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!

Katie Pritchard: I Kiss The Music

Location: Roxyboxy – Assembly Roxy (Venue 139)

Dates:  Jul 30th – 11th, 13th -24th

Time: 17:45

Price: £11.50 Concession £10.50

Ticket Link:https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/katie-pritchard-i-kiss-the-music

Hello! Tell us about yourself? 

Hello! I am a very silly billy who loves nothing more than to prance around in hand made costumes to songs I’ve written about KP Nuts or Mooncups or Scrabble! One of these days, someone’s gonna pick me up and sponsor me…SUURRREEELLLYYY!!! I am also 5 feet tall, and I’ve run 5 London Marathons. That’s it really.

Tell us all about your show!

My show is an arena pop tour extravaganza…to a shipping container next to some portaloos. It’s got more body rolls than a wormery. More anthems than a Karaoke bar on a Saturday night. And more dance moves than you ever thought the human body capable of! Think Lady Gaga…on acid!

It’s been a real treat to try and cram what inside my head is a fully spec’d 35,000 seater arena into a shipping container, but it is so ridiculously fun I can’t wait to do it every day of the fringe! I have been LOVING seeing Katy Perry’s new tour videos online, and I think I might have inadvertently created this show as a homage to her? Is she my muse?

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

Oh there are so many, here’s a top list at the moment:

Su Mi – it’s their debut and I can’t wait to see the full show! I’m like a giddy little kid! Hehe. I just know it’s going to be right up my street, and I cannot wait!

Max Fulham – it’s his debut hour and he’s already a national treasure, so I am really looking forward to seeing a full solo show!

Jordan Gray – the legend, the talent, the ICON! Oh my, I LOVE JORDAN so much, and not just cos she asked me to sing with her on Channel 4!! I cannot wait to see this new show, and she can now play guitar – just when we thought she couldn’t get any cooler?!?!

Toussaint Douglass – YES! I love Toussaint and all his cardigans, so I am really looking forward to what he’s bringing with this solo show!

The Police Cops – I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: THEY’RE AMAZING!! And they’re bringing back an old show this year, which I can’t wait to see again! Woo Nostalgia! AND TALENT!

Cabbage The Clown – I have just recently discovered them on my Instagram algorithm with their amazing Twister video (check it out) and then realised we were in an epic WhatsApp chat together and I was star struck! I am really looking forward to seeing a full hour of their creations!

Siblings – Gawd love these two! I’ve watched them a few times over the last year or so creating this show, and I just know it is going to be so silly and fun, and I just think they’re the bees knees!

SMACK THE PONY!!! Need I say any 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. 

My best advice if you’re taking your own show up is to write down before you go what it is you hope to achieve at fringe. And have that written down somewhere you can easily access and read while you’re at fringe. It’s my best tip for staying grounded. It can be so overwhelming at fringe when it looks like everyone’s doing everything but just remember what you were focusing on by looking at that list and it’ll help to remind you that you’re also probably having a very successful fringe too.

And just remember, at least once in the fringe, you will likely have a cry in your face. Everyone has that moment. And it’s ok to feel like that. There are a lot of emotions and energy at the Fringe, and everyone just wants to do their best shows and have an amazing time. So be kind to yourself and be kind to others. Find some nice likeminded people who you can share how you’re feeling with as I’ve no doubt they will also go through all the same emotions. Even people who sell out and get 800 5-star reviews sometimes feel a bit overwhelmed by it all. So just be kind and give a hug to anyone who needs one. We gotta have each other’s backs out there!

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

Good Morning! I wake up and down a litre of water – you can’t underestimate how much you need to hydrate when at the fringe! So many shows and so many steps! If in doubt, drink it out (water)!  

Then it’s warm-up time – gotta keep our bodies and throats well maintained for this busy month! Last year we got in a bit of trouble at our accommodation for doing our vocal warmups, which I found a bit weird, because who doesn’t want a mid-morning choir of angels singing scales nearby to them? V strange!

Next is bag packing for the day. Don’t get me started on my bags – they’re big! And then I’ll head in to all the action. I pick my walking style depending on my mood, but I often opt for a bouncy meander to check out everyone’s posters and see if they’ve had anything fun added to them like reviews and awards so I can cheer them on.

I am one of these people who is in waiting mode until my shows start, all I want to do is think about the show, do the dance moves to the show, and sing the show in my head. So, I usually get to my venues painfully early, and I always have an at-venue routine of saying hi to everyone who’s flyering before our show and making sure they’re all ok and finding out how their shows went the day before. Then I might have a jelly – they’re really fun to eat! Then I get into costume in whatever loo is available and isn’t too wet??!! Why is this something we have to navigate at fringe?!?! Soggy bathrooms. And then down another litre of water before the show. HYDRATEDDDD!!!

And this pattern continues until I’ve finished all my shows for the day, when I can BE FREE to think about other things! So, I de-sweat (which takes a while), dry my costumes and hair in the hand drier (…maybe this is why all the bathrooms are so soggy?). And then eat! I always need a feast after each show. And another litre of water!

After all that, I get to properly socialise and go and watch all these amazing shows that are on! I also love to gallivant, if you see me out for one, come and join me! It’s a great way to visit pals quickly and check in on people that you think could do with a cheery boost! And it’s fun to pretend you’re riding a horse through the cobbled streets of Edinburgh! Watch me neigh neigh!

And at some point, in all that, I flyer.

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

Ok, friends, this is my first fringe having to be gluten free, so I actually don’t know anymore??!!! It used to be the crêpe truck, but I really don’t know where I can eat now. Who even am I?!?! Probably I’ll go to Union of Genius which is the most delicious soup shop (SOUPS RULE!), and it’s also nearby to Mum’s which does amazing pie / sausage and mash! I guess that’s where I’m gonna be all fringe?! Chomping and slurping away.

Best thing about performing at the fringe?

I love being surrounded by creatives and seeing what they’ve made! It makes my face happy, it makes my soul happy, it makes my brain happy!

What is the hardest part about performing at the Fringe?

Being too small for the big crowds – it’s a nightmare down here! Gonna invest in one of those dentists’ mirrors or a periscope for this years’ fringe so I can see over people.

Do you bring anything special from home to make it feel more special whilst you are away?

Well, I used to consider myself a very light packer, but not anymore!

My special thing is a clothes airer. I bought one last year cos it was doing my head in that I never had clean dry pants. Turns out, I love clean dry pants – who knew? It was a game changer last year so I’m bringing it back this year!

Is a clothes airer special? Mine matches my guitar, so I guess, yes?

What are your best hacks to save money whilst at the Fringe?

Packed lunches! Jam sandwiches are an amazing emergency snack! You’ll be surprised how much you enjoy a jam sandwich whilst out and about at the fringe!

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

A protection spell for your venue to ward off evil audience members that might be coming along to be an enemy

A gymnastics coach to coach you through some incredible skills for dodging conversations / people while you’re out and about in town but want to look fancy whilst doing it. Did somebody say teddy bear rolls down the meadows?! Ooo she’s fancy!

A small step ladder so you can reach the bar at Pleasance Courtyard (…or maybe that one’s just for me?)

What’s the secret to successful flyering? 

Just try not to get too wound up when people tell you to your face that they don’t fancy it. Your show won’t be for everyone, and that’s ok! I’d rather people knew before they get to the show that it’s not for them than turn up watch a bit and then leave. I’m sure the next person you flyer will be a dream match for your show audience! Stay positive – you got this!!

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

Come and join me on insta: https://www.instagram.com/katiepritchards/

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

High-octane Fun!!

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