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!

Sachin Kumarendran: Deceit

Location:   Just The Tonic At The Caves – Just Out Of The Box (Venue 88)

Dates: Aug 3rd-13th, 15th-27th

Time: 18:00

Price: £5

Ticket Link: https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/sachin-kumarendran-deceit

Hello! Tell us about yourself? 

I’m a 28 year-old stand up comedian. I grew up in the North East near Middlesbrough, and fled this notoriously dismal area aged 18 and moved to the cultural hub of Birmingham for University to study Physics. I still live there now with two friends, as well as a cat we adopted, who recently had 3 kittens. We’re currently looking after all of them until we can find long term homes for them. My parents also have a cat and a Golden Retriever, and growing up at one point we had 30 Guinea Pigs.

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

There was a kind of recurring theme throughout the material around deception, and pretentious one-word show titles seem to be in vogue right now. So I felt like I’d be a fool to not try and capitalise on that trend. 

Tell us all about your show!

The show recounts how various outlandish lies on my part – including my pretending to own a mansion and attempts to pass myself off as six feet tall (which I’m sadly not) – got out of hand and led me to a BBC One prime-time TV slot; but also nearly caused me to be marooned on a desert island at one point along the way. The show was awarded Runner-up in the Late Stage Award for Best Show in Nottingham Comedy Festival. And the people of Nottingham have unquestionably great taste in comedy. 

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

Daniel Kitson, who I’ve never seen before and am really keen to see live, is back at the Fringe this year, as is Stewart Lee. I’m also keen to see Olga Koch and Pierre Novellie.

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. 

I’ve done the Fringe before with University and compilation shows, as well as a double-header show where I split the hour with another comic. On the advice of more seasoned comics, I didn’t drink any alcohol the last time I went up, which – for all that it might sound lame and tedious (and an affront to Scottish tradition) – was something that definitely helped me feel like less of a shell of a person by the end of the festival.

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

I would probably have to say:

My Grandmother worked as a code breaker during the Second World War. Although, looking at my Grandparents’ generation, and their struggles when it comes to using technology, I can’t help but feel that, actually, the ‘Enigma Code’, might not have been that difficult to crack.

As it’s a nice clean joke that works out of the context of the show, and gets me off the hook and gives me an easy answer when I get asked this question!

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

I saw Sam Campbell’s Comedy Show (the Winner of Dave’s Edinburgh Comedy Award) at last year’s Fringe, and that really stood out to me – it was very different to other shows I’ve seen recently and it was hard to predict where it was going or how jokes might play out, which was refreshing. Also the heavy PowerPoint/visual element was something I liked and which I feel like added an extra dimension to the show. 

Talk us through your daily routine for a day at the Fringe

It normally starts with me groaning upon the resumption of consciousness, and wondering why I’ve spent an amount of money that could have gotten me the holiday of a lifetime on an all-consuming month-long 24/7 work commitment; which might not produce any real return on that investment. This grows less burdensome throughout the day as I charge about and get some adrenaline in my system when performing. Normally by the time I go to bed its come back though and I’m picturing the holiday in the Maldives or New Zealand that I might have had. 

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

I always have to say going up Arthur’s seat. I always forget in between Fringes how class of a city Edinburgh is – the fact that you’ve got proper impressive countryside scenery in the middle of a capital city is a real treat.

Best thing about performing at the fringe?

I often think about the lyric from the Pink Floyd song Time: “And then one day you find, ten years have got behind you” – The fringe is the perfect antidote to that. You’re constantly having new experiences all day every day, and squeezing so much life out of the time that you’re there. After a week there your life can feel appreciably different to how it did before you went up to Edinburgh. 

The most challenging thing about performing at the fringe?

Performing multiple times a day every day, as well as being on your feet for most of each day, for a full month, certainly gets gruelling by the end. It’s quite hard to switch off from as well at the end of a day, because reminders of the festival are literally emblazoned on every available surface throughout the city – at least with a normal day job reminders of your job don’t adorn every object in your eyeline on your commute home.

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

Pillows – if you’re sleeping in a bed that isn’t your bed, it’s potentially quite hard to get a good night’s sleep; bringing your own regular pillows that you use at home just helps provide some familiarity in that regard. 

Not to sound like a wellness vlogger charlatan, but gym kit – getting proper exercise throughout the month definitely plays a big part in the ‘not feeling like a shell of a person at the end of the month’ goal that all performers strive towards.

Comfy shoes for all the walking/standing around flyering that you do – I’ve made the mistake of wearing uncomfortable footwear that I thought made me look more aesthetically appealing, and then regretted it when I spent 12 continuous hours on my feet.

What’s the secret to successful flyering? 

This year for the first two weekends of the festival I have the family dog – a very friendly Golden Retriever – with me, so I’m hoping his presence whilst I flyer will encourage people to stop and talk to me. Whether or not that will prove to be the secret I don’t know, but I certainly feel better about flyering with man’s best friend by my side. 

Who would be your ultimate dream audience member?

Probably a wealthy but foolhardy investor keen to make large investments in young, under-appreciated comedic talent (and do so with incredibly lenient repayment terms). This may sound like an unrealistic set of criteria, but Chelsea FC’s new owner Todd Boehly is a real person who seems to have exactly this financial policy – so if I could get some of his trigger-happy spending behind me, that would be ideal. 

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

I have the following platforms 

Instagram: @sachinkumarendran

Facebook: @sachin.kumarendran

Twitter: @SachinKumarend1

Tik Tok: @sachinkumarendran

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

Hilarious award-winning Powerpoint