Tales from Fringe Bank

This is the second year I haven’t done a one woman show at Edinburgh fringe and am thoroughly enjoying the freedom of it all. I have done 10 years of shows sometimes 3 full hour shows a day and loved it but never dared to go see much as I was always focused on my own work. Performing makes you selfish and needy so not doing a show makes you open and accommodating.

Firstly I must mention the amazing Assembly rooms up in George Street, no longer the musty, dusty austere middle class castle on the fringe previously run by Buren Coutts (the only venue manager who I have never met despite playing his venue) has changed hands into the Stand comedy club owner Tommy Sheppard.

The difference is astounding – for instance when you walk out of the Assembly rooms, you no longer walk out of a show and into a busy street and run away from there (which I always did and headed for upside down cow heaven at Bristo Square). The Stand company who have taken over the Assembly for the fringe have done a great job as outside they have managed to block off George Street which is no mean feat as half of Edinburgh is already blocked off due to tram debacle.  It’s lovely walking out of the Assembly and into an amazing street cafe’s and into the Famous Spiegeltent with entertainment.

Down at Underbelly I am loving the new look Abattoir which is their backstage members club and it’s amazing. You never feel like you are in a fringe club and the staff remember you year after year.

Over at the Pleasance Dome they have stripped the walls back and made it a more spacious place and you can actually see the famous dome which the place is called after....just look up!

I saw a few shows and heard some good stuff – Go see Coalition at pleasance dome at 2pm it’s a stunning piece of political funny theatre and made me cheer at the end.

I also saw Molly Wobbly’s Tit Factory the musical up at Assembly Rooms at George Street- I can’t say enough about how good this show is but despite cheering on the Assembly Rooms theatre am not chuffed that they left the giant hanging chandeliers that do impose on every room.

The council have done a wonderful job revamping the Assembly Rooms but surely they could have pulled down the chandeliers to make way for the magic of theatre. Go enjoy Molly Wobbly’s and listen to those songs....amazing!

Right...comedy...go see Rick Shapiro at Assembly Rooms down at George Square (not up in George street where it used to be which is very confusing) ok let me explain this before I talk about Rick....Assembly Rooms used to be up in the magnificent building in George Street over beyond Princes Street now they are down behind the Gilded Balloon on George Square at back of Bristo Square.

So Rick Shapiro is an outspoken, fabulous mouthy, tender, infuriatingly funny and sharp US comic- if you want to see someone you haven’t seen on UK TV – go see Rick. If you want a show that makes you cry and laugh and is so tenderly poignant and insane....come see him.

Nick Doody is at the Free Fringe Venue 78: The Canons' Gait
232 Canongate and it’s a free show. I love Nick Doody; he is a stunning stand up and is very under rated, go see this man.

HOW TO ENJOY THE EDINBURGH FRINGE

Pack a sandwich and some fruit in a bag, it helps between shows.

Take a flyer and ask questions from the flyerer about the show.

The biggest posters don’t make it the best show in town (that’s marketing)

Heaps of stars all over the poster don’t make it funnier/better, just means people liked it and they may like it more than you.

Don’t get grumpy if the person you saw on TV isn’t as funny live, TV shows have comedy ready audiences. They may be even better! They may swear a lot live...so be prepared for that as well.

Always go see a big name comic/ theatre play live and then go see someone who you have never heard of.

If you hated a show or loved a show tell people, word of mouth is excellent and social media means you have your own audience to be your own critic.

Always check the half price hut you will be amazed at apparently ‘sold out’ big named comics who use that service, great bargains to be had.

Always check if a venue has air conditioning if you have an issue with that during the ‘hot days’ – it can get unbearable.

Go see the best live theatre close up, there are amazing shows on.

If you see the comic/actor you loved onstage, tell them if you see them on the street – they love positive feed back.

Follow me on @janeygodley for Edinburgh fringe news.

Janey Godley’s Podcast Episode 104

(Please be aware that this Podcast Contains strong language)

In episode 104 of Janey Godley’s podcast the chatty mother and daughter award winning podcasters debate rockets at the Olympics, the Calton Martyrs and a weird fake pregnancy story.

Janey has a chat about depression and chemical imbalances and Ashley explains a horrible episode she had back in NZ. Questions are answered and the Bold Alec gets a mention as does ‘Nips are like Bullets’ Ashley’s hit song.

Mother and Daughter comedy team get to natter and the world gets to hear it on Janey Godley’s podcasts, expect some bawdy language and home truths, as Janey Godley and Ashley Storrie lead you down the roads less taken in their fantastic weekly podcast. Listen as mother and daughter banter, bait and burst with laughter.

Janey Godley Podcast at: Episode 104

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No Website of the week but check out this cool new album by T.J Quinton here

I hope you enjoy our Podcasts it would be great if you would pass it on, thanks Janey Godley & Ashley Storrie.

So much happens

Trains are my friend, unless fate decides to halt the trains, through landslides, fire and flood and then in that case, I get worried sick. I had to get a train to London last week; firstly I was heading to Tom Parker Bowles book launch for his stunning “recipes from my kitchen notebook” ‘Let’s Eat’. The good news is the train did get there and on the way I managed to tune into a relationship between a guy called Tim and woman called Freya and I basically tweeted the whole conversation, I imagine I broke the laws of privacy but it was fun and you can check it out on twitter under JaneyGodley #traintales.

I finally made it to the book launch, it was on the roof of Selfridges which was an absolute puzzle to find from inside the store, I kept walking in circles through the perfume counter and banging into women trowelling on makeup and irate customers pushing each other about . None of the sharply dressed staff seemed to know which lift took you up to the roof garden and the ones that did know this were busy talking on phones. Eventually I made it up there and you need to know there is a mini golf course on the roof of Selfridges & the champagne flows. Incidentally Tom’s book is awesome; I passed it to my daughter Ashley as my cooking skills don’t go beyond toast and corned beef.

London was roasting hot; I wasn’t prepared for the searing heat and pulled on a tee shirt as I went down for breakfast in the Groucho club. Unfortunately what I chose to wear was a black fitted tee shirt and dark trousers so almost every guest there asked me for coffee and brown toast and was totally perturbed when I sat down and ignored them.

Finally I turned around bounded up all the stairs and pulled on something that didn’t make me look like staff and then headed back down for a peaceful breakfast.

That day of sunshine brought the launch of Pleasance Ahoy which is a barge boat that will leave London and head to Edinburgh doing pop up comedy gigs on the way. The sun beat down relentlessly luckily I had a wee bottle of factor 30 in my bag as we Scots melt or explode in the heat. I ended up dabbing cream on various dubious comics as the champagne flowed (yet again). I will be on board Pleasance Ahoy as the comedy boat leaves Manchester and heads for Edinburgh at start of August.

The Thursday night was a great chance to see my new pal Stephen Mangan in the new play ‘Birthday’ at the Royal Court in Sloane Square. It is about a man who gives birth as the exasperated wife gets to watch, it all sounds a bit New World fantasy which isn’t my bag, but it isn’t, the humour is great and the fast paced script does stop you thinking too much about the ‘ins and outs’ of the premise and what better to see than Stephen Mangan getting a finger up his ass?

All events done I got prepared to head home to Glasgow on the Friday morning only to be told a flood and landslide that hit Carlisle made me think “am not getting home am I” which is selfish and stupid as people may have died and folk have floods, but all you can think about is...My LIFE! 

I got over myself and sat on the train and waited patiently to see what the day brought and luckily we got home without incident BUT on arrival at Glasgow Central there were over 1000 people queuing to get on trains back down south as the delays had caused such a back log. Poor kids on their first day of summer holidays all waiting for trains...my heart went out to them as the line went all the way down the street and the police were called to contain the crowd.

Imagine the chaos for the people on the borders who had their homes actually flooded out?

Meanwhile in the UK Barclays bank & a few others got caught being utter fuck wits who fiddled the basic rate for mortgages and lending, there is a more technical way of describing this, but the bottom line is they just LIED and as usual didn’t get jailed and set THEMSELVES a punishment! The country is screwed and the bankers get to laugh at us all as they set their own rules like a giant game of monopoly where they get to cheat and we get to pay.

So thanks for reading, if you want follow me on twitter @janeygodley for updates.