Stand Up Comedy at the Fringe
WRITER / PERFORMER / DESIGNER
I have spent many years as a festival & circuit stand-up comedian, part-time & full-time, across Ireland & the UK, Europe, the Middle East & the United States from New York to L.A.
My style of comedy is to focus on small, relatable observations as a tool to expound upon large themes such as evolution, time, mortality & our place in the universe (no, really!).
The Mecca of live comedy is the gruelling marathon of a month long run at the Edinburgh Fringe Comedy Festival. In total I have written & performed four one-man shows there, designing the promotional & marketing materials myself.
'Time Lord'
The most critically & commercially successful was 'Time Lord'. With a cheeky nod to Doctor Who, I presented myself as a guide to the relativity & enormity of the concept of time. All through the lens of personal anecdotes & ridiculous observations.
Edinburgh is a long trial of marketing & self promotion. You use every trick at your disposal. Press releases, on-street flyering, radio appearances, newspaper interviews & guest appearances at other people's shows - all in an effort to stand out among thousands of other shows & fill your venue each night.
The month-long run of 'Time Lord' proved to be the most creatively demanding show I had ever done. After an initial set-back of two terrible reviews on the first preview night (when you are road-testing the show and are not supposed to be reviewed! But I'm not bitter...), I had to take negative press on the chin from day one. Night after night, I edited & shaped the show until the audience grew organically by word-of-mouth and one very timely review. For the second half of the festival it was standing room only.
'Time Lord' went on to enjoy successful runs at many other festivals across Europe. To this day it remains one of the proudest achievements of my creative life.