Avant-garde at the Guildford Fringe

From burlesque to potato puppetry, there's an array of awesome off the wall acts coming to the Guildford Fringe this year. William Gadsby Peet finds out what weird and wonderful works of art we can look forward to

Miss Glory Pearl

• Naked stand up, how did that come about?

It was really a wardrobe question. I’d been performing burlesque with elaborate costumes and hosting cabaret with glamorous costumes, and I thought, what would I wear for stand up? What sort of stand up do I want to be? And I felt that every outfit would somehow define me, and let people put me in a box, so I thought, why not do it naked? That way no one would know what box to put me in. And the idea made me laugh so I did it. It’s the most terrifying thing I’ve ever done, but the absurdity of it does still make me laugh.

• You used to be a teacher, what made you want to trade rulers, pencils and rubbers for burlesque, pole dancing and comedy?

The simple answer is a very large mortgage! I left teaching because I’d achieved everything I wanted to achieve, and I started a career in advertising. But starting again meant starting at the bottom of the pay scale again, so I started performing for extra income and it kind of took over. But teaching and performing have lots in common – crowd control mainly.

• This year your shows have a poetic focus, what do you love about verse?

Ah, where to start? Poetry really is my first love – I can still recite many of the poems I learned as a child and I think that’s where my love of language stems from. I started writing poetry again last year, mainly because I’d hit a wall with the material I was working on. I decided to put the material aside and write something just for fun. The poems came so easily that before I knew it, I had an hour of new material. The first time I tried them out on an audience, I only managed to get through three of the five poems I was performing in a five-minute spot because the audience were laughing so much. I was delighted by the reaction, the ‘You remind me of Pam Ayres’ comments that have followed, not so much.

• You’re hosting an open mic poetry salon for the Free Fringe, do those taking the stage need to be in the nude?

Ha! Nudity? It’s a family show! I’m really excited about The Poetry Parlour. It’s a new concept – part poetry slam, part karaoke – a poeesloweeokee, if you like. Poetry should be heard, not read, so I’m hoping people of all ages will come and read their own poems, their favourite poems, or one of the famous poems in my big, black folder. You’ll be able to put your name down to read – just like at the karaoke – and then the stage is yours. I’ll be reading some of my favourites and some of my own poems. It should be a fun (clothed) night. And it’s free!

• Your favourite two lines of poetry?

Now that’s a difficult one. It’s a toss up between ‘One day in Perranporth pet shop, On a rather wild morning in June,’ and ‘Darkness outside. Inside, the radio’s prayer - Rockall, Malin, Dogger, Finisterre.’ The former is by Charles Causely and the latter by Carol Ann Duffy. But it’s so hard to choose – I’m one of those pretentious types who’s always dropping lines of poetry and Shakespeare quotations into conversation. I make no apologies for it. As Coleridge said, poetry is the ‘best words in the best order,’ so I’m all for using them as often as possible. Now I really do sound insufferable. Good job my new show, Body of Verse is so funny it’s caused at least one episode of incontinence.

Miss Glory Pearl will be hosting a poetry parlour at The Keep Pub on July 1 as part of the Free Fringe. For more information, visit: guildfordfringefestival.com

Miss Glory Pearl will also be performing her new stand up routine, Body of Verse, on July 28 at the Star Inn. For more information and to book tickets (£10), visit: guildfordfringefestival.com

Olaf Falafel

• Your website says you are Sweden’s eighth funniest comedian, who are the seven comics ahead of you?

I was eighth the last time I checked – there are many great Swedish comedians plying their trade in the UK. One year I had somehow managed to move up to seventh place so I started to write some really awful sugar based jokes (see below) just to ensure I dropped back down to eighth again.

• What is surrealist stand up comedy?

It is comedy that doesn't necessarily obey the laws of gravity or reality and can go on weird and wonderful tangents – I do routines about Ex-girlfriend misidentification phenomenon and also how your biscuit choices reflect your personality. Go into it with an open mind and you will enjoy stories about my pet lobster who doesn't like hide & seek because of the part where I say "You're getting warmer, even warmer, you're hot, hotter, boiling, absolutely boiling" – for some reason this gives him panic attacks.

• You are a keen proponent of biscuitology, my favourite biscuit is a Chocolate Leibniz, what does that say about me?

A Chocolate Leibniz denotes somebody who enjoys being in power. You are probably the kind of person who likes to lift a flowerpot in the garden and pretend they are in the insect FBI and they've just busted an illegal woodlouse drinking den.

• You wrote a series of children’s book recently, what are they about?

My first book Old MacDonald Heard a Parp was about a rather handsome bearded farmer (he looks like me) who heard a fart on his farm and tries to find the culprit. Each animal he comes across has its own individual way of farting which the reader has to replicate using their mouths plus the detailed instructions. To make a fart like a duck you have to make your mouth small and tight like the knot in a balloon and breathe in quickly. There has been a Christmas version and a follow up book which features a time-travelling tractor is out in the summer.

• Favourite joke?

Jokes about sugar are rare but jokes about brown sugar – demerara.

Olaf Falafel will be performing his wonderfully titled show, There's No I In Idiot, at the Star Inn on July 14. For more information and to book tickets (£8), visit: guildfordfringefestival.com

Terry Victor

• What is stand up literature?

It used to be, when you took a classic book from the shelf it always opened at the Well Thumbed dirty bits. Context didn’t matter – anything, from a detailed description of frowned upon physical activity to a single banned word, could elevate a book from ‘classic’ to ‘well-thumbed treasure’. Stand-up literature is a celebration of that treasury, played for laughs and gasps. To be honest, there’s bound to be something that will offend your sensibilities so it’s just like stand-up comedy but with better writers.

• How many dirty bits are there in classic literature?

At least twice as many as I could fit into the Well Thumbed performance before my eyesight failed.

• Some of your favourite books, dirty or otherwise?

Don’t do this to me. There are so many books! From Hell, the graphic novel by Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell is absolutely extraordinary; Hag-Seed by Margaret Atwood; I read Ten Dead Comedians by Fred Van Lente on a plane recently. It made me laugh; I enjoy a good slang dictionary (ask me for recommendations…) and I am not above a touch of Lee Child.

From the classic shelves: Candide by Voltaire is laugh out loud funny; Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray And one that gets quoted in the show… Pills to Purge Melancholy by Thomas d’Urfey.

• You’re also an actor, director and politics buff – what do you enjoy most?

You missed writer and lexicographer off the list. Did you notice I didn’t mention any books with my name on the jacket? And I am really getting into blogging about language at the mo. Anyway, to answer your question, whatever’s happening in that moment – except politics. When a performance is flying there is no greater thrill and terror. When you are lost in words… where was I?

• Who was the bawdiest classical author?

Probably Shakespeare. Once you crack the code of his sexual puns there’s a whole new world of wonder in there. If all you want is in your face shock and awe then the Earl of Rochester is your man. Jane Austen can turn a saucy pun. And the Bible has got some wicked bits and bobs.

Terry Victor performs Well Thumbed on July 4 at the Star Inn. For more information and to book tickets (£7), visit: guildfordfringefestival.com

Potato Puppet Playground

• What exactly is the potato puppet playground?

It is a wondrous place where you can unlock the colourful character that lies dormant in every potato in the land. It is a hive of artistic creativity centred around the simple spud. It is a place where everyone is welcome to come and turn a potato into a puppet and make up a story with our potato performers.

• What can kids look forward to?

Kids can look forward to winning prizes in some of our potato games, and of course at the end of their visit to the Playground they will get to take home their very own Potato Puppet, which they can keep forever and ever... or until mum and dad decide to turn it into dinner.

• How did you end up as a purveyor of potato-based entertainment?

We (6FootStories) have been making interactive experiences for festivals for many years now, and we realised that much fun could be had with the potato, and that other people hadn’t yet harnessed its power. The idea literally came to Nigel in a dream last year, and it’s quite incredible to see it touring the country now.

• What other things do 6FootStories put on?

6FootStories make all manner of work for venues and festivals around the country. We have a three man reinvention of Macbeth that tours every year, as well as a travelling fortune parlour-cum-swap shop called The Gypsy Lodge. We have a new alien gameshow that unfolds from a sci-fi caravan touring this summer, and we will be making two brand new shows in the autumn – another reinvented Shakespeare, and a new absurdist adventure called The Woman Whose House Was Stolen.

• Do you have a potato pun/joke to hand?

What do you call a potato with right angles? A square root!

6FootStories will be inviting kids (and adults!) to join in with their potato puppet playground from 11am to 4pm on Guildford High Street as part of the Free Fringe. For more information, visit: guildfordfringefestival.com

Laurie Black’s Bad Luck Cabaret

• What is Bad Luck Cabaret?

Bad Luck Cabaret is a (usually!) late night cabaret variety show hosted by myself Laurie Black, and featuring other performers from the cabaret circuit and beyond. I love presenting fun, comedic original music to audiences, and being able to promote and present other performers who I think deserve to be seen and enjoyed.

• What can we look forward to from the show?

This will be Bad Luck Cabaret's first outing in Guildford, and at a great rock 'n' roll venue too, so definitely some rock 'n' roll vibes from me. Bad Luck Cabaret is an hour of music, comedy and more – with special guests who could be from any branch of performance – you'll definitely get something you don't expect. Plus, there's chances to sing along with me, drink with me and even get up onstage too! ;)

• What do you enjoy about performing?

I am a professional performer, travelling around the world and performing my shows at Fringe festivals most of the year – I love meeting new people, performing to and playing with audiences, and giving people a little bit of escapism in what is currently a crazy world. I think it's super important to take time away from laptop, phone and TV screens, and be present in a space with other human beings witnessing something in real life! I love when audiences shock and surprise me and keep me on my toes – there is a game we play in the show called The Danger Tape Game, and I love how creative audiences get when playing – come play and see for yourself!

• You were in a Jessie J music video and had one of your songs remixed by Rob Swire, how did that come about?

I used to work at a shop called Cyberdog in Camden, London and was headhunted to appear in Jessie J's It's My Party music video – you can see me partying away in the "rocker room" of the video! As for Rob Swire, I went to secondary school with a relative of his and he came in to teach us how to use a music software called Cubase, and chose to remix my GCSE music composition – I was only 15 or something silly at the time! My most recent claim to fame is winning Emerging Artist of Adelaide Fringe 2018 and having my trophy presented to me by international superstar drag queen Courtney Act.

• Would you rather be a pirate that can’t swim or a ninja that is afraid of the dark?

I love swimming, but also, I'm a bit of a goth so it's a tough one! – I would totally lose my goth cred if I was scared of the dark, but also imagine how rubbish holidays would be if you couldn't swim?! Can I be all of the above? Then at least I'd be a super cool ninja pirate (who couldn't swim and was afraid of the dark). Let's go with that!

Laurie Black brings her Bad Luck Cabaret to the Star Inn on July 15. For more information and to book tickets (£8), visit: guildfordfringefestival.com

Bard & Troubadour

• How did Bard & Troubadour come about?

About five years ago the two of us met performing in a Shakespeare in the park show in Brighton. We loved working together and really sparked off one another. We spent our time out of rehearsals sharing ideas for storytelling shows, and really wanted to make some theatre that all ages could enjoy, so over that year we started building the theatre company and our first show, Thumbelina.

• What do you enjoy most about performing theatre for kids?

Every show is a new surprise! Because our shows involve us talking to the audience, getting them to shout out and dance and really be part of the story, there's always new and different responses. It's like a stepping stone between a theatre and improv show, so it's great fun as an actor. It's also such a lovely thing to see families enjoying the show together, where the grown ups are laughing as much as the kids. That community feeling with everyone together really is magic.

• How do you write adventures that capture the imagination?

Often it comes down to just letting the traditional story we're working with shine through – there's a reason these tales have lasted as long as they have. They are already jam packed with action, excitement, jeopardy and silliness. Beyond that, we definitely borrow from panto traditions – if our audience isn't being encouraged to boo the villain, they're shouting "It's behind you!" or helping the hero make their choices. Having the audience so actively involved helps bring the story to life.

• What do local children have to look forward to with your shows?

A singing, dancing, sword fighting cat, a ninja princess, a tiny king with a horse called Aardvark, an evil ogre with magical powers, a girl no bigger than a thumb, a dastardly frog, a squadron of stag beetles, a sinister mole and a swallow who learns how to fly again!

• Favourite fairy tale and why?

Amy's favourite fairy tale to tell is The Emperor's Ears, where an emperor has his hair cut only once a year, and the barber who cut his hair is put to death the next day so he can never reveal the secret of what he saw... until there is only one barber left in the kingdom. "It's got everything I like in a story: mystery, danger, laughs, fun characters, and a variety of endings, so you can choose which version you want to tell each time.

Josh's favourite fairy tale is The Three Little Pigs, "Because it's the best story ever written: a parable about leaving home, sound economic advice about house building; a villain with clear and consistent motivation, a host of minor characters with comedy accents, and a gruesome death at the end for everyone to cheer at."

Bard & Troubadour bring their children's show Thumbelina to the G Live on July 28. For more information and to book tickets (£10.50), visit: glive.co.uk

High Octane Club

• What got you in to burlesque?

We were already producing comedy clubs and we found that people wanted more ‘quirky’ entertainment and less of the main stream. We gave burlesque a go and it just took off.

• Who makes up the High Octane Club?

The High Octane Club is produced by Guildford Fringe Theatre Company which is made up of Nick Wyschna and Charlotte Bateup. The line-up of acts for the cabarets changes every month, packed full of variety from by some of the best acts on the UK circuit.

• What do you hope audiences take away from an evening with the High Octane Club?

I really hope they leave with a bigger smile than they arrived with. In our opinion entertainment should evoke a feeling that you didn’t have before the event. The night is so full of laughs you leave all the troubles of the world at the door, which we encourage, and you just let go for two hours.

• What would you be doing if you weren’t involved with burlesque?

We cannot imagine Guildford Fringe without burlesque but if we had to then we would just continue to do what we do, find events that are not happening in Guildford and put them on. We are so lucky in Guildford with our arts scene, we just love adding to that and keeping live entertainment alive and kicking!

• Describe the High Octane Club in five words or less…

Saucy, Sexy, Scintillating, Sassy and Sensational!

The High Octane Club comes to Guildford's Electric Theatre on July 14. For more information and to book tickets (£18), visit: guildfordfringefestival.com

The British Comedy Company Hound of Baskervilles

• What made you want to write a comedic interpretation of Sherlock Holmes?

The main reason for writing a comic version of the Hound is that Conan Doyle's original story was dramatic, and most subsequent versions in film, stage and TV have also been dramatic, and so I thought a comic one wouldn't go amiss. Also, I am a comic writer and performer by nature. However, in our version, the characters take themselves seriously and the comedy arises from their interactions – and the thrilling parts remain thrilling!

• Doyle’s character has seen countless revivals over the years, what do you think it is about Holmes that keeps modern day audiences interested?

There are a number of timeless characters, e.g. King Arthur, Robin Hood, The 3 Musketeers, and Sherlock Holmes is another that captured the public imagination at a time when they were ready for something like that. Harry Potter did exactly the same thing.

• A lot of the core members of the British Comedy Company have been performing comedy for many a year, what is it about making people laugh that keeps you all coming back for more?

There is nothing better than hearing an audience laugh. It's an instant response and you know when you are getting it right. It is said that comedy is difficult but a lot of things are and we just happen to be quite good at this, but useless at a lot of other things!

• What would you say the major comedic inspirations for the British Comedy Company are?

The Marx Brothers and The Goons. The camaraderie of the latter is so infectious, over and above the writing.

• Favourite Sherlock Holmes quote?

"The game's afoot!" although Shakespeare had Henry V say it first!

The British Comedy Company perform The Hound of the Baskervilles at the Star Inn on July 18. For more information and to book tickets (£10), visit: guildfordfringefestival.com

The Raymond and Mr Timpkins Revue

• How did you two meet?

We lived on the same estate as each other, less than ten minutes apart but didn't meet until we were in our twenties through a mutual friend. We bonded through a love of music and a desire to be in a band which we were before we started the double act.

• How would you describe your style of comedy?

Musical/prop driven. In the old days it would have been called a speciality or variety act. There is a lot of velvet and four sandals are also involved.

• Who is the better actor/comedian?

Are you trying to cause some sort of argument here? You'll have to try harder than that mate!

• You’ve had great reviews from the likes of Richard Herring and Jason Manford, who are some of your own favourite comedians?

Jason Manford has been very supportive of us for years. We worked with him in the old days in Jongleurs venues and other clubs. He has booked us into some lovely shows with him and we've supported him on tour a few times. Top bloke. Richard Herring is a more recent convert after we worked with him in Glasgow earlier this year. We obviously love what they do, Richards podcast, RHLSTP, is great, they are both great live performers. From an influence point of view, we like the Goons, Spike Milligan, Reeves and Mortimer. We like silly nonsense and things where people fall over a lot.

• What can we look forward to from your show at the fringe?

It's a lot of props, a lot of music and a huge amount of overacting, hence the name.

The Raymond and Mr Timpkins Revue comes to G Live on July 23. For more information and to book tickets (£14.50), visit: glive.co.uk

Richard Pulsford

• Your latest show focuses on the incredible stories you uncovered while researching your family tree during WWI and WWII, what were some of the most interesting things you discovered?

I don't want to give too much away about what's actually in the show but the experiences of my relatives in WW1 (the main focus) were way more complex and varied than I had imagined. I found out that one of my British relatives had been buried in a German-built cemetery; while another Yorkshire relative was lost at sea when a U-Boat torpedoed his ship, and the submarine commander ended up as a POW in Yorkshire. I also uncovered a surprise connection to the Titanic.

• Did you come across anything from that time in history that resonated with current world events?

Yes, definitely. In one section I talk about the German bombardment of my home town and how that was used to turn people against the Germans and enlist more men into the army. The rhetoric was over the top and wasn't always based in fact, but people readily bought into it. And WW1 saw the first experimental use of chemical weapons in warfare. Its impact was as much psychological as anything else and its use engenders a similar revulsive reaction today.

• Why do you think war is such a recurring theme over the history of humanity?

That's a big question! I guess it's all about power, greed and glory, at any price – human (and especially male) traits that are hard to overcome.

• Pretty serious subject matter for a comedian to write a show about…

I think having my own children piqued an interest in my own ancestry. I became fascinated by the research I had started and realised there were some human stories which ought to be told. And with the centenary of the deaths of two of my great uncles and then the armistice coming up, it gave me the impetus to actually write a show. I am still writing jokes though, and have another comedy show this year, so I'm simply offering the public a broader choice of shows to watch!

• If you could time travel to one day in human history, when would it be and why?

Picking out just a single day is a very tough one. Maybe 22nd November 1963? The assassination of JFK was a profoundly shocking event for the world, but if I could be there as the President's motorcade came by, I'd be able to keep a close eye out for any suspicious activity on the grassy knoll and maybe finally lay to rest some unanswered questions.

Richard Pulsford performs his new show Conflict of Interest at the Star Inn on July 23. For more information and to book tickets (£7), visit: guildfordfringefestival.com

The Gin Chronicles

• A comedy radio show caper revolving around gin and set in the period just after WWII – where did the idea come from?

I saw The Fitzrovia Radio Hour and thought 'That! That is what I like and want to be competing with!' (I'm a huge admirer of theirs). Then when I heard Bleak Expectations on the radio I just knew I had to start evolving something that was as much fun as what they were all doing. The joy, the silliness, the cleverness were all things I really wanted to aim for, and fortunately, Nick Cowell (who co-founded Interrupt the Routine with me) agreed that this was a good idea.

• What were some of your inspirations for this show?

​My inspirations co​me from a love of radio shows, films and writers​ of a bygone era. My parents and godfather got me into The Goons, Paul Temple and Round the Horne, and I willingly absorbed​ films like In Which We Serve, The Dambusters, Reach for the Sky and the Ealing Comedies (Passport to Pimlico being a particular favourite).

​The work of ​P. G.Wodehouse, Evelyn Waugh and Dorothy Parker followed. ​I learned (as so many schoolboys have done and still do) the scripts to Blackadder off-by-heart, I fell in love with the historical randomness of Monty Python, and I guess it's a case of being open-minded to everything, trying to find the best ideas. For this particular episode, I'm listening to a lot more American stuff (Bob Hope, Jack Benny, Don Rickles) to get the rhythm of their comedy at that time, of what they were into. And then, of course, you go back to the US stars of TV and film: Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Lucille Ball, Harold Lloyd, Abbott & Costello, Laurel & Hardy. Sorry, I'll stop now.

• What can we look forward to from the latest instalment in the series?

​What The Gin Chronicles in New York will do is marry the good fortune that amateur detectives John Jobling (upper-class twit) and Doris Golightly (his patient, wily housemaid​ and assistant in detection) have had so far in their adventures with the more abrasive melting pot qualities of 'The Big Apple'. London in 1947 was rebuilding itself, but New York was the city climbing up into the sky to touch the out-stretched hands of the angels. Dreams were bigger and better, but also there was a lot of mischief and shenanigans. So this adventure will see a new set of challenges for our hapless duo. It's fast-paced ensemble fun that seems to be drawing a really diverse audience. We want to concentrate on delivering good comedy that everyone can enjoy without any nasty surprises. And this year, we've got a really good troupe of talented comedy actors on board, so co-director Anthony Shrubsall and I are very excited.

• What other projects is Interrupt The Routine involved with?

​We do a children's series of shows called the Walter & Maisy adventures, about a man (Walter) who lives in a lighthouse and talks to animals, and his friend (Maisy) who is a teacher at the local primary school, so we're looking at taking that to a community or arts centre for Autumn half-term performances, and we're looking to get a literary agent to help publish them as books too. But the main thrust is getting The Gin Chronicles series (there are 4 adventures now – there will be 6 to complete the first series) onto cruise ships, doing tours of the UK and of ex-pat communities around the world, and my own personal dream of taking it to India (the global centre of P.G.Wodehouse-lovers) and the US. We need sponsors to help us get there, so finding people who love what we do and want to support it will be part of that, too.

• What is the best gin cocktail?

​Goooooood question. The Negroni is an absolute go-to (also the tale behind this cocktail is fascinating – see Gary Regan's excellent book The Negroni for more info). The other cocktail we love, which has been going down very well at our private and corporate gin tastings, is one that Elvira Ramirez did for Forbes Magazine in honour of the Royal Wedding called "His Royal Highness" (a Tanqueray-led "French 75" twist using honey syrup instead of standard sugar syrup). It's absolutely lush, and any gin-based cocktail that has the words "top up with Champagne" in the instructions gets my approval.

Interrupt the Routine brings another episode of The Gin Chronicles to Guildford's Guildhall on July 27. For more information and to book tickets (£15 inc G&T on arrival), visit: guildfordfringefestival.com

Ukejam

• What is Ukejam

Ukejam is a local all acoustic instrument jam; everyone in a pub playing well known songs at the same time from song sheets, led by seasoned performers and teachers. It is community music at its joyful best.

• Do I need to own a ukulele to get involved?

Ukejam brings about 30 ukuleles to each session, set up and ready to borrow for the evening.

• I have never picked up an instrument before can I still get involved?

At Ukejam we play at least a third of the night with super easy songs, with only a few easy to play chords, on the Guildford Fringe Ukejam we will be playing more easy songs.

• The jam is taking place in a pub, is tipsy ukuleling allowed?

We run Ukejam in welcoming pubs in many towns in Surrey. In Guildford it is the multiple award-winning Britannia. The venue is usually quite well attended, so have a drink if you like, but the music and people generally lower the inhibitions on their own.

• You guys are local, what does the Guildford Fringe mean to the area?

The Guildford Fringe is an excellent way to bring together the best entertainment the area has to offer, in a great, easy to reach forum, it allows followers of many activities to access other great things to do.

Ukejam comes to The Britannia Pub on July 8 as part of the Free Fringe. For more information, visit: guildfordfringefestival.com

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