled.
08:33Yes. I started doing this impression in 2017 after her famously plagiarized Michelle Obama speech
08:41at the Republican National Convention. I had never been a satirist before.
08:46And now I've been doing it for nine years. So it's pretty crazy.
08:51Yeah. And the late show, which is such an iconic show in America, one of the most iconic.
08:58They cancelled it. It got cancelled. And I wonder why.
09:02And obviously, it must be quite an interesting time to be a Melania Trump impersonator.
09:06Well, it always has been. I mean, if I'm being honest, it always has been.
09:09And I had a lot of people threaten me when I started doing it, talk, you know, threaten my children.
09:15It's it's really a divisive time in our country where sometimes somehow cruelty is at the forefront,
09:22waving its flag, our flag, which, you know, it's sad to me that now if I see an American flag,
09:29I assume that that person is a lunatic. And I don't want that.
09:33You know, I want to be proud of my country. And your show here at the Fringe is starting soon.
09:40My show, Laura Benanti, Nobody Cares, runs from now until August 30th at Underbelly Bristow Square
09:47at the Ehrmantrude Theatre. So I'm very excited. I hope to see you there and everybody there.
09:52Fantastic. Really looking forward to it. Yeah, thank you.
09:55We also have the premiere tonight, the yellow carpet at the Edinburgh International Festival for Make It Happen.
10:00I'm on the Royal Mile on the first day of the Edinburgh International Festival. The festival was
10:06launched by some famous faces, including the Scottish legend that is Brian Popp and festival
10:12director for three years running Nicola Benedetti. The festival this year welcomes artists from 42
10:20different countries across the world and features seven world premieres. One of those is, of course,
10:26the hotly anticipated play Make It Happen, about Scotland's role in the 2008 financial crash.
10:33Make It Happen was written by James Graham and stars Brian Popp as Adam Smith, the father of capitalism,
10:41along with many other amazing artists who we know from our screens. I was lucky enough to go
10:47along and see a sneak preview of the play ahead of its official world premiere tonight. And it looked
10:53absolutely brilliant. Colleague Rachel Ferguson at the Edinburgh Tattoo which kicks off for the first
10:59time tonight. It wouldn't be the Edinburgh Festival because it's out the tattoo and this year is an extra
11:04special year because it's the tattoo's 75th anniversary. I went along to the preview ahead of the first
11:11official show tonight and it was as spectacular as ever. I spoke to creative director Alan Lane, chief executive
11:18of Jason Barrett and was lucky enough to speak to some of the performers as well, some of whom it was their first time at the
11:25tattoo. I'm joined by Alan Lane, who's the creative director of the Edinburgh Military Tattoo. Alan, thank you so much for
11:35speaking to us. We've got the preview of the show tonight and obviously this is your first year as creative director.
11:43How are you feeling as it all kicks off? I'm pretty excited. We've been working really hard for the
11:48last week. Cast is ready. They've come from all over the world. They are super talented. We've been
11:53rehearsing hard and now we need an audience and they're arriving, right? And obviously this year is the
11:5975th anniversary of the tattoo and I know that it's a special show. Tell us what the audience can
12:07expect. Well, the Heroes Who Made us celebrates two types of heroes. The first are the people who
12:11made 75 years of the tattoo and the second are the people who make our communities worthwhile. The
12:15people who serve us through their volunteering, through their military service, through the civilian
12:19service. So I think that will combine in hopefully a really emotional moment and the tattoo standards are
12:25here. We've still got military music, traditional Highland arts and our international guests. It's a
12:30packed night. And of course you've brought guests from all over the world to perform tonight. What does it
12:38mean to have them here and joining you? International guests have always been a huge part of the tattoo.
12:44This year it's never been more important to extend a hand of friendship out. We've got American bands here,
12:49it's really important they're here. We've got the Poles and Ukraine, of course, are a big moment.
12:54They've not left the country since the war. It's hugely emotional for them and it's a really,
12:59it's a big thing for them and we're really proud to be supporting them.
13:02I'm joined by Jason Barrett, who's the Chief Executive of the Edinburgh Military
13:08Matthew. Thank you very much for speaking to us. How are you feeling as all kicks off this evening?
13:15How am I feeling? I'm feeling excited. There's always a level of trepidation as we kick this thing off.
13:20We have 26 shows ahead of us. There's been an enormous amount of work that has gone into this
13:24and planning. And so it's with that that we're finally here. And it's a bit of us just wanting
13:29to get on with it. I'm joined by William Douglas, who's from the US side. Thank you so much for
13:34speaking to us, William. Absolutely. You said that this is your first time
13:37performing at the tattoo. How are you feeling ahead of tonight's preview performance?
13:43I am excited. I'm exhilarated. My team and myself, we just got done in the
13:48Fossil Switzerland tattoo a week and a half ago. And so we're just going from tattoo to tattoo,
13:54performing. It's very exciting. It's very fun. And especially all of us, myself included,
14:00we're very honoured and privileged to be here right now representing the United States Air Force
14:04and our country here. And what are you looking forward to about the atlas of the next year?
14:12So I can say that during our performances, we definitely feed off of the crowd's energy.
14:18Every single cheer, clap and applaud. We love it so much. We want everyone to be as loud as possible,
14:26cheering us on and clapping. In particular, watching the US stars, it was incredible.
14:33Tickets are still available and the show's running until the 23rd of August.
14:46Sheddenborough launched today and we caught up with Francesca. As well, I've been going down every day
14:50for the past 11 days and filming the build, which you will be able to see separately, not in this show,
14:55but also on scotsman.com and watch how a Fringe venue is created in just over a week.
15:00Hi, Francesca. Thank you so much for joining us on our first Scotsman Live at the Fringe.
15:06So this is Francesca Moody, who is a producer and also the founder of Sheddenborough, where we are today.
15:12Hi. Hello. Thank you for having me.
15:14So this is the launch of Sheddenborough. This is the very first day.
15:17It is indeed a brand new venue right at the heart of the Fringe.
15:21That's fantastic. And it has been a new venue for the Fringe this year.
15:25Yes, a new venue. It's all of our love letter to the Fringe.
15:28So it's a kind of reimagining, a bit of a utopia of how we do things.
15:32So every artist is paid, all their travel and accommodation are covered by us.
15:37We have a different show every night at the Fringe, music on the weekends, three talks in the day.
15:43It's a cafe. It's a bar. It's a performance space. It's a place to gather.
15:48Artists can come here to meet and collaborate. You can get an artist card, 10% off.
15:54So, yeah, it's a space to say, like, we believe in the Fringe and we want to support the next generation of artists working like that.
16:02And you've been talking about it being an idea of sort of turning the Fringe model on its head.
16:06And, you know, can you talk a little bit about the reasons for that?
16:09Well, I think, you know, this is my 20th year working at the Fringe, not quite producing for 20 years,
16:16but, you know, people often ask me about the sustainability of the Fringe,
16:20what it means to make work here now. It's obviously becoming a lot more expensive to bring work here,
16:25the increasing cost of accommodation. And I'm very conscious of trying to level the playing field for
16:33artists, for people to be able to create a more sustainable space to make work at the Fringe.
16:38I believe it's a really important part of our cultural ecosystem, a place where, you know,
16:43great careers have been made, you know, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Richard Gad, Eddie Izzard, Sarah Pascoe,
16:50you know, the list goes on. And I think it's important that we protect it at all costs. And so
16:55this is kind of our, our kind of reason for doing the Sheddenborough, I suppose. Yeah, try and do that.
17:03And obviously, you're not only doing a venue this year, you have your own production company where
17:07there are many shows coming this year, you have historically and famously been behind shows such
17:12as Baby Reindeer and Fleabag, which started out on the Fringe. What have you got going on this year?
17:16And what should you be looking out for? Well, apart from Sheddenborough, where there are literally
17:20so many shows you can come and see that are so brilliant, including our Shed originals, we have
17:26a brilliant new musical called Housewood Against History. It started its life at the Fringe seven years
17:30ago as a tiny show, and we kind of scaled it up about the life of Henry Stonewall Pageant,
17:36who was a real character in history, who was born into incredible wealth and then essentially squandered it all
17:42by being totally fabulous, completely silly, totally camped, really fun, a great night out,
17:47but also with a real kind of beating heart of a story at the centre of it. We've got Gary Starr,
17:52Classic Penguins. It's a returning show for last year.
17:55I saw that as a press preview the other night.
17:57Yeah, exactly. Yeah, you kind of have to come and see it to believe it. It's just the perfect Fringe
18:03show, the most amazing piece of clowning I've ever seen. I'm so thrilled to be working with
18:08Damien, who is Gary Starr, and that's on at the Big Purple Cow at 9.30pm every day.
18:14And then we have Ohio, which is a gorgeous folk musical written and created by a married couple
18:19called the Bensons, who are over from the States. They describe it as a grief concert, a kind of
18:25what do we do in the life, in the face of life's unanswerable questions, a beautiful kind of piece of
18:30peak theatre. And that's at Assembly Rocksby at 3pm every day. Brilliant. Well, thank you so much for
18:35joining us, and I look forward to seeing what you've got in Storch Edinburgh. Thank you.
18:39Let's have a look at the weird and wonderful Fringe performers who we've come across along the way.
18:48We're the cast of Lady Macbeth Play Blink Defence, produced by Crash Theatre Company with music by
18:52Project Bex. We are playing at Assembly George Square Studio One every day at 4.15pm. The show places the
19:00story of Macbeth on a netball court where Macbeth will stop at nothing to be captain.
19:06We are so excited to be at Edinburgh Festival Fringe for the very first time all the way from Western
19:12Australia.
19:13Pick your player, fierce replay. Duns and eight hellhounds lead the way.
19:18Pick your player, fierce replay. Duns and eight hellhounds lead the way.
19:24Pick your player, fierce replay. Duns and eight hellhounds lead the way.
19:30In thunder, lightning, or in rain, you were made to win this game. When Lady Mac fuels the flame,
19:38shall we three meet again? In thunder, lightning, or in rain. Step into the dark, don't be afraid.
19:46Pretty dangerous, a little strange. When shall we girls meet again?
19:54A Jaffa Cake Musical is a family friendly comedy musical about the court case which decided whether
19:58a Jaffa Cake is a cake or a biscuit. It's very silly. We do actually give you an answer to that
20:03question as well at the end. It's a lot of fun. There's some bangers in there and it's for the whole
20:08family. So yeah, get your tickets on at 2pm every day at Pleasant's Courtyard. Fourth,
20:12just over that way. Cheers.
20:15We are The Uncrackable Case, a new comedy musical about the murder of Humpty Dumpty.
20:20It's set in the 21st century. Jill of Jack and Jill fame is on trial for murder, but did she really do
20:25it? It's been the question we've been debating for years and years and years. Did Humpty actually
20:29fall off that role or was he pushed? New covering musical, four actresses playing 32 different parts,
20:38brilliant new music, musical theatre, 80s power ballads, even some jazz inspired sexy chicken
20:44number. The Uncrackable Clare Case at Pleasant's Courtyard, Pleasant's 2, 1.30pm every day.
20:51Thank you very much for joining us. You can catch up with all of our coverage at The Scotsman at
20:55scotsman.com where you can hear from not only the news stories that I've been writing, but everything
21:00from our amazing team of critics. If you see us out and about at the festival, do come and say hello and buy a paper.
21:06The Scotsman at the Präsident Tariff
21:13The Scotsman
21:14The Scotsman at the
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