This month I will be talking to different acts that are taking part in the Brighton Fringe Festival. Today I speak to Alex Burgar about the show Burgarmeister.

Location: Junkyard Dogs at The Round Georges
Date: 18th & 19th May
Time: 21:00
Ticket Price: £7 Concession £5
Link: https://www.brightonfringe.org/events/burgarmeister/

Hello! Tell us about your act?

Hello! Burgarmeister is my debut hour of standup and I’m so excited to bring it to the Brighton Fringe this year. The show is all about identity you choose versus identity you discover, and it all sprang from my German citizenship application a couple of years ago.

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

‘Burgarmeister’ was a nickname I had at school, and it was the perfect fit for the show — for a number of reasons. The Bürgermeister is the mayor of a German town, the show is all about being German, and it all just sort of slotted into place.

Tell us a little bit about your style of show?

The show is confessional and highly personal. I talk about my family and my experiences quite a bit, and I like to think there’s plenty people can relate to. I also want it to come across as considered and deliberate, because the themes of the show mean a lot to me and I want to do them and the people who inspired them justice.

What can people expect from your Brighton Fringe performance?

Quick punchlines, vulnerability, some bilingual puns, and some very bright shirts.

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

Carl Carzana! I’ve been lucky to gig with Carl in Oxford, and he writes seriously tight jokes, as well as being one of the nicest people on the circuit. You have to go and see his show!

How are the rehearsals going?

Trying to write, learn, and rehearse a show alongside working full-time is challenging, but I’m enjoying the process and excited to be learning from it!

Have you done the fringe before? What have been some of your favourite shows to date and why?

I haven’t done the Fringe before — looking forward to it this year!

What are your three favourite things about Brighton?

I love how arty and thoughtful the people are, and how many independent businesses there are. I also love how LGBTQ+-friendly the city is!

Tell us about your average day on a festival show run?

This will be my first time doing a solo show at a festival, so I guess I’ll find out, but I did a double bill with my awesome friend, comedian Tasmin Sarkany, in Camden last year, in the middle of a heatwave, and the average day during the run was very much characterised by sweating on the Tube, eating my boring packed lunches, but then getting to hang out with Tasmin, which made it all worth it.

Performing by the sea as well, that surely makes the fringe all that much more fun?

Oh, totally. I came to visit Brighton last year and I hadn’t seen the sea in years because of the pandemic, so just laughed my head off when I saw it. Some guy woke up and said, “Oi, what are you laughing at?” I said, “The sea.” And he said, “Yeah fair enough mate,” and went back to sleep!

Who would be your ultimate dream audience member?

Sandi Toksvig. There’s a very loving joke about her in the show and I’d probably cry if she saw me perform it.

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

@alex_burgar on Instagram and Twitter

And finally finish this sentence — ‘you should see my show at Brighton Fringe because….

It’ll only be cheap once!