It is festival season and that means that in the next month there is so many great comedy festivals to look forward to! This month we are looking at some of the great shows that you can see at the Edinburgh Fringe. So take note because we are going to give you all the information you need for just a handful of some of the great shows happening this year! We have also been able to interview some of the acts that are heading up to the Fringe as well.

Healing+

Location:  Paradise In Augustines – The Snug (Venue 152 )

Dates: Aug 6th-13th, 15th-20th, 22nd-28th

Time: 16:20

Price: £8 Concession £6

Ticket Link: https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/healing

Hello! Tell us about  what you’re doing right now ?

It is 7:46 AM here in Astoria, Queens, New York. I have to leave my apartment in less than an hour to get to my day job twenty minutes late. My current (temporary)  job is shredding documents for a global private equity firm. I have no idea why they hire/trust a temp (stranger)  to do such an important job. I woke up at 4:30 AM to stretch and read a few news articles to distract my brain from its consistent state of self-loathing. By distracting myself from hating myself,  I was able to write a few pages of a new screenplay about a temporary employee who starts reading the documents they’re shredding. This script takes place in the same universe as the two shows I’m bringing to Edinburgh.  

What’s the name of your show this year?

Healing+ (and Bathroom of a Bar on Bleecker)

How did you come up with the name of your show that you’re taking to the fringe?

Healing+ is the name of a product within the show but it’s also a play on all of the streaming services (Disney+, Paramount+, ESPN+, CNN+ (R.I.P.+). The show is about moving out of my apartment and trying to heal from my past so I can be more present and have a better future. The audience is streaming alternative versions of my memories.

Tell us all about your show!

After 10 years, tonight will be my final night living in my landlord’s apartment. I’d love for you to come by and help me pack. No heavy lifting required. 

What other acts are you looking forward to seeing at the fringe?

Katharyn Henson, Carter Morgan, Ollie Horn, Martin Mor, Anthony DeVito, Helen Bauer and many more!

Have you done the fringe before? What are the key pieces of advice you have been given or would give to new groups or people performing at the fringe?

Yes! In 2019, I performed with Carter Morgan and Jeanne Whitney. We were all strangers who met each other at a comedy show in Paris, where we discovered we all wanted to do the Fringe one day. So, we started a group chat, came up with a show and brought it to Edinburgh a few months later.

Best advice I never listen to: stick to a budget.

I can’t offer any advice to anyone who is already going to be performing at the Fringe. But to people who are thinking about performing at the Fringe, my advice is go for it. Stop overthinking and start spending a half hour to an hour every day to come up with a plan. Don’t spend your whole day thinking about it because that will become overwhelming. Spend a few minutes every day trying to come up with a plan on how to bring your show to the festival and you will make it happen. Watch some Steve Harvey motivational speeches on YouTube.  

What have been some of your favourite shows to date and why?

Some of my favorite shows in 2019 were Daniel Kitson’s work-in-progress show at The Stand, Orlando Baxter’s ‘Finding Mariah’, Katharyn Henson’s ‘Ew Girl You Nasty’, Molly Brenner’s ‘I’m Coming’, Bernie Dieter’s Little Death Club and more!  All of these shows included elements of things I want to do within my performances and my careers. I’d consider all of these shows and performers major influences on the work I’m creating today. 

Favourite one liner you have done in a show and why?

“I didn’t move to the city to sell boner pills with your grandma’s face on them. What am I saving money for?” Those two sentences summarize 32 years of my regrets, anxieties and obsessions without revealing anything about my personal life. I’m trying to get every line in everything I write to be the tip of an iceberg with a world of detail underneath it, like any line in a song, especially in rap music.

What three items are essential for a successful Fringe? 

An unbreakable belief in your dreams, Tesco meal deals, anything that keeps your feet dry

What have been some of the most unique and different comedy shows you have seen this year and why?

And Toto Too at the 2022 FRIGID Festival absolutely blew my mind. The level of commitment to the performance made the entire thing hilarious and emotional. I’d see that show once a week if I could.   

What is the best way to enjoy yourself at the fringe?

Spending time with friends while also having enough time to be with yourself and chill out, once in a while. 

What is the best thing about performing at the fringe?

The fact that anything is possible. You have no idea who might be in the audience. One show could completely change your life. 

The most challenging thing about performing at the fringe?

One show could completely change your life. I’m always catching myself trying to make every part of each show perfect when that really takes away from the fun of them. It’s really difficult to relax and go with the flow when you know anything is possible in Edinburgh. 

What would be your top three items every performer must take to the fringe?

1. A motivational speech/story on YouTube that you can relisten to constantly. Steve Harvey has some great ones. 2.) Money. 3.) Something to keep your feet dry

What’s the secret to successful flyering? 

Find ways to promote your show without having to flyer or find times to flyer that will not impact your energy for showtime. 

Who would be your ultimate dream audience member?

Anyone who has the ability to help me pay my bills off doing what I want to be doing instead of shredding documents.

If people want to find out more about you where can they follow you on social media?

https://www.instagram.com/mikelemme/

And Finally in three words – Why should people come and see the show?

Funny, Relatable Desperation.