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!

Black Blues Brothers. Let’s Twist Again!

Location:   McEwan Hall at Underbelly – Bristo Square (Venue 302)

Dates:  Jul 31st-25th

Time: 15:30

Price:Various

Ticket Link: https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/black-blues-brothers-let-s-twist-again

Hello! Tell us about yourself?

I am Bilal and I am one of the five acrobats that make up the Black Blues Brothers. We are from Kenya and we have a mission: to entertain you!

Tell us all about your show!

It’s a new brand show! It is called Let’s Twist Again! and it’s different from what we have already brought to the Fringe.

In a smoky train station, five guys listen to twist and rock’n’roll music on a vintage jukebox and are unleashed with breathtaking acrobatic stunts, human pyramids, somersaults, rope routines, accompanied by an unforgettable soundtrack from Glenn Miller, Keith Emerson, Elvis Presley and Aretha Franklin. Get ready to go wild again!

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

As always, we will try to see as many shows as possible.
We will definitely try to go see Mythos: Ragnarök because in the past years we couldn’t make it but we really want to, it must be super fun.

And then Circa’s new show, Wolf: every time this company presents a show, we rush to the box office!

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.

This is our fifth year in Edinburgh. We have performed our first show four times and now we are debuting our new one, Let’s Twist Again!

The advice is: plan, plan and plan!

In August we will all be overwhelmed by the great circus that is the Fringe, and if you have not done your homework in the previous months it becomes very difficult to manage everything. You have to arrive having already taken all the contacts and information and having made sure that you have organized the staging, the marketing (and of course the accommodation!) in the best possible way.

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

Since we are acrobats, doing a show a day is very tiring. On stage we give 100% to excite the audience, who in fact have always generously reciprocated. This means that we then have to dedicate several hours to rest.

So we tend to stay in the morning to rest, in the early afternoon we do flyering, at 3.30 pm we are on stage. After that we usually go to see one or two shows of other companies.

In the evening we stop for a while in one of the many places that Edinburgh has to offer in August, to eat something and chat with the thousands of people who roam the streets. Then to bed early and the next morning we start again!

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

I’ll name two, different from each other: we really like Five Guys! Maybe because we ourselves are… five guys!

In the past years we have often dined at Element, in Rose Street and we have always had a great time. I recommend the fish and chips!

Best thing about performing at the fringe?

It’s simply the best festival in the world. This year we’re at McEwan Hall: is there a better place to do your show? It’s extremely rewarding to be on that stage.

Then at the Fringe you meet so many people, there’s a party atmosphere and the audience is loving.

Not to mention the fact that you have the opportunity to connect with agents, producers and artistic directors from all over the world. Being at the Fringe means playing in the top league!

What is the hardest part about performing at the Fringe?

It’s a stressful marathon. The competition with thousands of shows is intense and the expectations are very high. The typical frenzy of the Fringe, which in some ways is adrenaline-filled, also means a constant tension that is not easy to manage. But it’s absolutely worth it!

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

We are used to being away from home for long periods. Our tour has now exceeded a thousand replicas, made all over the world, from Australia to the United Arab Emirates. It may seem trivial to say it, but more than objects that remind us of home, we always carry with us the affections in our heads. We know that in Kenya there are people waiting for us and it is also for them that we perform our reckless acrobatics.

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

Find accommodation with a kitchen, so you don’t have to eat out all the time.

Get around on foot, also because Edinburgh is wonderful.

Choose the shows to see carefully. I recommend ours!

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

An energy bar, to recharge.

A laptop, to be able to activate anywhere.

A Swiss Army knife, to solve emergencies!

What’s the secret to successful flyering?

Be happy to do it. If you approach the public in a mechanical way you get little. We love talking to passers-by about our show, because we really believe in it. We have fun, we joke with them.

And then, since ours is an acrobatic show, we do some small acrobatics in the street. People are more likely to take a flyer if it is given to them by an acrobat standing on someone else’s shoulders!

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

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackbluesbrothers

On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blackbluesbrothers

And on our website: https://www.blackbluesbrothers.it/

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

Fun, wonder, music!

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