Nick Hennegan

Day 2 at Edinburgh Fringe. Night. Thrown out of the Pleasance Courtyard. But John Slater, Guy Masterson, his daughter and Holyrood 9A helps.

Maybe it’s because it’s a Sunday, or maybe it’s because the Pleasance Courtyard REALLY needs – more likely – to sort out their stuff. But after one of the biggest shows they’ve had this year with Mervyn, we have a drink afterwards and the security staff are telling us to get out of the Courtyard at 10.30! I’d ordered a Stein at 10.20. I’m not sure whyI found this so depressing! Fortunalty, there’s a brilliant pub just down the road. It’s called the Holyrood 9A and they sorted us out!

It was a good evening overall though. After Pie and Mash in the Assembly Gardens, I literarily bumped into John Slater, an old chum who I initially met when we both worked at BRMB Radio in Birmingham, but then later on was key in the success of the Maverick Theatre Company. He came to help me out with a show for two weeks and ended up staying for seven years! We had a few beers, then I was off to see Mervyn Stutter again with tonight’s guests who included Guy Masterson, another stalwart of the Edinburgh Fringe. I recorded some of the night for my radio show and I may put an extract on here later, now that Mervyn has finished his run and returned home.

It was great seeing Guy again and an added bonus was seeing his daughter, Luli. At 16, she is also a fringe veteran, having first travelled up here at the age of 4! At the last Edinburgh Festival she was 14 and I got to know her quite well over the month. She is warm and open and not at all precocious and I found it quite amusing how we used to end up chatting. She asked my advice about a nail polish colour! And gave me a few ideas about getting a hair cut. And I won’t be taking her down the pub for at least another two years, but she’s a good ‘un and a credit to her Mom and Dad!

I got to know Guy though the Dylan Thomas Centenary Festival in London, the brain-child of comedian and presenter Griff Rhys Jones. Guy is now a treasured friend as well as a colleague. I directed Guy in my adaptation of Dicken’s ‘A Christmas Carol’ If you’ve seen it, the coat he wears is the one I bought for my Shakespearean adaptation, ‘Henry V – Lion of England’ In 1992! It’s a real showbiz coat! On stage, Guy does the first speech from ‘Under Milk Wood’ by Dylan Thomas, a show he is presenting here in Edinburgh this week. He does a great job and then is very professionally interviewed by Mervyn.

And then we go for a drink. Yep. See above…!

Ed Fringe ‘21 – Day Two. Sunday. Hello old friends. Eddie Izzard, slut-drops and Brass Monkeys.

Having arrived in Edinburgh last night, checked into the hotel and gone straight to the Pleasance Courtyard to see Mervyn Stutter (see previous post) today it was time to wander back to my old Assembly Festival haunts. And although there is activity after the barren last festival season, it feels strangely ghostly and denuded.

Take the Assembly Club Bar. It’s been in different locations over the years, but it’s the hub of the Assembly Festival and democratically exclusive It would be rockin’ till 4am for the whole of the Fringe. And once or twice, I would be there to see the end of the night..! It was where you would bump into other Assembly artists and often members of the media. Memories of my last Assembly festival include Eddy Izzard’s new frock and the comedy act West End Producer in his mask and costume for one whole sweltering night. He kept in character even when one of the beautiful, slightly merry members of my cast started ‘slut-dropping’ in front of him. And because my birthday is in August, I remember the enigmatic, interesting and pleasant Paul, editor of the Fringe Review, presenting me with an Edinburgh University notebook and pen and telling me to write a piece for next year. I did write a new script, but, of course, next year never came…

And so the once glittering, illuminated entrance to the Assembly bar is what it always was and as I had never seen it – a pedestrian, dowdy entrance to a university building. And the Assembly studios, gone. And the Blue Room where we sold out our last production, doesn’t exist at all. It was a venue built only for the Fringe.

The Brass Monkey, Edinburgh. Due to appear in the Best Boho Pub Guide soon!

But not everything has changed. The Brass Monkey Pub, most of the designer Coffee shops and The Assembly Gardens are still here. The Gardens has its outdoor venue and food concessions, although drinks are ordered to the table now – at least until tomorrow, when Covid rules ease in Scotland. But you can still pay £8.50 for Pie, Mash and Sauce in a cardboard box. No idea what the sauce is. But it’s rather tasty. And, oh yes and it still rains. Yes… we’ll always have the rain…

Ed Fringe ’21. End of Night One. Marvellous Mervyn and Steins of Lager!

It’s late night In the Pleasance Courtyard, Edinburgh. I’ve just seen, for the first time, Mervyn Stutter’s act. I’ve known for years he’s done a show called Pick of The Fringe, but I’ve never seen it. And now, in this disabled, post-covid Fringe world, he’s apparently gone back 34 years to his Fringe roots, with a mix of comedy, song and… dare I say it…variety!

Yep. Variety! I’ve know Mervyn for a few years due to the strange Fringe camaraderie that emerges from artists who want to make stuff – present stuff – make things happen – and know that Edinburgh has this now 74 year tradition. It’s a weird, mad and sometimes, but actually never really, bad space. It’s brutal, but brilliant. For the last two festivals I’ve had digs with Merv’s marketing team – an introduction induced by Guy Masterson.

And based on what I’ve seen tonight, and in spite of THREE Steins of lager (look it up, hic!) make sure you go see Mervyn. He does topical songs; adaptations of classics that are hilarious and topical. But his killer talent is his authenticity. Part of his show includes interviewing other artists, tonight singer Christine Bovill. And when Mervyn says he loves her voice, we know he means it and we are ready to love her voice too. Which we did.

There’s a reason Mervyn Stutter has been on the Fringe for 34 years. Maybe not the slickest, newest, hottest thing. But believe me, he’s quality. Mervyn Stutter is the real deal. Book now for next year! I’ll see you there!

RATING: ***** Francis Bacon – woo-hoo Soho!

London Literary Pub Crawl last night.

Chris reviewed A London Literary Pub Crawl – in Soho.

Public review

* * * * *

“5 Stars! Great fun, good beers and learned a lot about the history and literary connections of this part of town. Many thanks to Richard!”

Edinburgh Festival ‘21 – Day One…

It’s a long way from London to Edinburgh. A different country don’t y’ know. For the past two festivals I’ve written, adapted and directed numerous productions. My version of ‘A Christmas Carol’ actually happened in August, brilliantly performed by Guy Masterson who also co-produced my other productions – ‘Henry V – Lion of England’, our original Edinburgh hit from 1992 but this time performed by a woman,; ‘Hamlet-Horatio’s Tale’ , again performed by a woman, but with the sultry tones of Sir Derek Jacobi as the Ghost; ‘P.A.L.S.’ A tragi-comedy about four kids growing up on a council estate, and ‘Romeo and Juliet’, my footballing take on the bards best loved play.

But there’s something different about coming up without a show. I have three in mind for next year, but there’s a sort of decadence about not having to worry about your cast, the venue, the technical talents, the press and marketing, oh, and, of course, if the show is any good! And usually we’ve been rehearsing full-time for two or three weeks before the festival, so it’s a fairly busy time. Plus accommodation is usually about £1k per person for the month and is booked months in advance.

So it’s very odd looking for a hotel or guest house for just 5 nights. You have to consider price and location and it’s not easy! At the last minute, last night, I cancelled my hotel on Princes Street and moved to another near where my digs have been for the last three years. No real logic, but it felt better. And now I’m on the train (made it with five minutes to spare.)

No BoHo ratings yet, but I shall be marking the days based on productions seen, red wine/beer consumed and fellow bohemians encountered. The ratings will be

Noddy and BigEars – a poor Boho day.

Ernest Hemingway – a good Boho day that may end badly.

Francis Bacon – woo-hoo Soho!

Edinburgh or bust…

I have done the deed! Hotel and train booked. Edinburgh Festivals here I come! Sat 7th – Thurs 12th. As a fellow bohemian, you will be aware of the agony of doing this… finding the money to pay for a hotel room and rail tickets. But I have done it! This is the first time in years I’ve not had a show here, but more of that later. Please let me know if you are about or if there are things I should see. I’ll be blogging and podcasting for this new BohemianBritain.com. Recording for my Resonance 104.4fm radio show, Literary London. Running a free session for potential new theatre producers. Looking for our own venue next year – maybe – as I have 3 shows ‘in the slips’ already. And probably having a drink or two… Och, aye..!

Star Performer looks for a lifestyle change after COVID lockdown.

Great to see our Adam in The Stage Newpaper this week, making a very good point about freelance creatives. Having said that, he’s just graduated from The Maverick Academy’s part-time Diploma in Creative Producing and is about to open in the West End soon. See TheatreProducerTraining.com #theatre #training #Covid