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!

Impromptu Shakespeare

Location:  Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose – Big Yin (Venue 24)

Dates: Aug 14th-28th

Time: 20:00

Price: £13 / Concessions £12

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

Hello! Tell us about Impromptu Shakespeare? 

We’re a group of people from different walks of life who all love Shakespeare and improv. We’ve been improvising brand-new Shakespeare plays since 2013, and our bard-based antics will continue at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe!

Tell us all about your show!

We improvise a show in the style of Shakespeare – we get some suggestions from the audience (no spoilers, but it involves throwing balls at the stage), and then those become the inspiration for our longform Shakespearean play. It’s fun, silly, anarchic, and genuinely impressive.

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

There is so much great improv going to Edinburgh this year, so we can’t wait to see some old favourites as well as catching some cool new acts. Especially looking forward to Notflix, and the Adventures of the Improvised Sherlock Holmes.

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. 

This year will be our sixth Edinburgh Fringe! My main piece of advice to fringe newbies would be that it’s a marathon, not a sprint. You’re going to have such a great time, but you’ll also be SO TIRED by the end of it, so remember to cut yourself some slack.

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

We’ve had some great shows already this year, it’s been so wonderful getting back to live performance after lockdown. It’s been great doing a mixture of new venues and ones we’ve played before – we did some delightful shows at Bristol’s Wardrobe Theatre in March, where we’ve played loads of times before, and then we’ve also done some shows at Greenwich Theatre in London which was brand new for us. Both had an absolutely fantastic atmosphere, and now we can’t wait to be back at Greenwich again.

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

Go into it with the classic improv mindset of “Yes, and”! Some of the best times I’ve had at the fringe were from saying “Yes” to random and unexpected stuff that came my way, both in terms of performing opportunities and things I did for fun.

Best thing about performing at the fringe?

The atmosphere. Being at the biggest arts festival in the world is just an unbeatable experience! People on the street, people in your audiences, people in the shows you go to see – everyone is so excited to be there. It’s brilliant.

The most challenging thing about performing at the fringe?

There will probably come a moment when you’re hungover and flyering in the rain… but it’s all totally worth it for how great the festival is!

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

A well-organised diary (I’m one of those people who tries to squeeze in back-to-back shows on my day off), a keep-cup (for the vast amounts of coffee I’m going to need), and… perhaps pessimistically, an umbrella.

What’s the secret to successful flyering? 

Have a short and fun tagline you can say to people as you hand them a flyer. If someone silently hands you a flyer looking grumpy, you’re not going to be inspired to book a ticket to their show!

Who would be your ultimate dream audience member?

William Shakespeare. If we could travel back in time and have him in the audience, I think he’d be pleasantly charmed by our show. Or maybe he wouldn’t be that surprised – after all, coming up with stories like these was just an average day for him…

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

We’re @impromptushakes on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

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

Hilarity. Delight. Awe.