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Edinburgh Fringe offers comics help to cope with stress of performance Edinburgh Fringe offers comics help to cope with stress of performance
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In Edinburgh from Friday, audiences of festival fringe-goers will sit in the dark in venues across the city, waiting for a performer to make them laugh or cry, or both. But what happens if the performers cannot force themselves out on to the stage? For the first time at this festival, an innovative programme funded by the Wellcome Trust and called The Sick of the Fringe, will acknowledge that many entertainers who come to the city for August’s festivities face a month-long mental and physical endurance test as well as a succession of hopeful crowds. In Edinburgh from Friday, audiences of Festival Fringe-goers will sit in the dark in venues across the city, waiting for a performer to make them laugh or cry, or both. But what happens if the performers cannot force themselves out on to the stage? For the first time at this Festival, an innovative programme funded by the Wellcome Trust and called The Sick of the Fringe will acknowledge that many entertainers who come to the city for August’s festivities face a month-long mental and physical endurance test as well as a succession of hopeful crowds.
“There is a unique level of exhaustion and competition up at Edinburgh. I am aware of people who have got halfway through a show and then said they can’t do any more and asked their audience to leave,” said Tom Allen, a stand-up who is keen to draw attention to the strain borne by his fellow comedians – although he admits that they rarely attract public sympathy. “There is a unique level of exhaustion and competition up at Edinburgh. I am aware of people who have got halfway through a show and then said they can’t do any more and asked their audience to leave,” said Tom Allen, a standup who is keen to draw attention to the strain borne by his fellow comedians – although he admits that they rarely attract public sympathy.
“People will laugh at this and argue we only do two hours’ work a day, so what is the big deal? But it is such an intense period of work and terrifying for a solo performer at any level.”“People will laugh at this and argue we only do two hours’ work a day, so what is the big deal? But it is such an intense period of work and terrifying for a solo performer at any level.”
The Sick of the Fringe initiative will bring together scientists, doctors and performers to explore the vulnerabilities of festival participants and look at the way the festival exposes the human condition. Speakers will include Simon McBurney, founder of Théâtre de Complicité, and the neuroscientist Sir Colin Blakemore in a programme of events curated by fringe performer Brian Sobel. The Sick of the Fringe initiative will bring together scientists, doctors and performers to explore the vulnerabilities of festival participants and look at the way the Festival exposes the human condition. Speakers will include Simon McBurney, founder of Théâtre de Complicité, and the neuroscientist Sir Colin Blakemore in a programme of events curated by Fringe performer Brian Lobel.
“The month is gruelling. Performers are not working in ideal conditions and if you are doing a solo revue in which you are also talking about yourself, it makes you even more susceptible to problems,” Sobel told the Observer. “The month is gruelling. Performers are not working in ideal conditions and if you are doing a solo revue in which you are also talking about yourself, it makes you even more susceptible to problems,” Lobel told the Observer.
“The average fringe audience is small, which can make it feel even more personal. The Sick of the Fringe creates a space for people to share their experiences.” “The average Fringe audience is small, which can make it feel even more personal. The Sick of the Fringe creates a space for people to share their experiences.”
Stand-up comedians have been increasingly frank about their emotional problems in recent years, mining private phobias, illnesses and neuroses to amuse punters at the festival. But this year Fringe organisers and Equity, the actors’ union, alongside the Wellcome Trust, are making more practical support available for participants feeling the pressure. Standup comedians have been increasingly frank about their emotional problems in recent years, mining private phobias, illnesses and neuroses to amuse punters at the Festival. But this year Fringe organisers and Equity, the actors’ union, alongside the Wellcome Trust, are making more practical support available for participants feeling the pressure.
Fringe Central is putting on free events for performers, including sessions titled Freaking Out and F**king Up and Your Emotional Health, while Equity has decided to bring back the Sanctuary, a quiet space for fringe artists who need to get away. Therapy and massage will be available. Fringe Central is putting on free events for performers, including sessions titled Freaking Out and F**king Up and Your Emotional Health, while Equity has decided to bring back the Sanctuary, a quiet space for Fringe artists who need to get away. Therapy and massage will be available.
Last year critics noted an emphasis on mental health topics in the fringe programme – Every Brilliant Thing, Duncan Macmillan’s play about living with depression was a hit – and this year mental health was officially picked out at the fringe launch as a broad seam running through the 2015 programme. Last year critics noted an emphasis on mental health topics in the fringe programme – Every Brilliant Thing, Duncan Macmillan’s play about living with depression was a hit – and this year mental health was officially picked out at the Fringe launch as a broad seam running through the 2015 programme.
Allen’s new show, Both Worlds, at the Stand is about the gap between the self projected on social media and the real person behind the tweets and posts. He believes the best stand-up shows are personally exposing, but says this does make performers vulnerable. Allen’s new show, Both Worlds, at the Stand, is about the gap between the self projected on social media and the real person behind the tweets and posts. He believes the best standup shows are personally exposing, but says this does make performers vulnerable.
“At the festival you have to face judgments from critics and from awards panels and, of course, there is no work-life balance,” he said. “If you are performing at a normal gig, or appearing at a festival like Latitude, you can come off and forget all about it. But you can’t at Edinburgh. You’re living it 24 hours. I’m surprised more performers don’t cancel.” “At the Festival you have to face judgments from critics and from awards panels and, of course, there is no work-life balance,” he said. “If you are performing at a normal gig, or appearing at a festival like Latitude, you can come off and forget all about it. But you can’t at Edinburgh. You’re living it 24 hours. I’m surprised more performers don’t cancel.”
This year shows about mental health include Brigitte Aphrodite’s My Beautiful Black Dog, billed as a “poetically wild musical exploring the beauteous complexity of our fragile minds”. Aphrodite’s show runs for just a week – for the sake of her health.This year shows about mental health include Brigitte Aphrodite’s My Beautiful Black Dog, billed as a “poetically wild musical exploring the beauteous complexity of our fragile minds”. Aphrodite’s show runs for just a week – for the sake of her health.
Bryony Kimmings’s show at The Traverse is a collaboration with her partner Tim Grayburn, who has severe depression. In Black, drag star singer Le Gateau Chocolat will explain that his stage confidence masks his battle with depression, while Garden, written by Lucy Grace, will discuss the therapeutic powers of gardening each afternoon at 3.30pm at the Pleasance Courtyard. Over at the Gilded Balloon a full-scale clinic will be in session using stand-up comedy workshops to help people explore mental and physical health problems. The results will be on public display on 18 August. Bryony Kimmings’s show at The Traverse is a collaboration with her partner Tim Grayburn, who has severe depression. In Black, drag star singer Le Gateau Chocolat will explain that his stage confidence masks his battle with depression, while Garden, written by Lucy Grace, will discuss the therapeutic powers of gardening each afternoon at 3.30pm at the Pleasance Courtyard. Over at the Gilded Balloon a full-scale clinic will be in session using standup comedy workshops to help people explore mental and physical health problems. The results will be on public display on 18 August.
“With a show like Bryony and Tim’s, the point is to rehearse on stage a better way of communicating with each other,” said Sobel, “but it can be difficult to market a show about such dark things. What do you put on the publicity flyer? I think the more artists talk about their problems both on and off stage, the better, yet having said that, there’s a big difference between drama therapy, which can be very helpful and the sort of creative rigour that is part of a public performance. That needs to have some intellectual intensity.”“With a show like Bryony and Tim’s, the point is to rehearse on stage a better way of communicating with each other,” said Sobel, “but it can be difficult to market a show about such dark things. What do you put on the publicity flyer? I think the more artists talk about their problems both on and off stage, the better, yet having said that, there’s a big difference between drama therapy, which can be very helpful and the sort of creative rigour that is part of a public performance. That needs to have some intellectual intensity.”
• This article was amended on 3 August 2015 to correct the spelling of Brian Lobel’s name.