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!

Piskie

Location:  Summerhall – Cairns Lecture Theatre (Venue 26)

Dates: Aug 1st-11th, 13th-18th, 20th-26th

Time: 12:00

Price: £17.00 Concessions £14.50

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

Hello! Tell us about yourself?

HI! We’re Lucy and Jamie, AKA “BoonDog Theatre”. We love to tell stories that entertain, surprise, make you think, and nourish your soul. We set out to make people laugh and cry in exactly equal measures, right down to the centilitre.

Tell us all about your show!

“Piskie” is about magic and cynicism. It’s about belief and faith versus science and scepticism. It’s a fairytale and a mystery and kind of a thriller all wrapped together. It’s pretty unconventional, surprising and charming and fun, and will leave the audience with a lot of thinking about their own beliefs.

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

Piskie is the Devonian word for “Pixie”.

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

Colin Hoult. James Rowland. Riki Lindhome. “Every Brilliant Thing” at the Roundabout (also one of our favourite venues in the world). Alok at the Underbelly. Weather Girl at the Summerhall. Our Lucy Roslyn is also appearing in “Remythed” at the Assembly which was on at Vault Festival last year (and is utterly joyful).

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.

Many times! We’ve been here pretty much every year since 2007 either performing or watching. We think “Pace yourself”, “trust in your show” and “stay hydrated” are the top 3. “Breathe” is also right up there.

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

Ooh that all depends on the time of the show – everything is built around that. We’ve done pretty much all possible times of day and we now prefer the lunchtime slot, which leaves plenty of time for personal choice (seeing shows versus chilling out – a lunchtime slot lets you have the option of staying out, or going home and having a good rest before heading back out into the Fringe again later in the day. Even a late night or two. 

Sometimes it’s necessary to embrace a little JOMO (Joy Of Missing Out) in order to survive.

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

Stay sensible. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. Take each game as it comes. Go the distance.

Ok, where is your favourite place to eat at the Fringe?

The Original Mosque Kitchen on Potterrow. First place we always head for – especially excited that this year we’re finished at 1pm every day and have to walk past it to get pretty much anywhere, so it will feature heavily in our lunch plans. Jamie is very excited about Alby’s Southside’s enormous sandwiches, which he saw on one food-porn social media feed or another (he follows all of them).

Best thing about performing at the Fringe?

It’s one of the few places where you get to do a long run in the same venue and you really get to know a piece. By the end of the month you know where every nook and cranny of it is, and that’s a rare beast. You’ll also get one of every crowd over the month which teaches you both elation and humility.

Top tips for travelling around the Fringe and getting to shows on time?

If it’s your own show, be at the venue no less than half an hour before showtime. If it’s anyone else’s show, get there in good time as well. And don’t book another show that’s going to be an impossible ask to get to on time, or make you leave another show early – respect other performers as thou wouldst like to be respected. As it says in the Elder Fringe Scrolls.

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

Refillable water bottle. Comfortable shoes. Burning, incandescent talent.

What’s the secret to successful flyering?

We’re not good guides on this – we’re horrible at it. Therefore the secret, for us, is to recruit someone who is really good. Take flyers from people, talk to them and, when you find a really good one, poach them, look after them well… and never let them go.

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

We’re on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram as @boondogtheatre – we’re too old for any of the new ones. Individually we are @lucyroslyn and @mrjfirth

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

Believe in us.