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!

The Mayor and His Daughter: A Genuine Appreciation of Comedy

Location:   Snug Bar – Assembly Roxy (Venue 139)

Dates:  Jul 30th -11th, 13th-24th

Time: 16:10

Price: £11 Concessions £10

Ticket Link: https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/the-mayor-and-his-daughter-a-genuine-appreciation-of-comedy

Hello! Tell us about yourself? 

We are a father-daughter double act, specialising in Professional Comedy. We have travelled a long way and don’t want to upset anyone. Having discovered the Power of Comedy in a discarded DVD Box Set (see below), we are now transitioning FULLY from our roles as Mayor/Daughter (municipal governance) into our new ones as Mayor/Daughter (show business darlings). Since the day you were born, you have asked: ‘What would it be like if someone made a giant wicker effigy of The Krankies and I had to watch Comedy inside it?’ The Mayor and His Daughter have the answer. 

Tell us all about your show!

It all began when we started to notice some peculiar changes in our town. Things were going downhill, slowly but surely- unsavoury characters, antisocial behaviour, demonic olfactory hallucinations. It became clear that the Soul of our Village was dying before our eyes. We became desperate to preserve this increasingly rare example of a simple English town. 

Fortunately, one day we were walking in the woods and we found it- a Russell Howard’s Good News Series Two Box Set in a ditch! We finally had an answer: Comedy. We immediately understood that Comedy is the only thing that has the chance to save our town from demonic forces. And here we are, only three weeks later!

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

In no particular order and with no criteria of selection applied, some Good Friends and/or Business Associates are: Lorna Rose Treen; Mikey Bligh-Smith; Ozzy Algar; Joz Norris (our director/benefactor*); Mr Handsome; Andy Barr; Sam Nicoresti (our designer and thus further benefactor*). Coincidentally to appearing on this list, they are all very good.

*Not financially

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. 

Always bring your Daughter with you and make sure she’s ready to perform every day. Pack your own lunches and do NOT succumb to drunkenness. Remember that – wherever you are – Russell Howard is looking down on you and cherishing your every word.

If this is your first time – what are you looking forward to?

We are looking forward to seeing what new types of Men there are in the Town of Edinburgh. Will the thistle-rich wilderness breed a fundamentally different class of professional than the calcified bath of England? Will we meet our Milkman or Postman’s Pictish doppelganger, delivering Irn Bru bottles and Independence Referendums respectively? Only time/Edinburgh will tell.

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

3am: The Daughter wakes. She cuts out pictures of Russell Howard and fragments from The Take That Songbook to stick onto her Vision Board.

4am: The Mayor stirs. Against the soundscape of his Daughter’s glue and scissors, he composes Letters to his Constituents in his head. He never writes them down and smiles as they vanish into the abyss of his mind.

10am: Their morning rituals complete, The Mayor and His Daughter creep from their door. The dawn is long since past and the town is thirsty for Show.

10am-4.10pm: The Professional Double Act saunters through town. Whoever sees them feel restored by the Power of Comedy. 

4.10pm-???: The show is performed. We cannot share what occurs at this point.

???-midnight: The Mayor and His Daughter bask in their completed task. Success or failure? It matters not. Comedy and Community happened. No one can take that away.

Midnight-3am: Sleep.

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

We were once hosted by the retired Chief Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church. We would love to return again, if only he’d answer our calls.

Best thing about performing at the fringe?

It is an honour and a privilege to spend so much time in The Big City, away from the (demonic) hustle and bustle of our (possessed) village. Every day, we can watch each other grow and grow, shaking each other’s hands as the sun sets over The Mile*.

*The Royal Mile 

What is the hardest part about performing at the Fringe?

It has to be making too many friends! Between us we try to make Contact with every member of the audience, whether that Connection be of the eye, heart, or fingers. Every show is a perfect, temporary Community and then we have to say goodbye. If you’ve ever seen us at a gig, we miss you. 

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

We made a conscious decision not to pack too much. The Overhead Projector takes up a lot of space in the car! Exceptions: the Mayor has brought his childhood stuffed bear Wahnfried and the Daughter has brought wads of cash to buy cigarettes with. 

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

We’d always recommend that you shower, do laundry, and sleep in whatever accommodation you’ve booked. You paid good money for it, so why not use it?! 

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

The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown, The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown and Angels and Demons by Dan Brown. Or three hundred pounds. Then you can use some of that to buy Dan Brown books when you get there.

what’s the secret to successful flyering? 

Respectfully, flyering is for fools and suckers. We’re planning to stick to business cards, A5 size, colour, on which we’ve got our names and photograph, the title of the show, some recent pull quotes, the time and the venue. We’ll just hand those out instead, thanks all the same. 

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

We’re @mahdcomedy on Instagram. We love to be followed (in every sense). 

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

Howard. Now us. 

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