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!

Sharon Em: I Know a Guy

Location:   PBH’s Free Fringe @ Carbon – Room 1 (Venue 180)

Dates:  Aug 2nd -5th, 7th-12th, 14th-19th, 21st-24th

Time: 13:45

Price: Free

Ticket Link: https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/sharon-em-i-know-a-guy

Hello! Tell us about yourself?

I am an Irish comedian based in the Netherlands and have been performing mainly on the continent for the past 7 years. I’m bringing my show I Know a Guy back to Edinburgh for the 2nd year. It’s my 4th Fringe. 

Tell us all about your show!

Its a stand up show with a strong true narrative – its looking at a piece of information I received some years ago that made me look differently at past situations. The blurb is below:

Sharon could have had functioning relationships, probably. But with hindsight and a crucial piece of wisdom shared by her mother on her 30th birthday – she finds out exactly why the odds were so stacked against her. Throw a medical misdiagnosis (her mothers), a kidnapping (hers) and a fantasy movie produced by Ryanair into the mix and reality starts to get real.

‘I Know a Guy’, nominated for Best Debut (ISH/Jones Award) at Edinburgh Fringe 2024, takes a fun and light-hearted look at the things which define us and the darker stuff we would much rather ignore.

the show takes a light-hearted, layered and well-crafted look at a family secret that, when revealed, made Sharon think very differently about her own life, relationships and how she dealt with rejection.

The show debuted at Edinburgh Fringe in 2024 and was longlisted for Best Debut by the ISH/Jones Bootmakers Awards jury.

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

Jessica Fostekew, Laura Lexx are top of my list. Definitely also Trevor Lock – I love his shows they are really fun and inventive and President Obonjo for similar reasons. Paul Currie is also one to see.  I also love to see people I don’t know and get tips from other fringe goers.

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.

Yes I have – this is my 4th fringe as a performer. The fringe is hectic, tiring but also a lot of fun and very rewarding, one of the biggest rewards is that it will make you a better performer and you will notice this after the run ends. Even what you perceive as the ‘bad’ shows will make you better and my tip is to try see everything you do from that perspective. I think it can be very easy to get down over having low audience numbers, no reviews etc but if you feel you learned/ did something new then those negatives will become positives.

The best advice I got is to pace yourself and bring a good book!  

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

The day starts with a lot of coffee – last few years I used to watch some morning trash tv with one of my housemates but we don’t have a tv this year! Then the schedule of the day dictates what happens next. Each day usually involves flyering and performing at some compilation show. I try meet someone for a coffee/ drink and a chat every day which is necessary to keep some semblance of normality about the whole thing! 

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

City Cafe and Mosque Kitchen.

Best thing about performing at the fringe?

Meeting other performers and catching up with acts I’ve not seen in a while. I also have friends in Edinburgh and its always lovely to be able to spend time with them seeing shows. 

What is the hardest part about performing at the Fringe?

Hiding the fact that you are exhausted or that your voice is about to die! Especially at the end of the run. You need to still somehow manage to sound fresh and energetic. 

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

Irish tea bags. This year I’m going to try fit a pillow into my suitcase too. 

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

I would gratefully appreciate any hacks with this – coz I’m crap with money! 

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

A decent tin opener – some places will have one but they would break your hands to use! Also a fitted sheet, especially if you are staying in student accommodation where you have flat sheets which can be horrible to sleep on. Stationary (definitely Blu tack/ pritt stick), the shops often run out due to high demand during the month. So bring your own so its one less thing you need to search for! 

what’s the secret to successful flyering?

I’m really bad at flyering but I prefer to exit flyer after a good compilation show – that way you can really chat to people who already know what you are about. So I try focus on exit flyering as much as I can. Also see if shows like yours can shout out your show at the end of theirs (and vice versa) – this can help you find your audience too. 

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

I am on facebook as Sharon Em and IG sharon_emnem X emn_sharon 

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

Its funny, engaging and quirky. 

Thank you again for all your support in reading and engaging with the website.

If you want to help support the website then you can! You can buy Holly a cup of tea (and a biscuit!)